New Zealand journalist Gregor Paul argues that the All Blacks squad for the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series is built to beat the world champion Springboks now, and later.
Head coach Dave Rennie on Monday named three uncapped players in a 44-man squad for the eight-match tour of South Africa.
Writing for the New Zealand Herald, Paul says the challenge facing Rennie is winning in the present without sacrificing the future, a balance he believes predecessor Scott Robertson failed to strike.
Paul believes Rennie, given an 18-month contract to stabilise a fractured team ahead of next year’s World Cup, has been handed both the pressure to compete immediately and a rare opportunity to develop players who could feature beyond the tournament.
“He still has to fulfil the obligation of building an All Blacks team that can win today and win tomorrow, albeit with different parameters, expectations and timeframes,” he writes.
WATCH: Rennie on squad for SA tour
“This is what makes the trip to South Africa so intriguing. It has handed Rennie the greatest future-proofing opportunity of the professional age, while also coming with a strong demand to maybe not win the series, but to at least provide strong evidence that the All Blacks are competing effectively in the present.”
He highlights the recalls of Ethan Blackadder and Rieko Ioane as experience-driven picks aimed at steadying the midweek touring side, rather than long-term investments. He contrasts this with players such as Fabian Holland and Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa, whom Paul frames as selections weighted more toward development.
Paul argues the squad’s youth extends well beyond the 10 new additions, noting seven of the eight touring props are 30 or younger, with an average age of 27, while the locking group averages 25.6 excluding Patrick Tuipulotu.
“It’s maybe underappreciated how youthful Rennie’s initial squad is,” he writes. “And while it may be a subjective measurement, arguably 32 of the 44 will be young enough to be serious contenders to play at the 2031 World Cup.”
Photo: Phil Walter/Getty Images
The post Rennie picked a Kiwi team to dethrone Boks? appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
New Zealand journalist Gregor Paul argues that the All Blacks squad for the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series is built to beat the world champion Springboks now, and later.
The post Rennie picked a Kiwi team to dethrone Boks? appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
