{"id":1042728,"date":"2026-06-22T11:43:19","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T11:43:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1042728\/"},"modified":"2026-06-22T11:43:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T11:43:19","slug":"all-blacks-squad-winners-and-losers-rennie-ioane-savea-fineanganofo-and-mounga","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1042728\/","title":{"rendered":"All Blacks squad winners and losers: Rennie, Ioane, Savea, Fineanganofo and Mo’unga"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Following the announcement of Dave Rennie\u2019s first All Blacks squad ahead of the 2026 international season, here are our winners and losers.<\/b><\/p>\n

Rennie has selected 34 players ahead of the Nations Championship Southern Series with fixtures against France, Italy and Ireland in July. The new head coach has picked 11 players from each of the Super Rugby Pacific finalists, the Hurricanes and Chiefs.<\/p>\n

Five Crusaders and Blues stars crack the nod, respectively, with the Highlanders providing just one player, with Moana Pasifika\u2019s Ardie Savea named as captain for the 2026 season while \u2018Saders forward Jamie Hannah is named as temporary injury cover.<\/p>\n

Without further ado, here are our winners and losers from the 34-man squad.<\/p>\n

Winners<\/b><\/p>\n

Ardie Savea<\/p>\n

There really was only one player who could be named as Rennie\u2019s captain after the injury to Scott Barrett. Savea worked closely with the new All Blacks<\/a>\u00a0head coach throughout the Japan Rugby League One season and subsequently got the nod over Codie Taylor for the role.<\/p>\n

The 32-year-old All Blacks centurion was always going to be one of the first names on the teamsheet for Rennie<\/a> and was ultimately an easy captaincy call, especially because he is bound to play the full 80 minutes, which is unlikely to be the case for Taylor.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s yet to be seen whether Savea will be the skipper going through to the 2027 Rugby World Cup, but that shouldn\u2019t matter right now. He has the public\u2019s support and will certainly have the players\u2019 backing too. The All Blacks need positivity after Scott Robertson\u2019s dismissal, and naming Savea as captain is a smart, straightforward call from Rennie.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo serve this team, its people and its fans is one of the greatest honours in sport,\u201d said Savea<\/a>. \u201cI believe this role is about empowering everyone in the group to be the best that they can be \u2013 from the leadership, to the players and wider staff.<\/p>\n

\u201cA united All Blacks team has the power to unite a nation. And we are going to need all five million Kiwis to get in behind us as we walk towards the challenges that are waiting for us over the next 16 months.\u201d<\/p>\n

Anton Segner<\/p>\n

\u201cProbably the best player in the Blues camp,\u201d according to All Blacks assistant coach Neil Barnes, who admitted that he wasn\u2019t \u201cquite aware of how good\u201d Segner was. It\u2019s high praise for the Blues loose forward who has seemingly won the straight shootout with Du\u2019Plessis Kirifi for a spot in the team \u2013 more on him later.<\/p>\n

The German-born back-row made the second most tackles in Super Rugby for the Blues, crossed for three tries in his 16 appearances while flexing his all-round skillset by winning 62 lineouts, including five steals.<\/p>\n

What has seemingly played a big role in his selection is the fact that the 24-year-old can also feature across the back-row and is far more versatile than Kirifi, which was surely a massive contributing factor in his selection.<\/p>\n

Kyle Preston<\/p>\n

If fit, Cam Roigard was always going to crack the All Blacks squad, but who Rennie would select as his back-ups was the question that the 2026 Super Rugby season was going to answer. Ultimately, the new head coach has gone for Cortez Ratima, whose Super Rugby final shocker did not deter Rennie and his staff, and Crusaders number nine Preston.<\/p>\n

Preston earned his Test debut off the bench against the Springboks last year at Eden Park but failed to add to his international cap tally under ex-head coach Robertson. However, his performances for the \u2018Saders this season clearly caught the eye of the new All Blacks staff who favoured him over his clubmate Noah Hotham and Blues half-back Finlay Christie.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an intriguing call from Rennie and his staff considering that Preston did not start a single Super Rugby match for the Crusaders this season but does perhaps suggest that there is a shift in the approach heading into 2026. Throughout Robertson\u2019s tenure, one of the biggest criticisms was the lacklustre performances of his bench and the manner in which he introduced players in the latter stages. Preston impressed in this regard throughout the season for the Crusaders and could well do that job for the All Blacks, playing a supporting role to Roigard in particular.<\/p>\n

Ruben Love<\/p>\n

After guiding the Hurricanes to their first Super Rugby title in 10 years, delivering a man-of-the-match performance in the final, Love was always going to be a sure-fire selection for the All Blacks. The five-Test cap international was so often selected by Robertson but sparingly used by the former head coach, but looks primed for a big year in the black jersey.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s notable that Love has been listed among the fly-halves in the squad, the position where he played much of his rugby for the Hurricanes this year, but he does offer Rennie an option at full-back too.<\/p>\n

The next three Test matches are massive ones for the \u2018Canes rookie with Richie Mo\u2019unga set to link up the squad later this year. In his absence, Love has a huge opportunity to push his way up the pecking order, particularly after Damian McKenzie\u2019s horror show in the final and Beauden Barrett\u2019s indifferent form this campaign.<\/p>\n

Fehi Fineanganofo<\/p>\n

Usually, the All Blacks would not select a player that has signed to leave New Zealand, but Rennie simply couldn\u2019t overlook Fineanganofo after his record-breaking 17 tries this season in Super Rugby.<\/p>\n

The head coach could well have ulterior motives with his selection, hinting that Fineanganofo could well be negotiating a way out of his deal with Newcastle Red Bulls.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s a process that he\u2019s going through, but what we know is he\u2019s contracted here until November,\u201d he said after naming the All Blacks squad. \u201cHis form has been irresistible, and we\u2019re keen to name him. I guess he\u2019ll work through that in time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fineanganofo not only led the league in tries scored along with teammate Josh Moorby but also racked up the most metres (1,067), ranked fourth overall for defenders beaten (57) and made the most clean breaks (41) in Super Rugby.<\/p>\n

Dave Rennie drops Fehi Fineanganofo hint after NZ Rugby denied \u2018blocking\u2019 All Blacks rookie\u2019s Newcastle move<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Josh Moorby<\/p>\n

Moorby has taken his game to another level since his return to the Hurricanes from French club Montpellier, with the 27-year-old impressing at full-back and on the wing en route to winning the Super Rugby title.<\/p>\n

He wasn\u2019t ever really on the radar for the All Blacks during Robertson\u2019s era, but Rennie simply couldn\u2019t ignore the outside back.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all saw it on the weekend, and we\u2019ve seen it all year, they both scored 17 tries, which is a record and reflects the type of rugby that the Hurricanes played, but also the ability of these boys to finish,\u201d Rennie said of Fineanganofo and Moorby.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook, I love their anticipation, but on both sides of the park, they have a massive work ethic, and then the ability to beat defenders and finish is key. So, excellent seasons and both phenomenal performances in the weekend. I\u2019m excited to connect with them later in the week.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jamie Hannah<\/p>\n

Perhaps unlucky that he didn\u2019t crack the nod in the initial squad, Hannah does get a shot at Test debut after being included as training cover for Tupou Vaa\u2019i. The lock\/blindside flanker was superb for the Crusaders all season and led Super Rugby in lineout wins, along with Queensland Reds forward Joel Brial.<\/p>\n

Several players made their debuts under Robertson after being included in the squad as injury cover, and this is Hannah\u2019s opportunity to impress the All Blacks coaching team in person.<\/p>\n

Leroy Carter<\/p>\n

For the most part, Rennie has delivered on his promise to select his first All Blacks squad on form in Super Rugby, but Carter is the exception to that considering the Chiefs winger missed a large chunk of the season through injury.<\/p>\n

The 27-year-old was a standout performer in November of the All Blacks and started the 2026 campaign strongly with a try in round two against the Highlanders and a hat-trick against Moana Pasifika. However, he missed the tail end of the regular season and only returned in time for the semi-finals of the competition.<\/p>\n

Carter\u2019s selection is certainly justified considering his pedigree, but the large majority of the squad has been selected on form, and to be frank, he has lacked minutes.<\/p>\n

All Blacks squad: Dave Rennie axes Rieko Ioane, selects four bolters and names new captain for 2026<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Anton Lienert-Brown<\/p>\n

Like Savea, Lienert-Brown has benefited immensely from working with Rennie in Kobe, with the All Blacks veteran included as one of the four centres in the squad. The 31-year-old has certainly slipped down the pecking order for the Test team in recent years, and many would have predicted that he would miss out on the squad in favour of Rieko Ioane or Timoci Tavatavanawai.<\/p>\n

Perhaps his ability to slot into inside and outside centre has played into his favour too, as is his experience with only Beauden Barrett boasting more caps among the backline players.<\/p>\n

Want more from Planet Rugby? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for world-class coverage you can trust.<\/p>\n

Losers<\/b><\/p>\n

Injured quartet<\/p>\n

After starring on the flank and in the backs for the Crusaders, it\u2019s gutting that Leicester Fainga\u2019anuku is set for a long spell on the sidelines after breaking his leg in the Super Rugby Pacific play-offs. Rennie will hope that he returns in time for the Rugby\u2019s Greatest Rivalry tour to South Africa, with the same true for his clubmate Tamaiti Williams.<\/p>\n

All in all, Rennie will be pleased that the injury list isn\u2019t very extensive, with Scott Barrett and Fabian Holland making it four All Blacks sidelined. Still, the quartet would have been key players for the Test team this year.<\/p>\n

Rieko Ioane<\/p>\n

Arguably the biggest snub of the squad, Ioane has rarely been overlooked for the All Blacks since making his Test debut in 2017 but Rennie and his staff have made the bold and overdue call despite the 29-year-old being on a New Zealand Rugby contract.<\/p>\n

Ioane\u2019s stint with Leinster was largely underwhelming despite a strong finish to his time in Ireland, and while his omission seems brutal, it is justified. Quinn Tupaea and Jordie Barrett have been the best centres in Super Rugby Pacific this year, while Billy Proctor formed a strong partnership with the latter. Lienert-Brown\u2019s inclusion is questionable, but Ioane was at his best for Leinster on the wing. Simply, his form hasn\u2019t been as strong as the likes of Caleb Clarke, Fineanganofo and Moorby.<\/p>\n

He started to fall out of favour for the All Blacks last year under Robertson, shifting to the wing against France and was then largely overlooked for the Rugby Championship and November internationals. It\u2019s not entirely shocking that he has been overlooked, but it does suggest a changing of the guard of sorts.<\/p>\n

Overlooked loose forwards<\/p>\n

In Peter Lakai, Simon Parker, Savea, Wallace Sititi, Luke Jacobson and Segner, Rennie has selected a strong crop of loose forwards with the back-row being incredibly well-stocked in New Zealand.<\/p>\n

Still, three players will be rightly disappointed that they didn\u2019t make the first All Blacks squad of the year. Most notably, Hurricanes co-captain Kirifi, who has fallen victim to his lack of versatility. The back-row selections hint that Savea could well be donning the number seven jersey in Rennie\u2019s squad, and frankly, Lakai ticks a lot of the same boxes as Kirifi and could play all three loose forward positions, which cannot be said of his clubmate.<\/p>\n

Over to the Crusaders, and both Christian Lio-Willie and Ethan Blackadder can feel hard done by with their omissions. The former has been superb in the number eight jersey all season. The 27-year-old earned four caps last year, and his form in Super Rugby was certainly deserving of a recall to the Test team, but it was not to be. As for Blackadder, his injury profile has been the biggest setback for his international ambitions, but he enjoyed an injury-free run of matches in 2026 and was one of the Saders\u2019 top performers. Unlike Lio-Willie and Kirifi, Blackadder could feature across the back-row for the All Blacks but hasn\u2019t done enough to force his way back into the Test set-up.<\/p>\n

Richie Mo\u2019unga and New Zealand Rugby<\/p>\n

Rennie\u2019s first squad does not feature Mo\u2019unga, with New Zealand Rugby insisting that the fly-half has to play in the NPC before returning to the Test squad. His absence in the squad is a reminder of just how daft NZ Rugby\u2019s self-inflicted selection policy is, particularly given that the board deemed that the team was so off-course for the World Cup that a change in head coach was needed in 2026.<\/p>\n

Love, Barrett and McKenzie are all fantastic options for the All Blacks number 10 jersey, and Mo\u2019unga will add to those stocks eventually, but the fact that he isn\u2019t in the mix already is plainly stupid.<\/p>\n

Naitoa Ah Kuoi<\/p>\n

Scott Barrett and Holland\u2019s injuries opened the door for a lock to potentially force their way back into the squad, which was ultimately snapped up by the fit-again duo of Josh Lord and Sam Darry.<\/p>\n

However, Chiefs star Naitoa Ah Kuoi will be disappointed that he didn\u2019t get a look in after his starring performances off the bench for the Waikato club. The 26-year-old hasn\u2019t really come onto the All Blacks radar but he certainly warranted a second look at the very least through his form this campaign. Perhaps he will come into the mix for the tour to South Africa with Rennie confirming that he will be picking a 44-man squad for the series.<\/p>\n

Newcastle Red Bulls<\/p>\n

Fineanganofo\u2019s call-up to the All Blacks squad could have consequences for Newcastle Red Bulls, who look set to lose out on the star winger\u2019s services.<\/p>\n

The PREM Rugby outfit saw value in the winger who was overlooked by Robertson last year and moved to snap up his services, but with a call-up to the Test team this time around, he will surely open discussions with the club to cancel his contract. It\u2019s a tough position for the English side, who will certainly want to add the Hurricanes superstar to their ranks but won\u2019t want to do so if it leads to the player being unhappy.<\/p>\n

READ MORE:\u00a0<\/b>Hurricanes v Chiefs: Five takeaways as Damian McKenzie\u2019s \u2018disasterclass\u2019 emphatically punished by All Blacks hopefuls to end Canes\u2019 10-year Super Rugby title wait<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Following the announcement of Dave Rennie\u2019s first All Blacks squad ahead of the 2026 international season, here are…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1042729,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[4102],"tags":[18129,235828,126,225,90462,704,12,69036,4151,79,16,15],"class_list":["post-1042728","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-rugby","tag-ardie-savea","tag-dave-rennie","tag-features","tag-home-page","tag-internationals","tag-new-zealand","tag-news","tag-rieko-ioane","tag-rugby","tag-sports","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1042728","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1042728"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1042728\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1042729"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1042728"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1042728"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1042728"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}