Selectors make tough All Blacks choices

Selection of the All Blacks team for the first Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Test against South Africa, at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Sunday (NZT), was a tough exercise with so much competition for places across the team.

Coach Dave Rennie said the choice of locks was just one area that made the selection difficult.

“We’re really excited about that group, but you look at how good Paddy [Patrick Tuipulotu] was against Ireland, and Sam Darry’s been excellent for us as well. He’s a big man with a really good skill set and a massive engine.

“We believe we’ll use more than 23 on this tour and such is the intensity of the Tests we think other guys will get their opportunities.”

While Fabian Holland has not had much rugby in 2026, Rennie said they wanted to get some decent football into him in the games against the Stormers and Bulls.

“It’s been good for him. He’s got a big engine as well and to get through as much football as he did at altitude last week was great. We believe he’s ready to go. He’s a big man who will have an impact on the game.”

Rennie said fullback Damian McKenzie came through the week of training well, as did halfback Cameron Roigard and wing Will Jordan.

“They’re both [Roigard and Jordan] very good players and important to us. Both had big impacts in the Nations Cup series and they’re reasonably fresh and keen to rip in.”

As expected, Ruben Love secured the starting spot at first five-eighths.

“He’s been excellent. He’s confident, really clear. He’s led well and he’s had a great season. He’s been strong for us in the black jersey and deserves that starting spot.”

Captain Ardie Savea returns to play, and Rennie said he is showing the benefit of a few days off.

“I know he missed it, and he’s trained hard. He’s come back in and connected quickly.”

The choice of wing Josh Moorby was down to the composure he has shown and his good decision-making.

“He’s got an excellent skill set, he’s got a big ticker and we get a lot of repeat efforts out of him, but it is his ability to do the obvious that creates space for him, or people around him. It was also a difficult choice as Leroy Carter was excellent last week. He’s on the bench and as it’s a 23-man game nowadays they’ll both have impact.”

Rennie said while the Springboks have raised points about the All Blacks’ play, they were penalised for those points and learned from it. Their discipline was better against the Bulls, and they know it will be important against the Springboks.

“We know we’re going to have to be disciplined, so we don’t give them easy entry into our 22, and we’re going to have to be accurate.

“They’ve got an excellent team, haven’t they? We expect a lot of aerial attack, and if we can defuse that, that will give us some opportunity to attack.

“There’ll be times when it’s an arm wrestle and you have to dig in. We want to play when it’s on to play and we need to bar up for a big chunk of it. It’s Test footy and we know the Springboks will ask a lot of us.”

The teams are:

All Blacks: 1.Ethan de Groot, 2.Codie Taylor, 3.Tyrel Lomax, 4.Josh Lord, 5.Fabian Holland, 6.Tupou Vaa’I, 7.Luke Jacobson, 8.Ardie Savea (captain), 9.Cam Roigard, 10.Ruben Love, 11.Josh Moorby, 12.Jordie Barrett, 13.Quinn Tupaea, 14.Will Jordan, 15.Damian McKenzie.

Substitutes: 16.Asafo Auma, 17.George Bower, 18.Fletcher Newell, 19.Anton Segner, 20.Peter Lakai, 21.Kyle Preston, 22.Anton Lienert-Brown, 23.Leroy Carter.