All Blacks selectors meet for 'first crack' at 2025 squad

The All Blacks‘ season opener is 57 days away, and just as selection debate is heating up amongst fans and pundits, selectors themselves have now offered up their leading candidates to the scrutiny of fellow coaches.

Head coach Scott Robertson has assigned much of the selection power to his assistants, who drive the debate for their respective areas of expertise, before ‘Razor’ himself gives final sign-off.

With the whiteboard awash with the names of possibles and probables, forwards coach Jason Ryan shed some light on the discussions that happened earlier in the week, specifically highlighting one aspect of selection policy: character.

“We do a lot of work off the grass at this time of year, we’ve got to do our homework,” Ryan told SportsNation’s Beaver and Guy radio show.

“I pride myself on working with the forwards coaches with all the franchises. The reality is they get the boys longer than we do. They’ve had them for a whole season. We name an All Blacks team, we have a couple of days, and then we play our first Test seven days after that.

“So it’s important that we do our homework on character and how boys are training, and any feedback that we can help with and that sort of thing, I’m working there.

“But yesterday, we had our first crack at the All Blacks team. We met as a coaching group, and there’s always combos, and you chuck the whiteboard up and go through your names in your own area and have a good, robust discussion about it. It’s a chance for people to discuss that.

“Obviously, Razor makes the final call, but, there’s a good percentage of players that we feel are still playing well from last year, that are still a chance, and then you’ve got a few that are just on the, you know, the fringe, where it’s like righto, we’ve got to have a decent look at these guys.

“So that’s part of our jobs, and we make sure we get that done as deeply as we can, because we’ve got to get it right.”

Head-to-Head

Last 5 Meetings

Wins

2

Draws

0

Wins

3

Average Points scored

28

25

First try wins

40%

Home team wins

100%

Ryan is the lone member of the coaching cohort to have served under Ian Foster with the All Blacks, as well as boasting international coaching experience with Fiji.

Expanding on the importance of character, he says it’s about both performing under pressure and representing New Zealand as part of an iconic sporting fraternity.

“It’s good, we know, we talk a lot around character, and I know, for my area in particular, I can’t speak on the other coaches, I know that when the contest is at its fiercest, I need forwards that we really trust that are going to look forward when it’s on a knife edge.

“And in different situations, whether or not that’s a minute to go on a Test match or the first 10 minutes in Argentina, we’ve got to look at all that sort of thing and who’s going to be good in that part of it.

“So it’s more than just the rugby team that we’re picking, obviously it’s the country’s team, and we’ve got to do it with a lot of diligence and a lot of confidence, and then get on with them.”

The former Crusaders assistant oversees the forward pack, but the tight five more specifically, with Robertson, a former All Blacks flanker, contributing heavily to the loose forwards analysis.

The back row is perhaps the most contentious of selection areas, and while the departure of Sam Cane has opened up a roster spot, there are plenty of names – Du’Plessis Kirifi and Peter Lakai among the leading contenders – vying to replace the former captain.

Ryan conceded the balance of the loose forwards unit, in particular, was again proving a real challenge to select.

“It’s always the way with the loose forward position in New Zealand. You’ve got quite a few.

“But then it’s like, Okay, what’s the combinations? So we might have a conversation around that. We’ve got our front row boys that are all playing pretty well, and we’ve got some locks that are all playing outstanding.

“So, you know, there’s good conversations on combinations. And then it’s like, Okay, what about this Test, who do we need? So that’s always ongoing, but you’ve still got to have a look at what the player’s point of difference is. What is it? What are they really good at?

“We saw how well Tupou Vaa’i went last year, and it’s like, how’s he going to go this year? And what’s his load been? How’s he been playing? And it pretty much just keeps going. So, all healthy discussions, to be fair.”