Blues standouts Caleb Clarke and Hoskins Sotutu and Crusaders sensation Will Jordan are among the new caps in Ian Foster’s 35-man All Blacks squad announced on Sunday, with Alex Hodgman and Quinten Strange the obligatory bolters.
In total, Foster has included seven uncapped players in his squad (comprising 20 forwards and 15 backs) which was unveiled in Wellington the morning after what was effectively a final trial in the form of the revived interisland match, won in spectacular fashion 38-35 by the South over the North.
Powerhouse wing Clarke and dynamic No 8 Sotutu were expected inclusions on the back of standout campaigns for the Blues in Super Rugby Aotearoa and then strong performances for the North on Saturday night at Sky Stadium. The same goes for mercurial wing/fullback Jordan who has been a revelation in 2020 for the Crusaders and backed that up with a two-try haul for the South in an impressive all-round display.
However, the inclusion of Blues prop Hodgman and mobile Crusaders lock Strange were not as widely predicted, while Chiefs lock Tupou Vaa’i and Crusaders loose forward/lock Cullen Grace are the other new faces in the squad. There is also a recall for enigmatic Blues loosie Akira Ioane, who has played one match for the All Blacks but has yet to figure in a test, as well as Hurricanes hooker Asafo Aumua and Blues loosehead prop Karl Tu’inukuafe.
Prop Atu Moli, lock Scott Barrett and midfielder Ngani Laumape were not considered because of injury.
It is not yet known what tests, if any, the All Blacks will have in 2020 as Covid-19 continues to play havoc with the international schedule.
A proposed Rugby Championship, to be staged either in New Zealand or West Australia, is now in grave doubt after a major outbreak of coronavirus among the Argentina squad, while negotiations remain ongoing around a Bledisloe Cup series which may or may not represent the only significant All Blacks action for the remainder of this year.
Hodgman joins the more experienced Nepo Laulala, Joe Moody, Tu’inukuafe and Ofa Tuungafasi in the prop contingent, while Hurricanes powerhouse Tyrel Lomax completes a unit minus Angus Ta’avao.
Vaa’i and Strange join veterans Sam Whitelock and Patrick Tuipulotu in the second row as investments in the future, while Grace also provides some lock cover alongside his ability to play on the blindside flank.
Sotutu and Grace are the new faces in a sizeable loose forward contingent that is spearheaded by skipper Sam Cane, the dynamic Ardie Savea and in-form Highlander Shannon Frizell. Akira Ioane and Dalton Papalii round out a group that ticks plenty of boxes.
In the backs, Clarke and Jordan, as expected, are the only new faces, with new head coach Foster going with just two specialist 10s (Damian McKenzie will provide cover), four midfielders and a half-dozen covering the back-three positions.
It shapes as a battle royale for the test wing spots among incumbents Sevu Reece and George Bridge, Jordan, Clarke and even, potentially, Jordie Barrett.
Foster felt he and fellow selectors Grant Fox and John Plumtree had been able to come up with an “exciting balance” of players in the squad.
“We are massively excited about the calibre of the team we are going to put out there,” Foster told Sky TV after the squad announcement. “Watching Super Rugby Aotearoa, we were hugely delighted with what happened.
“The result is we have been able to come up with a squad that is a combination of being rich in experience – we have got some battle-hardened people from last year after a World Cup where we did not get what we wanted – but we have also got an injection of youth. So there is an exciting balance.”
Forwards coach Plumtree was energised by the new faces he would get his hands on up front.
“Alex Hodgman has been a really consistent performer for the Blues this year. He has gone from strength to strength, his setpiece work is improving and round the field he is very mobile and works hard,” Plumtree told Sky TV.
“Tupou [Vaa’i] has impressed me, he has come on nicely under the Chiefs regime; he is big, physical, has excellent mobility around the park and is a great athlete, a natural in the air and an excellent learner as well. He is a quiet guy but listens and takes it all in.
“Hoskins Sotutu was outstanding with the Blues this year, a consistent performer and with a marvellous skillset, as we saw last night just what he could do.
“Quinten Strange has had a few injuries to date but I like the profile of the guy. He is big and aggressive, and he has worked with excellent coaches. We have kept in touch with the Crusaders and he is coming on nicely. We just hope he can get fit and play a part.”
And Plumtree said Grace had done enough before fracturing his thumb during the Crusaders’ Aotearoa campaign to deserve his callup.
“Cullen impressed at the start of Super, and he has come back now. He can cover lock, 6 or 8 and we are really happy with his early progression because he was a surprise to us. We are really liking what he can bring to the group.”
Plumtree also felt they had their loose forward options well covered with the contingent they had selected, with Ardie Savea covering 7 and 8, Sotutu a specialist at the back of the scrum, Dalton Papalii providing versatility and Shannon Frizell, Akira Ioane and Grace all more than capable on the blindside flank.
Most importantly, he added, they brought a physicality that would be needed as the All Blacks look to re-establish themselves at the top of world rugby’s pecking order.
“These boys are all big and physical, and these are the type of guys we are going to need coming up against the bigger teams in world rugby, [such as] England and South Africa. We need guys who can create momentum just through brutality and not [needing] space to get momentum.
“They can make space for us by taking a man on. We need that. It has been identified. Also the way they can move bodies at the breakdown and be really aggressive in that area. We want that type of ball for our backs, so the forwards are big and fast and are going to be impressive.”
Foster confirmed all his players would head to their provinces to take part in the start of the Mitre 10 Cup season.
All Blacks squad:
Hookers: Asafo Aumua, Dane Coles, Codie Taylor. Props: Alex Hodgman, Nepo Laulala, Tyrel Lomax, Joe Moody, Karl Tu’inukuafe, Ofa Tuungafasi. Locks: Quinten Strange, Patrick Tuipulotu, Tupou Vaa’i, Sam Whitelock. Loose forwards: Sam Cane (captain), Shannon Frizell, Cullen Grace, Akira Ioane, Dalton Papalii, Ardie Savea, Hoskins Sotutu. Halfbacks: TJ Perenara, Aaron Smith, Brad Weber. First five-eighths: Beauden Barrett, Richie Mo’unga. Midfielders: Braydon Ennor, Jack Goodhue, Rieko Ioane, Anton Lienert-Brown. Outside backs: Jordie Barrett, George Bridge, Caleb Clarke, Will Jordan, Damian McKenzie, Sevu Reece.
