{"id":564590,"date":"2025-11-11T23:43:14","date_gmt":"2025-11-11T23:43:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/564590\/"},"modified":"2025-11-11T23:43:14","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T23:43:14","slug":"three-all-black-xv-players-join-scott-robertsons-squad-for-england","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/564590\/","title":{"rendered":"Three All Black XV players join Scott Robertson’s squad for England"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The All Blacks<\/a> are now two from two on their end-of-year Grand Slam tour after two victories against Ireland<\/a> in Chicago and Scotland<\/a> in Edinburgh, respectively.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not all rosy for Scott Robertson\u2019s side, with the All Blacks today announcing two Chiefs<\/a> loose forwards have headed home to New Zealand, and won\u2019t play any further part in the tour.<\/p>\n

Samipeni Finau has headed home due to illness in the family, and Luke Jacobson<\/a> will return to New Zealand<\/a> after a head knock in the All Blacks XV<\/a> game against England<\/a> A last weekend.<\/p>\n

With that unfortunate news for those two players comes an opportunity for others to impress Robertson and co, with only two games remaining in the 2025 international season.<\/p>\n

Robertson and his coaching staff have drafted in three players as training cover for the game this weekend against England, all from Jamie Joseph\u2019s All Blacks XV squad.<\/p>\n

Crusaders<\/a> loose-forward Christian Lio-Willie<\/a> will come in as loose-forward cover for the week, while Josh Beehre<\/a> will also join the squad in London, like he did last week before the Scotland game at Murrayfield.<\/p>\n

Exciting young Highlanders<\/a> winger Caleb Tangitau<\/a> is the last of the three to be drafted into the squad this week, after impressing in the first two games on tour with Joseph\u2019s side.<\/p>\n

The 22-year-old has already scored a couple of tries for the All Blacks XV this season, after having a superb try-scoring season with the Dunedin-based franchise in 2025.<\/p>\n

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Robertson\u2019s side is likely to regain the services of their captain Scott Barrett<\/a>, who missed last weekend\u2019s encounter against Scotland with a leg laceration, but is also without Blues<\/a> winger Caleb Clarke<\/a>, who failed an HIA at Murrayfield and is on a 12-day stand-down period.<\/p>\n

Barrett\u2019s return could see in-form Chiefs lock Josh Lord<\/a> return to the bench, while Clarke\u2019s absence gives Robertson the chance to make some positional shifts in the backline, or move either Sevu Reece<\/a> or Rieko Ioane<\/a> in as specialist wingers.<\/p>\n