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Pundits' four All Black picks for Razor's squad to face France
By Henry Lee
Every year, new All Blacks are embedded into the squad, and with the 2027 Rugby World Cup cycle underway, All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson will be weighing up Super Rugby form with extra emphasis, as he looks to the future.
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Robertson will be preparing to select a squad for France’s three match series in New Zealand, also with eyes on The Rugby Championship in August.
As Super Rugby Pacific heads into the second half of the season full steam ahead, the Sky Sports Breakdown panel have looked into possible selections based on Super Rugby form so far this season.
Ex-Highlander turned Sky Sports commentator Joey Wheeler puts Highlanders captain Timoci Tavatavanawai forward as an option for Robertson’s first squad of the year.
“Timoci Tavatavanawai just keeps producing at this level, he’s done it on the wing for the Highlanders. He’s now doing it in the midfield and Jamie Joseph has waved his magic wand,” Wheeler told The Breakdown on Sunday night.
“I think the timing again, it could be his lucky break. I think with Telea now signing overseas in Japan, what are the All Blacks going to do there? Are they going to pick him for this French series, or are they going to leave him out?
“So I think this could be the opportunity for a guy like Tavatavanawai to play in that French series. The reason being is he brings a point of difference.”
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The Breakdown’s host Kirstie Stanway believes in-form Crusaders loose forward Christian Lio-Willie is in the frame for the France series, saying rooming with Sam Cane on the end-of-year Northern Tour in 2024 for the All Blacks will have done him no harm.
“Christian Lio-Willie, he is my guy. He will be in the All Blacks this year, he went on the end of your tour with the All Blacks last year,” Stanway said.
“Let’s talk about his playing style, remember last year when Hoskins Sotutu didn’t get picked for the All Blacks, they singled out one thing.
“He had to be good on both sides of the ball, now this guy is good on both sides of the ball, and in four years, he’s gone from club rugby playing in Dunedin while studying a five-year dentistry degree, to the Crusaders.
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“That is three seasons now, plus at the end of year tour last year, he was rooming with Sam Cane, just plying his trade, learning everything, soaking it all up. This guy is getting better and better every week.”
60-Test former All Black Jeff Wilson has confidence in Highlanders lock Fabian Holland to make a step up into the All Blacks environment.
“Fabian Holland is a guy who’s been on the radar, waiting for eligibility, and now he is eligible,” Wilson said.
“They had their eye on him last year. He got a taste of the environment at the All Blacks, he’s a big body who continues to grow and develop every week.
“You can see his impact on the game, you saw him out in the open field on the weekend as well, almost scoring a long-range try. So I think there’s just so much upside for where he’s going to get to. You put him in the All Blacks, he’s only going to go to the next level.”
World Cup-winning former All Blacks first-five Stephen Donald describes Chiefs winger Emoni Narawa as one of the most well-rounded wingers in New Zealand, an attribute that becomes even more valuable following Blues winger Mark Telea’s announcement that he’s moving to Japan at the end of the year.
“For me, he is as complete a winger as we have in this country, a lot of our wingers have huge work rates, you think of Telea, you think Sevu Reece as well, well, this guy’s work rate is of that standard,” Donald said on The Breakdown.
“Saturday night was a perfect example, he’s scoring tries in the middle of the park from pick and go’s, he is a constant threat.
“I think he brings a utility value as well, like we saw him play for Bay of Plenty last year in the midfield and at fullback.”
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This French tour is going to be the best, and possibly last (?) chance to blood some real new players for 2027. Those should be the names looked at, and the Breakdown groups selection are on the money.
Personally for me I’d like to make the most of this opportunity. On Narawa though, I worry that it was a case that he had the complete game, but has now lost the advantage of his good boot, by moving into the centers. I think they’d want to do a bit more elsehwere or get that back. Don’t know why kicking stats aren’t part of the public offering.
Lakai and Lio-Willie have been neck and neck this year and only a one eyed cantab would say that LW has been clearly better. Lakai hasn’t missed a beat from last season. Lakai is 5 years younger and has already played very well in a high pressure test match. It would be a surprise to see him lose out to LW who only plays 8.
Stephen Perofeta has dropped off the earth this season.
He cannot even get selected at fullback for the Blues or even the bench in a must-win match vs the Crusaders.
And with Ruben Love now starting at 10 for the Hurricanes, and Love already being the superior fullback, I can’t see Perofeta getting selected for All Blacks in 2025 without some injuries.
It’s not looking good for Pero, he is becoming the blackadder of the backs, struggling to get fully fit for the end of last year and again now apparently.
Love’s still got a lot to do yet to prove he could skin England’s best player to setup a win for ABs, sky’s the limit as a 10 for him though I reckon.
He’s been injured for most of the season. Couple that with an out of form Blues, and it’s no surprise he’s fallen hard. Jordan will be the number one 15 this year, with either Love or Beauden on the bench, depending on the gameplan.
Love will not be playing 10 for the Hurricanes after last week. Went MIA in the second half, resulting in an argument between him and Roigard.
If you were going to rate the best #8 this season amongst NZ franchises and omit past reputation, only Ardie Savea has performed at a higher level than Christian Willie-Lio who has been an explosive ball carrier and dominant tackler this season.
If Savea is selected to start at 7 or if Wallace Sititi is selected to start at 6, and therefore the All Blacks require a second 8, Willie-Lio has clearly outplayed Peter Lakai and Hoskins Sotutu who neither are performing to the same level as the did last season in SRP.
Clearly Lakai is better suited to 7 than he is 8 but he lost that spot to DuPlessis Kirifi at Hurricanes. Braydon Iose is a better 8 than Lakai and seems to be held back from starting lineup by Laidlaw to the detriment of the Hurricanes. The back row of Shields-Kirifi-Lakai with Iose on bench does not have the ball carrying power as last season’s high performing trio of Shields-Lakai-Iose with Kirifi on bench. The Hurricanes record speaks for itself.
If I was Braydon Iose, I would be giving Jamie Joseph a call.
Not for me, he’s still behind. I’d be interested in what the stats say.
Stats show Lakai, Iose, CLW all on par other than CWL has a nice clean record and has more carry meters for some reason (might have had a couple of long range runs or something. He might be the more elusive running type 8 option ala Reid if the stats are anything to judge by. Sotutu hasn’t had enough minutes to register and his stats are more around passing and try assists anyway.
Christian Lio Willies play at number 8 for the Crusaders has been both dynamic and a matter of doing the hard yards on defense and attack. I think he deserves a AB call up. Unsung hero, workaholic team mate Cullen Grace also. Cullen is one of the best in the line out too.
He got one last year.
Grace is having an outstanding season again this year now that he is selected purely as a blindside flanker, the position he broke into SRP and earned All Black selection.
Grace lacks the X- factor to be a test level 8 but x-factor is not required to be a test level 6. What is required at blindside is a player with a very high work rate who has a hard edge who is physical and loves to smash opponents at rucks and tackles, is not afraid to carry hard up the guts, and is an excellent lineout jumper. Grace is all those things.
Samipeni Finau is also having a very good season at 6 for the Chiefs as competition with Simon Parker for the 6 jersey has seemed to motivate Finau.
Grace and Finau are the two best performing blindsides so far this season for NZ franchises, Parker is best of the rest as Oliver Haig, Brad Shields, Cameron Suafua, Anton Segner, are nowhere near All Black selection while the usual suspects- Blackadder, Jacobson, and Papalii- are better suited at 7 or 8.
You could see the difference to the Canes when Proctor came onto the pitch. I think if he keeps that up he has a real shout at that 13 jersey. Holland has to be capped
I agree with this except that they seem to like backs now that can play a few positions so they can play a 6:2 split or even risk a 7:1 split on the bench!
The gap in class between Bailyn Sullivan and Billy Proctor was very noticeable against the Force.
Bailyn Sullivan has not really made the most of his opportunity to start the first half of the season at 13 for Hurricanes.
Peter Umaga-Jensen on the other hand has performed very well at 12 and has done more than enough to keep Riley Higgins on the bench.
13 is ABs weakest link right now and no one is really putting their hand up. But in this article the pundits have all made a pick in positions that already have depth, how about picks and analysis in a position that we actually need guys?
Who’s form overtakes Rieko or Proctor though? They’re just looking at the current picture, not making up would it would be nice to look like!
Jordie Barrett & Billy Proctor and Quinn Tupaea & ALB are going to be your midfielders for July series vs France. Reiko Ioane will be shifted to wing finally and Timoci Tavatavanawai will be selected to replace Te’lea.
AJ Lam is the wild card. He has performed very well for Blues at 12 and he started at 13 for All Black XVs vs Munster. And of course Lam can play wing too. He makes a very handy bench player as does Tavatavanawai.
Colour me surprised… sensible picks from the Breakdown team? Crazy.
Beaver has upped their game no end.