All Blacks Head Coach Scott Robertson and his four assistant coaches Scott Hansen, Jason Holland, Leon MacDonald and Jason Ryan have selected their squad for the 2024 Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship.
Uncapped Hurricanes and Wellington back Ruben Love and 95 Test loose forward Sam Cane highlight the youth and experience that features in the All Blacks 36-strong Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship squad named for six Tests against Argentina, South Africa and Australia.
Love and Cane join outside back Will Jordan and versatile midfielder David Havili as the four players named for the Rugby Championship, who did not feature during the first three Tests of the season. Halfback Noah Hotham and lock Sam Darry retain their places in the squad after being called into the Steinlager Ultra Low Carb Series squad as replacement players then impressing during their respective Test debuts against Fiji in San Diego.
Darry is the fourth lock in the squad alongside Captain Scott Barrett, Tupou Vaai’i and Patrick Tuipulotu, who remained in New Zealand for a rest week while the team travelled to San Diego. Chiefs and Taranaki lock Josh Lord has been named as injury cover for Scott Barrett, who is being monitored after suffering a finger injury against Fiji and having surgery after returning to New Zealand.
Hotham joins Cortez Ratima and TJ Perenara as the three halfbacks chosen for the Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship. Perenara returns from a lower leg injury sustained during the first Test of the season against England in Dunedin.
Cane and Jordan return to the All Blacks after recovering from respective back and shoulder injuries that made them unavailable for the first three Tests of 2024. Cane bolsters the loose forward stocks to seven for what will be a testing series, starting with back-to-back home Tests against Argentina at Sky Stadium in Wellington and Eden Park in Auckland.
All Blacks Head Coach Scott Robertson said:
“It was a tough squad to select because everyone has owned their opportunities. Continuity is important, but it’s also important to reward performance.
“Sam Cane, Will and David bring a lot of experience and leadership to the group and Ruben, Noah and Sam Darry have taken their chance in the environment. It will be a special moment for Ruben being selected for the first time. He’s worked hard in the background and will be ready when his opportunity comes.”
The 36-strong squad is:
Forwards (20)
Hookers
Asafo Aumua (27 / Hurricanes / Wellington / 9)
Codie Taylor (33 / Crusaders / Canterbury / 87)
George Bell (22 / Crusaders / Canterbury / 1)
Props
Ethan De Groot (26 / Highlanders / Southland / 25)
Tyrel Lomax (28 / Hurricanes / Tasman / 34)
Fletcher Newell (24 / Crusaders / Canterbury / 16)
Pasilio Tosi (26 / Hurricanes / Bay of Plenty / 1)
Ofa Tu’ungafasi (32 / Blues / Northland / 59)
Tamaiti Williams (23 / Crusaders / Canterbury / 8)
Locks
Scott Barrett (30 / Crusaders / Taranaki / 72) (Captain)
Tupou Vaa’i (24 / Chiefs / Taranaki / 28)
Patrick Tuipulotu (31 / Blues / Auckland / 45)
Sam Darry (24 / Blues / Canterbury / 1)
Loose Forwards
Ethan Blackadder (29 / Crusaders / Tasman / 11)
Sam Cane (32 / Chiefs / Bay of Plenty / 95)
Samipeni Finau (25 / Chiefs / Waikato / 3)
Luke Jacobson (27 / Chiefs / Waikato / 21)
Dalton Papali’i (26 / Blues / Counties Manukau / 34)
Ardie Savea (30 / Moana Pasifika / Wellington / 84) (Vice Captain)
Wallace Sititi (21 / Chiefs / North Harbour / 1)
Backs (16)
Halfbacks
Noah Hotham (21 / Crusaders / Tasman / 1)
TJ Perenara (32 / Hurricanes / Wellington / 81)
Cortez Ratima (23 / Chiefs / Waikato / 2)
First five-eighths
Beauden Barrett (33 / Blues / Taranaki / 126)
Damian McKenzie (29 / Chiefs / Waikato / 50)
Mid-fielders
Jordie Barrett (27 / Hurricanes / Taranaki / 60) (Vice Captain)
David Havili (29 / Crusaders / Tasman / 27)
Rieko Ioane (27 / Blues / Auckland / 71)
Anton Lienert-Brown (29 / Chiefs / Waikato / 73)
Billy Proctor (25 / Hurricanes / Wellington / 1)
Outside backs
Caleb Clarke (25 / Blues / Auckland / 21)
Will Jordan (26 / Crusaders / Tasman / 31)
Ruben Love (23 / Hurricanes / Wellington / 0)*
Stephen Perofeta (27 / Blues / Taranaki / 5)
Sevu Reece (27 / Crusaders / Southland / 26)
Mark Tele’a (27 / Blues / North Harbour/ 11)
[INJURY COVER: Josh Lord (23 / Chiefs / Taranaki / 4)]
* denotes new cap
