All Blacks newcomers: Why they were selected

James Broadhurst is one of the new faces in the All Blacks squad. Photo / Getty Images

See what the All Blacks coaches had to say about why they selected some of the newcomers in the 41-man squad to take part in the test against Samoa and the Rugby Championship.

Codie Taylor

"He's someone who we've been keeping an eye on for quite some time. He's got the skillsets that we believe are right for the international game at the moment. He's very much like a young Dane Coles - he's very mobile. His core roles probably aren't as strong as they need to be yet, but they aren't that far away. We wanted four hookers and we wanted people who could play the game the way we want to play it."

Waisake Naholo

"I'm not sure what's happening around the French club. I think it's been sorted but all I know is he's available for selection because he's been playing this year. And he's been playing particularly well - he broke a record that's been standing for a long time for tries scored for the Highlanders. I thought he was outstanding last night - he played a big part in the game. So we're really looking forward to working with him once the Highlanders finish their run. We'll get him in and, as I said, I'm really looking forward to it. He's something special."

James Broadhurst

"He's been on the radar for a long time, even when he first arrived at the Crusaders. I remember talking to Brad Thorn about him and Brad said, 'You've got to keep an eye on this kid - he's going to be special'. He's taken a wee while but I'm guessing that's a reflection on his size. Some of those big men take some time. Certainly last season he got our attention and this year he's stepped up another level."

Nehe Milner-Skudder

"I think he speaks for himself - the excitement that he brings to a team in terms of his footwork, his offloading and we've certainly seen his versatility as well, going from wing to fullback. His kicking game links with those around him and he's benefited from being involved in a pretty experienced backline. And he's really added something to that backline so we're pretty excited about that."

The coaches also discussed the selection of the returning

Hika Elliot

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"He's had to show a lot of mental fortitude to come back from a very serious neck injury. I think his time away from the game has allowed him time to think about himself as a person and himself as a rugby player, and what it means to him. His performances have been reflecting that, so now the next step is to bring that into our environment."