Scott Robertson has called up five new faces for his first All Blacks class of 2025, with his 35-man squad for next month’s series against France named.
Opinion by Ben Francis
Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking news.
The All Blacks have named their 33-man squad for next month’s series against France.
There are five new faces in the squad, which mixes 18 forwards with 15 backs.
Coach Scott Robertson acknowledges ‘there are always going to be good players who miss out’.
All Blacks coach Scott Robertson has named his first squad of 2025, and there were certainly some interesting selections.
The squad, which consists of 33 players along with two as injury cover, features Du’Plessis Kirifi, Timoci Tavatavanawai, Fabian Holland, Ollie Norris and Brodie McAlister as new faces inthe side, which mixes 18 forwards with 15 backs.
Having impressed since returning from injury ahead of the Super Rugby Pacific playoffs, especially in the final against the Chiefs, many felt Ethan Blackadder was a shoo-in for Robertson’s squad.
But it wasn’t to be. Since making his test debut in 2021, he’s only amassed 14 tests, in large part due to injuries, while it’s taken six years to bring up 50 matches for the Crusaders.
What Robertson said:
“Given where Samipeni’s [Finau] at, and with the accuracy Luke [Jacobson] brings across a few positions, he probably gets the nod there,” Robertson said.
“But look, it’s the All Blacks, there are always going to be good players who miss out. It makes our job hard, but it’s not supposed to be easy, so we’ll just get on with it.”
David Havili
Last year, the talk was about how Harry Plummer was the first championship-winning 10 in a long time to miss the squad; well, when was the last time the winning captain wasn’t picked?
Robertson has always been a fan of David Havili, and his ability to play pretty much everywhere in the backline made him an intriguing selection.
“He’s done a fantastic job leading the Crusaders to the title. He’s grabbed that team and put it on his shoulders.
“Right now, we want to have a look at some players who are in form. We want to be quite direct in how we play and we’ve selected players who allow us to do that.
“We know he’s a great man and a world-class player, but at this stage, we just want to have a look and give opportunities elsewhere.”
The Blues didn’t have the best of years on the field, but one player who took his opportunities was 24-year-old loosehead prop Josh Fusitu’a.
After an injury to Ofa Tuʻungafasi, Fusitu’a went on to feature in all 16 matches in the Blues’ run to the semifinals, starting the last 11.
Joshua Fusitu'a. Photo / Photosport
His form saw him named Blues Player of the Year, which propelled him into bolter contention, receiving high praise from former All Blacks scrum coach Greg Feek.
But it could have been a case of too early for Fusitu’a, with Chiefs prop Norris earning the call-up, with Robertson saying he’s been “incredibly accurate in his role” and been “consistent all year”.
Leroy Carter
In his first season of Super Rugby Pacific, Leroy Carter was impressive, scoring nine tries, the equal-most for a New Zealand-based player this season alongside Will Jordan and Kyren Taumoefolau.
Having been a key figure in the All Blacks Sevens since 2022, Carter made the transition well to the 15-man game, where his speed was noticeable.
His form put him in the bolter category, but like Fusitu’a, it could be down to experience – while age isn’t on his side, being 26.
Surprisingly, only four outside backs were named by Robertson, although midfielders like Rieko Ioane and the uncapped Timoci Tavatavanawai are capable of filling in.
Rivez Reihana
Following the departure of Richie Mo’unga, New Zealand’s depth at first five-eighths has always been talked about, with there being a clear gap between Beauden Barrett, Damien McKenzie and the rest.
Plummer was given a shot last year, but only had minutes off the bench against the Wallabies.
So who is New Zealand’s next-best first five? Brett Cameron has one test behind him but had limited chances returning from an ACL injury, the Highlanders could never settle on their playmaker, while Josh Jacomb is one for the future.
While it would have been a bigger shock than Brodie McAlister’s selection, the 25-year-old has jumped ahead in the pecking order in the best-of-the-rest category.
Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.
