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It happened about three months later than was originally anticipated thanks to the disruption that COVID-19 has caused, but new All Blacks coach Ian Foster was finally able to name his first All Blacks team on Sunday.
The team’s presentation was greeted well in advance, with bettors eager to see who from the successful Super Rugby Aotearoa stood out enough to warrant inclusion on a yet-to-be-confirmed testing schedule.
With seven players named to the All Blacks for the first time, and a handful of others who have been omitted or unlucky enough to miss, here are some winners and losers from Foster’s 35-man squad.
Winners:
Akira Ioane
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He is arguably the biggest “winner” of the newly announced team. After years of showing a multitude of potential but not fully achieving it, it seemed his prospects for the All Blacks were over when former head coach Steve Hansen publicly questioned him for being too lazy last year.
However, Ioane has taken those criticisms and used them to adjust his thinking and improve his defense, work pace and breaking ability.
All of that culminated in an outstanding Super Rugby Aotearoa campaign with the Blues, and the 25-year-old deservedly won his first All Blacks call-up since 2017.
Alex Hodgman
Few would have expected loose-headed mainstay Alex Hodgman to win the All Blacks selection this season, and the former New Zealand and Fiji U20 representative barely lit the world since he made his pro debut with Canterbury in 2014.
That changed this year, however, as he shone as part of a vastly improved group of Blues forwards through his defensive work ethic and strong scrum to win national honors for the first time at the age of 27.
After missing the selection for the #NorthvSouth game, Alex Hodgman thought it was an indication that he would not be named to the All Blacks first team of the year. https://t.co/oiqbW4bzh2
– RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 6, 2020
Tupou Vai’i
The biggest bolter on Foster’s team, Tupou Vaa’i didn’t even have a full-time Super Rugby contract earlier in the year.
In fact, he hadn’t even made his debut for the Chiefs until Super Rugby Aotearoa started in June.
However, it took the All Blacks selectors just under three months to find him worthy of a calling.
With Brodie Retallick, Scott Barrett and uncapped prospect Pari Pari Parkinson unavailable, New Zealand’s depth in blocking has been exposed, but the 20-year-old Vaa’i’s selection, who should become the first All Black born in the new millennium is coming. as a long-term solution for that situation.
Quinten strange
Like Vaa’i, Crusaders youngster Quinten Strange has undoubtedly benefited from Barrett’s prolonged toe injury and Retallick’s sabbatical in Japan.
As such, many projected that he or Parkinson would make the move from Super Rugby to the proving ground, but the latter’s season-ending ankle injury paved the way for Strange to enter the national team, despite being out of action for most of the year due to injury.
Cullen grace
The youngest full-time Super Rugby player in the country this season, Crusaders rookie Cullen Grace was sublime for the reigning champions in his debut campaign.
The 20-year-old loose forward, who can also cover the block, provided intense physical activity on defense and was a sure option at the lineout while playing blind flank.
He was ruled out for the latter part of Super Rugby Aotearoa with a broken thumb, but he showed more than enough potential to justify the selection.
Hoskins Sotutu
When former All Blacks captain Kieran Read retired from international rugby last year, one of the biggest questions needing answers in this year’s Super Rugby campaign was who would replace him in eighth place for the All Blacks.
No player answered that question as affirmatively as Hoskins Sotutu did for the Resurgent Blues.
The 22-year-old was a giant both on offense and defense, so much so that he attracted the interest of England coach Eddie Jones and Fiji head coach Vern Cotter.
However, Foster has gotten his man, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Sotutu start alongside Ardie Savea and Sam Cane in the loose teaser mix.
Karl Tu’inukuafe
After missing the World Cup selection and being diagnosed with viral meningitis last year, Karl Tu’inukuafe’s return to the All Blacks milieu is admirable.
Note that he also missed most of the Blues’ campaign due to an ankle injury, and it shows how much the All Blacks selectors must value their world-class scrum. He could emerge as a worthy challenger to Joe Moody for a starting role.
Dalton papalii
Like Tu’inukuafe, Blues wing Dalton Papalii missed the cut to go to last year’s World Cup after receiving just three minutes of action against the Springboks in Wellington to prove his case.
However, a riveting season of Super Rugby sees him overtake the flashy Lachlan Boshier for a spot on the open side flank, and it’s hard to argue against including the three-round star given how powerful he can be on either side. of the ball.
Asafo Aumua
Another to be excluded from the World Cup cohort, Asafo Aumua finally looks set to win his first All Black test cap, three years after playing two non-tests for the national team against the Barbarians and a French XV.
It comes after the Hurricanes hooker impressed with his physique throughout Super Rugby, to the point where he surpassed the Highlanders with Liam Coltman’s rake in the national pecking order.
Tyrel lomax
It’s been almost two years since Tyrel Lomax made his All Blacks debut against Japan, but the former Australian U20 representative should be added to his only test cap after standing out in his first season with the Hurricanes.
The tight-headed mainstay moved to Wellington from the Highlanders prior to the 2020 season, and has made every post a winner thanks to his great scrum time skill.
Lomax’s try in Saturday’s North-South clash also exemplified how damaging a ball runner can be.
Damian McKenzie
While Caleb Clarke and Will Jordan are the new faces on the outside contingent, it’s Damian McKenzie’s recall that should deserve a lot of applause given how well he has recovered from a serious knee injury.
A ruptured anterior cruciate ligament ruled him out of the World Cup, and his nine-month spell on the sidelines left questions about whether he could return to his best performance as an electric ball runner.
Despite the Chiefs’ winless streak in Super Rugby Aotearoa, McKenzie eased those concerns, with his outstanding performance for the North over the weekend illustrating that he remains as difficult as ever for opposing defenses to contain.
Losers:
Lachlan Boshier
Perhaps the most unfortunate player to not make the 35-man squad, the writing was on the wall for Lachlan Boshier when he was banned from the North’s game-day squad to face the South over the weekend.
It’s a cruel blow to the 25-year-old, who was among the most impressive players with a dismal ensemble of Chiefs in all of Super Rugby Aotearoa.
However, that doesn’t seem like enough, as Foster and his fellow nationals keep their faith in Dalton Papalii as the backer for Sam Cane and Ardie Savea.
Liam coltman
From attending the World Cup to being demoted as a bench player for the Highlanders in less than a year, it was always difficult for Liam Coltman to retain his place in the All Blacks.
His place as a third-choice hooker was later taken by the promising Asafo Aumua, and the 30-year-old is now set for a season of Miter 10 Cup action with Otago.
Working on his shooting at the lineout appears to be a must if he wants to regain his place on Foster’s team.
Angus ta’avao
Being out of action for six months due to a leg injury suffered during the first game of the Chiefs’ opening Super Rugby competition in January has taken its toll on Angus Ta’avao.
A torn quadricep meant the 14-test mainstay had only three games, including the North vs South game, to mount a case of retention on the side, but Tyrel Lomax’s solid form for the Hurricanes has left Ta’avao at the Exterior.
However, he will be a valuable addition to the Auckland Miter 10 Cup team.
Pari Pari Parkinson
All Blacks starters Scott Barrett and Ngani Laumape have seen injuries eliminate their chances of being selected for the All Blacks. The same can be said for the Highlanders’ blocking, Pari Pari Parkinson, but the difference is that he is not an All Black starter as this team was an excellent opportunity for him to win national honors for the first time.
At 2.04m, he is the tallest player in the country and would have been a valuable asset on set pieces, as he was at Super Rugby Aotearoa.
Instead, an ankle injury has ended his season and his chance to establish himself on the international stage has been ruined.
Josh Ioane
Possibly the second most unfortunate player to miss the All Blacks pick behind Boshier, Highlanders playmaker Josh Ioane will have to bide his time before joining the lone trial limit he won against Tonga last year. .
Trapped behind Richie Mo’unga and Beauden Barrett in the pecking order of the top five, few players have a more difficult task on their hands trying to topple their opponents for a spot on the team than Ioane.
Still, his efforts for the Highlanders were top-notch once he returned from a quadriceps injury, and it’s only a matter of time before he returns to the national configuration.
Luke Jacobson
Luke Jacobson’s fortunes at the All Blacks were likely indicative of the fact that he missed the pick for the North team last week, but it’s fair to say that he would still have been in the mix given how well he was rated by the selectors. last year.
With limited playing time with the Chiefs due to injury, the 23-year-old was chosen to travel to the World Cup with only two events to his name.
That showed that his abrasive playing style was held in high regard, but it seems that his ongoing problems with concussion, which also prevented him from playing in the World Cup, have hampered his testing prospects this year.
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