Tavatavanawai among five new caps in All Blacks squad for France series
June 23 (Reuters) - Timoci Tavatavanawai was one of five uncapped players named in the All Blacks squad for the July series against France on Monday, the Fiji-born centre earning his first test call-up at the age of 27 after a superb Super Rugby season.
Tavatavanawai's power and pace along with his ability to turn the ball over at the breakdown earned him a place in the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific dream team but he might find it tougher to break into the New Zealand midfield.
Coach Scott Robertson has brought Jordie Barrett straight back into his squad after a sabbatical in Ireland with Leinster and also recalled powerhouse Quinn Tupaea after three injury-blighted seasons.
"It's always a challenge to pick the best players in the country," Robertson said.
"You look through the whole season, you look for reliability, the ability to keep turning up, their skill sets under pressure, how they complement the group.
"It's a hell of a team, just congratulations to those debutants, their families, and who supported them to get here."
Tavatavanawai said it had been an emotional moment for him and his family when he heard that his dream of an All Blacks call-up had been fulfilled.
"It means everything," he said. "I left (home) when I was 16. My brother and sister were about 13 and I've missed a crucial part of their growing up. All that sacrifice comes up to this moment so it's pretty special.
"I think that's why mum pretty much straight away jumped in my arms."
Flanker Du'Plessis Kirifi and hooker Brodie McAlister are two other experienced players who have earned their first call-ups in their late 20s on the back of standout domestic seasons.
"Du'Plessis is the ultimate story of what it takes to keep working and absolute desire to be an All Black," forwards coach Jason Ryan said of the 28-year-old openside.
"He's got the balance right. He's learned a lot about himself learning Wellington and the Hurricanes. We know he's ready."
There was no place in the squad for openside Dalton Papali'i or blindside Ethan Blackadder with Kirifi one of only five loose forwards selected along with Samipeni Finau, Ardie Savea, Wallace Sititi and Luke Jacobson.
Jacobson picked up a knock in the Super Rugby final and uncapped number eight Christian Lio-Willie will join the squad as injury cover along with winger Emoni Narawa, who will make up the numbers while Anton Lienert-Brown completes his recuperation from a broken collarbone.
Powerful loosehead prop Ollie Norris and Netherlands-born lock Fabian Holland round out the quintet of uncapped players named by Robertson.
New Zealand host France in the opening test in Dunedin on July 5 before further clashes in Wellington and Hamilton on the following weekends.
Squad:
Forwards - Codie Taylor, Samisoni Taukei'aho, Brodie McAlister, Ethan de Groot, Tamaiti Williams, Ollie Norris, Tyrel Lomax, Fletcher Newell, Pasilio Tosi, Scott Barrett (captain), Fabian Holland, Patrick Tuipulotu, Tupou Vaa'i, Samipeni Finau, Ardie Savea, Du'Plessis Kirifi, Wallace Sititi, Luke Jacobson.
Backs - Noah Hotham, Cortez Ratima, Cameron Roigard, Beauden Barrett, Damian McKenzie, Anton Lienert-Brown, Jordie Barrett, Rieko Ioane, Quinn Tupaea, Billy Proctor, Timoci Tavatavanawai, Caleb Clarke, Will Jordan, Ruben Love, Sevu Reece.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Sky Sports did not help Owen Farrell on his punditry debut
On the basis of his TV pundit debut, Owen Farrell looks to have a bright future as a coach. The England great joined the Sky Sports rugby coverage on Friday for the Lions match against Argentina and demonstrated his shrewd and sharp mind for the game's shape and tactics, but also, perhaps, showed the limitations as a communicator that have made him a much more divisive figure than a player of his excellence ought to be. He was an exciting signing for Sky, not just for his rugby CV but obviously because he is the son of the coach, Andy, and there was a nice moment between the pair ahead of the kick-off when Farrell Sr came over for a word. That said, if the Sky producers were hoping for some juicy or indiscreet tidbits about the thinking and selection plans of the Lions supremo, they are still waiting. Overall, Owen didn't immediately strike you as a natural on camera, although of course it's early days. As always with a player who is still active, you're not necessarily expecting them to go the full Roy Keane on a bloke they might be sharing a changing room with in the near future, fun though that can be, and he was circumspect both in content and in delivery: stern look, doesn't open his mouth much, not very animated, something of the poker player about him. That said, the other big TV debut in recent months from a rugby heavy-hitter was that of Eddie Jones on ITV, and Owen was a veritable Terry Wogan compared to the taciturn Aussie. The real TV value of the contemporary player comes in the illumination they can offer about the mindset and challenges facing the competitors out on the field, because in all these sports the tactics and training are evolving so quickly that even guys who are five years retired might as well be speaking with knowledge belonging to a previous era. Among the several reasons why Stuart Broad, for instance, has been such a hit on Sky's cricket is that he can tell you with unmatchable authority what the bowlers he worked with and mentored are thinking and doing. "They will learn a lot as a team" 💭 Owen Farrell on the lessons the Lions can take from Argentina defeat 🗣️ — Sky Sports Rugby Union (@SkySportsRugby) June 20, 2025 Like anything else, people get better at yakking on the telly the more they do it, so with the current pro you are trading practised fluency for dressing-room insight. It's almost always more effective to keep the newbies to a narrow brief, and indeed Owen seemed more confident when discussing the flow of the action on-field and how the kicking battle and struggle for territory were unfolding rather than the general chat-show guff about what it means to be a Lion. He wasn't helped, you have to say, by questions from Sky presenter Alex Payne such as: 'First things first, if you were to take away the hype and the hope and the expectation, and all the build-up that goes into a Lions tour, have we actually probably got the match that you would be left with, at the end of that?' U wot mate? That word salad might well have merited one of Owen's signature high tackles, but he did what he could with it and said that playing for the Lions was: 'Unbelievably special and that word probably gets used a bit too much. Everything about it is different.' Sure. Owen doesn't come across as the sort of guy who is going to dazzle the viewer with an impassioned and stirring description of the human drama of his sport, so why not help him out and give him the best chance of success? It remains to be seen if Owen will opt for a media role once his playing days are over. The tactical acumen and gravitas he brings would surely be welcome in a coaching position, and it's not clear if Sky viewers will be clamouring for him to grace their screens over the coming years, but on the evidence of this first outing, a solid enough boot down the field with a suggestion that he could progress if skilfully deployed.
Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
Lions cheerleaders need some perspective
The British and Irish Lions is one of the strongest and wealthiest rugby brands on the planet. Founded on the mystique of long, distant and barely reported overseas tours, it remains a celebrated anomaly in the rugby calendar. From the height of Corinthian amateurism, it has accommodated rugby's move to professionalism with an uncredited ease but with this has come a change in atmosphere; the mystical has become the public. The unique scarceness has been replaced by the present penchant for presentation; all must be revealed. This tour already has, and will continue to be, well gassed (that means hyped, for older readers). This was nowhere more apparent than around the Lions' opening fixture against Argentina last Friday in Dublin. With the entire Lions' royalty of past players and coaches featuring boldly in the build-up and in-match coverage, the narrow loss to the Pumas was somewhat deflating. It is said that every expectation is a disappointment waiting to happen and this highlights a challenge with covering the tour. There must be balance and not oscillation between celebrating tradition, and cloying sentimentality and cliché. All concerned need to get a bit of perspective. I realise the current fad is for hyperbole and instant judgment but one missed tackle by Henry Pollock, which led to a brilliantly finished try for Argentina, does not mean Pollock has a weakness in that area. This has not played him out of contention for the Test squad any more than a later outstanding turnover has played him in. The problem for players and supporters comes from the fact there are so few games before the announcement of the first Test squad. The PACE from Cordero ⚡️ Argentina hit back ‼️ — Sky Sports (@SkySports) June 20, 2025 How does coach Andy Farrell judge the merits of a player when he only gets to see them in two or three games before making his decision? The truth is that this is impossible, and this is why he will already have some idea of his preferred first Test squad. He and his selectors and coaches have been watching these players for a long time and are aware of their abilities and weaknesses. What they are seeking is confirmation of fitness and form and to receive definitive evidence that an untried combination does or does not work. When it comes to this, what separates great coaches from others, is understanding how to interpret successes and failures because both can be valuable. With a limited number of opening games, Farrell has to try to give every player the impression they have been given at least one game where they play in a sufficiently experienced and talented starting XV to press their claims. Tour unity depends on players believing they have been treated fairly, even though the reality is that there must already be some presumptions within the coaching and selection teams. Being realistic about the Argentina game means acknowledging the Pumas played very well and that their half-backs were outstanding. The timing of the Lions' set strike moves broke down under game pressure and as a team they were neither sufficiently physical nor patient at crucial times. The same players, who would have undoubtedly gone through the phases in their country's jersey, tried to pull off a magic play rather than hanging on to the ball. Therein lies the problem for the players when it comes to making their case in so short a time. The instinct is to try and impress whenever the possibility arises, but with that comes errors. You are more likely to press a Test claim by doing your job solidly than attempting the improbable. In the maelstrom of a game, under the pressure to make an instant decision, that is difficult to always remember. The firmest conclusions you could draw from the Argentina loss are that Ellis Genge confirmed his growing reputation as a scrummager and ball carrier, and that Marcus Smith can play at full-back but that is not his best position. Beyond that, not much should be asserted with confidence. What is just as likely to exercise Farrell and his coaching and selection teams over the initial tour games are injuries. This is what sets tournament and tour coaching aside from domestic competitions. The ability to react to circumstance has been made progressively more acute and that is also why the Lions will have a sports regulation expert on hand to cover any disciplinary problems that arise. The next few weeks are going to be full, if not overfull, of analysis and comment from every kind of media and this is where a note of caution should be sounded. We all want the Lions to succeed, but this should not be at the expense of objectivity. Punditry and colour-commentary needs to be detached. These are not cheerleading roles.
Reuters
6 hours ago
- Reuters
Tavatavanawai among five new caps in All Blacks squad for France series
June 23 (Reuters) - Timoci Tavatavanawai was one of five uncapped players named in the All Blacks squad for the July series against France on Monday, the Fiji-born centre earning his first test call-up at the age of 27 after a superb Super Rugby season. Tavatavanawai's power and pace along with his ability to turn the ball over at the breakdown earned him a place in the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific dream team but he might find it tougher to break into the New Zealand midfield. Coach Scott Robertson has brought Jordie Barrett straight back into his squad after a sabbatical in Ireland with Leinster and also recalled powerhouse Quinn Tupaea after three injury-blighted seasons. "It's always a challenge to pick the best players in the country," Robertson said. "You look through the whole season, you look for reliability, the ability to keep turning up, their skill sets under pressure, how they complement the group. "It's a hell of a team, just congratulations to those debutants, their families, and who supported them to get here." Tavatavanawai said it had been an emotional moment for him and his family when he heard that his dream of an All Blacks call-up had been fulfilled. "It means everything," he said. "I left (home) when I was 16. My brother and sister were about 13 and I've missed a crucial part of their growing up. All that sacrifice comes up to this moment so it's pretty special. "I think that's why mum pretty much straight away jumped in my arms." Flanker Du'Plessis Kirifi and hooker Brodie McAlister are two other experienced players who have earned their first call-ups in their late 20s on the back of standout domestic seasons. "Du'Plessis is the ultimate story of what it takes to keep working and absolute desire to be an All Black," forwards coach Jason Ryan said of the 28-year-old openside. "He's got the balance right. He's learned a lot about himself learning Wellington and the Hurricanes. We know he's ready." There was no place in the squad for openside Dalton Papali'i or blindside Ethan Blackadder with Kirifi one of only five loose forwards selected along with Samipeni Finau, Ardie Savea, Wallace Sititi and Luke Jacobson. Jacobson picked up a knock in the Super Rugby final and uncapped number eight Christian Lio-Willie will join the squad as injury cover along with winger Emoni Narawa, who will make up the numbers while Anton Lienert-Brown completes his recuperation from a broken collarbone. Powerful loosehead prop Ollie Norris and Netherlands-born lock Fabian Holland round out the quintet of uncapped players named by Robertson. New Zealand host France in the opening test in Dunedin on July 5 before further clashes in Wellington and Hamilton on the following weekends. Squad: Forwards - Codie Taylor, Samisoni Taukei'aho, Brodie McAlister, Ethan de Groot, Tamaiti Williams, Ollie Norris, Tyrel Lomax, Fletcher Newell, Pasilio Tosi, Scott Barrett (captain), Fabian Holland, Patrick Tuipulotu, Tupou Vaa'i, Samipeni Finau, Ardie Savea, Du'Plessis Kirifi, Wallace Sititi, Luke Jacobson. Backs - Noah Hotham, Cortez Ratima, Cameron Roigard, Beauden Barrett, Damian McKenzie, Anton Lienert-Brown, Jordie Barrett, Rieko Ioane, Quinn Tupaea, Billy Proctor, Timoci Tavatavanawai, Caleb Clarke, Will Jordan, Ruben Love, Sevu Reece.
