Scott Robertson: Fiji Test has made All Blacks selections 'interesting'

With the Steinlager Ultra Low Carb Series now done and dusted, the All Blacks‘ attention now shifts to The Rugby Championship, the squad for which is set to be named this coming Sunday.

After naming 32 men for the July Tests – albeit with a host of additional cover in the environment – selectors will accommodate four more roster spots for the second chapter of the 2024 campaign.

Head coach Scott Robertson offered one clear hint at who will be added to the 36-man squad, referencing a player returning from injury; most likely to be electric outside back Will Jordan who has been with the team throughout the July series and has been seen moving freely at All Blacks training by RugbyPass.

The former Crusaders coach said further selections were yet to be finalised.

“It depends on the mix; if we take another front rower, loose forward or lock. Those are the areas we’re discussing at the moment,” he said at the team hotel in San Diego.

“And obviously a couple of backs, ones that can play a couple of positions. Without naming names, we’ve got one coming back from injury as well. So, a bit of a mix; a couple in the forwards and a couple in the backs.”

Among the surprise calls for the Steinlager Series squad naming was the decision to take only three locks. Patrick Tuiulotu’s injury woes made that call especially confounding and when a call was made to leave the Blues captain in New Zealand to recover when the side flew to San Diego, a debut was handed to Sam Darry.

Darry was one of six debutants on the night, and Robertson says while one impressive performance only counts for so much, it was a promising start for the rookies.

“Someone’s got to start somewhere, don’t they? You’ve got to trust them and then they step up to it. The first thing is to step up in a Test jersey. It asks a lot of you, the jersey.

“As a coach you’ve got to set them up, the players have got to set them up and we’re really proud of what all the players did this last week to make sure they had a successful start.

“All the debutants did their core roles really well, they made an impact where they needed to off the bench. We’re really pleased.

“Now, it’s the combinations, it’s the selection question of are they suited for the next Test match, to win what’s in front of us.”

The strong performances across the board have provided plenty of food for thought according to the coach, who expressed his satisfaction with the depth of talent at his disposal.

“That’s the whole point of it, depth, isn’t it? For people to change your thought, go out and perform. Players pick themselves if they’re in good form.

“There was some great cameos against a real physical Fijian side, it was as physical if not more than the England series. That’s what a lot of the players said. The ground was firm, there were a lot of big contacts, high intensity.

“Definitely makes your selections more interesting.”