So Who Would Be in Scott Robertson's 2024 All Blacks Team?
In 2024, Scott Robertson will become the first former All Black since John Mitchell, to become Head Coach of the national team. Having played 23 tests himself from 1998 to 2002, he assume a four-year deal that will run through to the 2027 Rugby World Cup; a year that will be 25 years after his final test match as a player.
We all know he will attempt to keep his Crusaders forwards coach, Jason Ryan, on board; while he has previously worked with Leon MacDonald at the Crusaders. Robertson also had current Hurricanes Head Coach, Jason Holland, on his ticket, when applying for the role in 2019.
Scott Robertson is a great coach. Hard questions will still need to be asked though.
Four years after missing out on the role to Ian Foster, Robertson has now signed the contract to take over. But who could he select in his 2024 All Blacks team? Assuming his first squad is comprised of 33 players; as all 2023 World Cup squads are forced to pick and assuming all of these players are available for selection, this is what a 2024 All Blacks side could look like.
Current All Blacks who have not extended their current New Zealand-based contracts past 2023, have been marked in italics throughout the article.
Hookers:
Samisoni Taukei'aho
Age (on 1st May, 2024): 26 years old
Test Caps: 21 tests
Super Rugby Club: Chiefs
Codie Taylor
Age (on 1st May, 2024): 33 years old
Test Caps: 76 tests
Super Rugby Club: Crusaders
George Bell
Age (on 1st May, 2024): 22 years old
Test Caps: uncapped
Super Rugby Club: Crusaders
After spending 7 years coaching the Crusaders, Robertson will be naturally inclined to select his long-serving Crusaders mainstays. Although this could lay bearings on the makeup of his initial All Blacks squad for 2024, he may also be inclined to stick with the 2022 Jason Ryan-established front rowers, all three of whom had exceptional seasons.
Samisoni Taukei'aho was the member at the forefront of this trio; becoming the most prolific try-scorer for the All Blacks in 2022, with 7 in total. After one Rugby World Cup campaign in 2023, Taukei'aho will be in the prime of his career once time for Robertson's selections roll around. As a genuine ball-carrier and intelligent key decision-maker for the team, Taukei'aho could become one of the best players in the world under Robertson. Joining him no doubt, will be Codie Taylor, who is currently the vice-captain of the Crusaders.
Codie Taylor's current contract through to 2025 lines him up with the possibility to become one of the oldest-ever All Blacks should he last to 2027. Photo: Max Sharp.
Assuming this hypothetical squad is indeed the one that Robertson selects in 2024, this makes a squad of just five players in their 30's. Taylor, as a key decision-maker for the team, will be a go-to off the bench to close games out in this new era, though his haters will be furious at such a selection. While Taylor will be 36 years old for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, that is still young enough for the 2015 winner, to attend a fourth Rugby World Cup. If Dane Coles can remain in contention for 2023, even after just 8 games of professional rugby in 2022, then surely Codie Taylor; a player that is very rarely injured, can remain in contention for his long-associated coach.
While many Hurricanes fans will be disappointed not to see Asafo Aumua on this list, selectors will also have the long-term future of the team to consider. As the Highlanders' hookers are all in their mid-to-late twenties, they are less likely to be considered as long-term options, while Jacob Devery will have Aumua blocking him at the Hurricanes. To play it safe, Bell, a former NZ U-20's captain, might get the nod for his power running.
Props:
Ethan de Groot
Age (on 1st May, 2024): 25 years old
Test Caps: 13 tests
Super Rugby Club: Highlanders
Tyrel Lomax
Age (on 1st May, 2024): 28 years old
Test Caps: 23 tests
Super Rugby Club: Hurricanes
Tamaiti Williams
Age (on 1st May, 2024): 23 years old
Test Caps: uncapped
Super Rugby Club: Crusaders
Ofa Tu'ungafasi
Age (on 1st May, 2024): 32 years old
Test Caps: 50 tests
Super Rugby Club: Blues
Finlay Brewis
Age (on 1st May, 2024): 24 years old
Test Caps: uncapped
Super Rugby Club: Crusaders
Fletcher Newell
Age (on 1st May, 2024): 24 years old
Test Caps: 6 tests
Super Rugby Club: Crusaders
Should de Groot and Lomax be fit at all, they'll be in. At 25 years old, de Groot will be reaching the peak of his career, while Lomax will be one of the veterans of the team, having made his test debut under Steve Hansen in 2018. After de Groot was disgustingly dropped for the Ireland series in 2022, he came back with a chip-on-his shoulder and gave no second thought about physically dominating his opposition. Though the call around Lomax for that series was correct, he later answered an SOS and ended Angus Ta'avao's international career, coming back with a similar physical domination-type mindset to de Groot; finally realising his potential under Jason Ryan.
Ofa Tu'ungafasi (centre) has a contract through to 2024 and will be one of just five players in their 30's, should this hypothetical squad be selected. Photo: Max Sharp.
With the increasing need for mobility at prop in a modern era that requires all players to have ball-handling skills and ever-quicker ruck speed, look for the brute force of Ofa Tu'ungafasi and Tamaiti Williams to come off the bench. Tu'ungafasi has 50 tests under his belt and a winning mentality, that will see the youngsters learn the ropes from him. Tu'ungafasi will be 35 years old in the 2027 Rugby World Cup. To balance the scrum, Williams will provide the blend of youth and experience. Williams has long been seen as a future All Black and his test debut is well overdue, thanks to his breakdown and scrum presence.
Although Fletcher Newell is highly likely to miss the 2023 Rugby World Cup after being ruled out for the entirety of Super Rugby, he has a huge ceiling so will likely finally reach his 7th test cap in 2024. Finlay Brewis will possibly have the inside running to combine with Newell as the third-choice prop combination. They've been Canterbury teammates since 2020 and are the same height, so will scrum together in a nice formation; Brewis also mysteriously made it into the All Blacks XV over Ollie Norris and Jermaine Ainsley in 2023. At 24 years old, both will be reaching the peak of their careers in 2024 too.
Locks:
Tupou Vaa'i
Age (on 1st May, 2024): 24 years old
Test Caps: 18 tests
Super Rugby Club: Chiefs
Scott Barrett (Captain)
Age (on 1st May, 2024): 30 years old
Test Caps: 58 tests
Super Rugby Club: Crusaders
Josh Lord
Age (on 1st May, 2024): 23 years old
Test Caps: 2 tests
Super Rugby Club: Chiefs
Zach Gallagher
Age (on 1st May, 2024): 22 years old
Test Caps: uncapped
Super Rugby Club: Crusaders
With the post-World Cup exodus set to be huge, lock will receive a bit of a rebuild with young blood. At 24 years old, Tupou Vaa'i will be a guaranteed starter; with Patrick Tuipulotu's form seeming to wane a little. Vaa'i is now the finished product and the dominant leader in the Chiefs' tight-five already. Should he fulfill his potential and stay humble, he has future All Black captain written all over him. He's everything you need in a lock. Heavy, mobile, with a low centre of gravity and very athletic. To compliment him in the starting XV, Scott Barrett will almost certainly be captain.
Having played his first NPC game for Robertson's 2014 Canterbury side, the Scotts know each other well. In the same way with Eddie Jones and Owen Farrell, Michael Chieka and Michael Hooper as well as Allister Coetzee and Eben Etzebeth; we could well see this as another example of coaches elevating their club-level rookie, to national captain. Barrett and Robertson will be a better-known Scotts duo, than Travis Scott and Kid Cudi here in New Zealand. With Barrett's ability to play at 6, he can shift around when substitutes come on; this will help with depth building in preparation for an injury to the captain. After 8 years of being stuck behind Sam Whitelock and Brodie Retallick, Barrett may be able to receive the ultimate payoff.
Zach Gallagher (pictured playing for Canterbury in 2022) may benefit from being one of Robertson's Crusaders players. Photo: Max Sharp.
Although Josh Lord will likely miss the 2023 Rugby World Cup, he'll have a head-start over Naitoa Ah Kuoi, Cameron Suafoa and Caleb Delany; having made Ian Foster's 2021 team as a project player, before earning his spot in 2022 legitimately through form as an impact player. Lord will provide some epic grunt as a reserve, while his Taranaki cohesion with Vaa'i will bode well. At 28 years old, the uncapped All Blacks XV player, Josh Dickson, may leave the Highlanders for an overseas deal - opening a spot for Zach Gallagher, a player appearing to currently earn more minutes at the Crusaders than Quinten Strange. Though Gallagher is young now, Sam Whitelock's highly expected retirement will allow Gallagher a solid build-up for a test debut in 2024. Look for opportunities to open up for Fabian Holland later in the World Cup cycle.
Loose Forwards:
Marino Mikaele-Tu'u
Age (on 1st May, 2024): 26 years old
Test Caps: uncapped
Super Rugby Club: Highlanders
Ethan Blackadder
Age (on 1st May, 2024): 29 years old
Test Caps: 9 tests
Super Rugby Club: Crusaders
Ardie Savea
Age (on 1st May, 2024): 30 years old
Test Caps: 70 tests
Super Rugby Club: Hurricanes (sabbatical)
Dalton Papali'i
Age (on 1st May, 2024): 26 years old
Test Caps: 22 tests
Super Rugby Club: Blues
Sam Cane
Age (on 1st May, 2024): 32 years old
Test Caps: 86 tests
Super Rugby Club: Chiefs
Hoskins Sotutu
Age (on 1st May, 2024): 25 years old
Test Caps: 14 tests
Super Rugby Club: Blues
The loose forwards will be a giant head-scratcher in 2024. With Sam Cane, Dalton Papali'i and Ardie Savea all locked in post-World Cup, you can shut the door on any new openside flankers making their test debut in 2024. Savea will be permitted for selection in the 2024 Rugby Championship after returning from his single-season sabbatical in Japan, before returning to Super Rugby in 2025; while Cane's deal extends to that season. Papali'i would likely sign on to 2027 as a younger athlete; his current deal expires at the end of 2024.
Now... on to the big question. What the heck will happen to balance the lineout? Slotting a third lock into 6 won't be as easy with Shannon Frizell's departure, as well as Barrett needing to cover the lack of experience at lock itself. In all likelihood, Cane will be kept around in the early stages of Robertson's tenure to provide experience off the bench, establishing good team culture, before being phased out of the team as his contract end and 100th test approaches.
Though Sam Cane will likely lose the captaincy to Scott Barrett, Scott Robertson is likely to still call on him for leadership off the bench. Photo: Max Sharp.
Such an event would allow for Papali'i at 7; balancing the lineout with Savea at 8. With the ability to pick a genuine 6, Robertson would likely give Ethan Blackadder a re-call should he remain in New Zealand. Blackadder is said to be one of the first names on the Crusaders' team sheets, while Marino Mikaele-Tu'u's raw carrying ability and high turnover count means he is well overdue for a test debut as well.
While Peter Lakai looks every inch a future All Black, Hoskins Sotutu remains in good form, so will likely be retained for the time being. Sotutu is the Kiwi answer to Caelan Doris, with high work ethic on and off the ball. Look for Lakai to target Cane's waning grip over the 7 jersey and mould himself into a like-for-like replacement of Savea and come into Robertson's team lader in the World Cup cycle.
Halfbacks:
Folau Fakatava
Age (on 1st May, 2024): 24 years old
Test Caps: 2 tests
Super Rugby Club: Highlanders
Cam Roigard
Age (on 1st May, 2024): 23 years old
Test Caps: uncapped
Super Rugby Club: Hurricanes
Cortez Ratima
Age (on 1st May, 2024): 23 years old
Test Caps: uncapped
Super Rugby Club: Chiefs
Finally. The All Blacks desperately need a mass clean-out of their inside backs and with Robertson's tenure, this will surely happen. Brad Weber will be likely to head overseas, TJ Perenara is a spent force, while Aaron Smith has confirmed his move to Toyota Verblitz in Japan. Finlay Christie, the only remaining halfback with a decent share of test caps on the other hand, is highly inexperienced at test level for a player of his age. Christie's test level form certainly hasn't been the same as his Super Rugby form thus far, while Ian Foster openly had to admit he'd have picked Fakatava over Christie for 2021, had Fakatava not been injured that season.
Folau Fakatava was eligible for the All Blacks in 2021 after moving to New Zealand from Tonga in 2016, but needed an injury exemption in 2022 due to law changes. Photo: Max Sharp.
These inside back spots are highly likely to come down to young players in pure form and if current momentum is anything to go by, Fakatava, Roigard and Ratima, are going to be superstars withing a few seasons. Fakatava is obviously the pick of this young bunch, having won the 2020 Duane Monkley Medal, becoming the first Hawke's Bay player to win the title, before his test debut arrived in 2022, with coaches going far enough to seek dispensation to pick him after law changes looked to block his availability.
Meanwhile, Roigard and Ratima have both enjoyed very recent elevations that Robertson will not be ignoring. Ratima has been elevated to the Chiefs' second-choice 9 with Xavier Roe out long-term and has exceptional defence and strength for a smaller player, while he very much looks to be a leader in the making. Roigard on the other hand, seems to be the talk of the town in online circles right now, displaying some eye-catching efforts for the Hurricanes. While the door is completely shut on halfbacks looking to debut in 2023, look for both of them to earn selection in 2024. If there are any positions that won't be affected by Crusaders bias, this will be the one; though Noah Hotham will likely come into the equation later in the World Cup cycle.
First-Fives:
Damian McKenzie
Age (on 1st May, 2024): 29 years old
Test Caps: 40 tests
Super Rugby Club: Chiefs
Stephen Perofeta
Age (on 1st May, 2024): 27 years old
Test Caps: 3 tests
Super Rugby Club: Blues
Fergus Burke
Age (on 1st May, 2024): 24 years old
Test Caps: uncapped
Super Rugby Club: Crusaders
Although I personally see Aidan Morgan as the clear future of the All Black number 10 shirt, his place in the Hurricanes does not look certain, one-test All Black, Brett Cameron seems to be preferred by Jason Holland. If this remains the case, Robertson may wait until later in the World Cup cycle to cap Morgan, while Taha Kemara will eventually come into the equation one day.
With Rivez Reihana and Cam Millar currently unproven at Super Rugby, Robertson may look to begin with Damian McKenzie and Stephen Perofeta. As a hypothetical squad like the one named in this article would have just five players in their 30's, McKenzie would add leadership. As Richie Mo'unga will not be eligible for selection, McKenzie may even be the closest possible replica, while continuing to pick Perofeta would assist in building depth before younger players are ready for test rugby.
Aidan Morgan (centre) of the Hurricanes, will need to keep Brett Cameron out of the 10 jersey at club level in order to fulfill his potential. Photo: Max Sharp.
As for the third-choice, Fergus Burke is clearly seen by Robertson as the heir apparent to Richie Mo'unga. Though he began his Super Rugby career as one of the thinnest players in the league, Burke has gained significant confidence and added muscle, while he has been the Crusaders' go-to at 15 for 2023, in the absence of David Havili. The extra game time means one thing. Robertson wants him to have plentiful experience as a key decision-maker for the Crusaders, to create a seamless transition into test level. What an evolution it will be for a man that once regularly sat on the bench without coming on.
Midfielders:
David Havili
Age (on 1st May, 2024): 29 years old
Test Caps: 25 tests
Super Rugby Club: Crusaders
Rieko Ioane
Age (on 1st May, 2024): 27 years old
Test Caps: 59 tests
Super Rugby Club: Blues
Jordie Barrett
Age (on 1st May, 2024): 27 years old
Test Caps: 48 tests
Super Rugby Club: Hurricanes
Quinn Tupaea
Age (on 1st May, 2024): 24 years old
Test Caps: 14 tests
Super Rugby Club: Chiefs
This squad will no doubt carry a Crusaders flavour, but as a smart coach, Robertson will be unlikely to push overt bias into his selections. He is a coach that understands the value of combination-building, so could very easily continue to utilise David Havili and Rieko Ioane as a midfield combination. Both will be senior figures in the team by this point, Havili's contract extension makes 50 test caps a viable goal, while Ioane is well on his way to breaking Sam Whitelock's record of the youngest All Black to reach 100 tests.
There is plenty of young talent in midfield available to the All Blacks right now, but said talent is not certain to be ready for test level in 2024. Jack Goodhue and Anton Lienert-Brown, will both be in their 30's for the 2027 Rugby World Cup and have both been on the receiving end of bad injury runs as of late, so may be tempted to take the overseas option, having both competed in the 2019 edition. Quinn Tupaea's re-call, will then look obvious.
Quinn Tupaea has been ruled out of the 2023 Rugby World Cup as he will have 6 games or fewer after returning to play from injury. Photo: Max Sharp.
He'll be ticked off at missing the 2023 Rugby World Cup due to injury, so will look to target 2027; but could do so as a 13. Tupaea would almost certainly combine with Rameka Poihipi in midfield for the Chiefs in 2024 if Lienert-Brown indeed goes overseas, while he will hopefully remain quick enough to cover wing if there are no complications from his ACL surgery. Let's also not forget Tupaea's off-field work on his long-range kicking.
The one enigma in this area however, is Jordie Barrett. Although the preferred midfield combo of the Foster era has been Havili and Ioane, injuries to Havili, Goodue and Tupaea forced him to move his first-choice fullback, Jordie Barrett, into the jersey in 2022. Barrett was given a chance there against a poor Wales side and also started there in a crucial England clash, to create a reference point should Havili be ruled out of the 2023 World Cup.
Barrett also played in this position for Robertson's 2016 Canterbury side outside Mo'unga, while 12 is his position of choice at Super Rugby. While Barrett's presence at fullback will crucial in 2023, a fresh start may allow him to shift to 12 permanently at test level, with Havili covering 10, 12, 13 and 15 off the bench. Either way, this will be a good headache for Robertson, who rates Havili and Barrett both very highly.
Outside Backs:
Will Jordan
Age (on 1st May, 2024): 26 years old
Test Caps: 21 tests
Super Rugby Club: Crusaders
Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens
Age (on 1st May, 2024): 22 years old
Test Caps: uncapped
Super Rugby Club: Blues
Leicester Fainga'anuku
Age (on 1st May, 2024): 24 years old
Test Caps: 2 tests
Super Rugby Club: Crusaders
Mark Telea
Age (on 1st May, 2024): 27 years old
Test Caps: 2 tests
Super Rugby Club: Hurricanes
Due to the versatility of his first-fives and that of Havili and Barrett, Robertson may elect to pick just a single specialist fullback. If the previous hypothesis about his insides and midfield are true, this fullback will be Will Jordan. Jordan has been compared by many to Ben Smith; all but four of his test minutes thus far have been at wing (Jordan replaced Ngani Laumape and played four minutes at 12 on his test debut), while he plays fullback for the Crusaders.
While Mark Telea's wide-ranging skillset will almost certainly see him as a first-choice early on in the Robertson era, he will be certain to be phased out of the team during the cycle. The outside backs are a young man's position. Such a phenomenon doesn't tend to affect fullbacks as much as wingers though, so should Jordan stay fit and be able to fend off an intense challenge from Ruben Love, he may possibly be able to carry his bat to the 2027 Rugby World Cup. Jordan will be 29 years old in 2027, so this will come down to how Love performs.
Jordie Barrett (pictured in 2019) is looking to depart the outside backs and gain longevity as athletes lose their pace with age. Photo: Max Sharp.
As for the wingers, these selections will come down to pure form. Back to Telea, his mix of power, pace, agility and ability under the high ball will make him a certainty at 14 should he remain in form. That's one covered. As Robertson is his Crusaders coach, Leicester Fainga'anuku may be tempted to turn down the rumoured off-shore offers and stick around. Fainga'anuku would definitely be preferred over Caleb Clarke as a power option due to his more reliable defence and ability to cover centre. He wouldn't take a re-call for granted either; his first two tests weren't what he would have wanted.
For the last spot, it's safe to say it will go to a bolter that is currently completely off the radar to the casual fan. While the media will inevitably talk about an "overnight success story" when Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens inevitably debuts in 2024, he has been a prodigy ever since signing an NRL development contract with the Parramatta Eels aged 15. Although he walked out of this, he announced himself on the local stage by stepping Sam Whitelock and Richie Mo'unga for two tries as Taranaki won the Ranfurly Shield in 2020; Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens had only just celebrated his 19th birthday at the time. While a test debut didn't arrive as quickly as I initially suspected, it's occurrence is inevitable.
A Possible First-Choice Match-Day 23:
1. Ethan de Groot
2. Samisoni Taukei'aho
3. Tyrel Lomax
4. Tupou Vaa'i
5. Scott Barrett (C)
6. Ethan Blackadder
7. Dalton Papali'i
8. Ardie Savea (VC)
9. Folau Fakatava
10. Damian McKenzie
11. Leicester Fainga'anuku
12. Jordie Barrett
13. Rieko Ioane
14. Mark Telea
15. Will Jordan
Reserves:
16. Codie Taylor
17. Tamaiti Williams
18. Ofa Tu'ungafasi
19. Josh Lord
20. Sam Cane
21. Cam Roigard
22. Fergus Burke
23. David Havili