All Blacks: main selection talking points
Kick-off: 9:10am Sunday 24 August
Estadio Vélez Sarsfield, Buenos Aires
Live blog updates on RNZ
Analysis
- What adjustments does Scott Robertson make to his All Black side for this weekend? The
41-24 win over the Pumas
on Sunday morning was certainly a positive step forward - after all, that was a fixture the All Blacks lost last year - but there was enough in the performance to make Friday morning's team naming quite an interesting one.
Here are the talking points:
Tamaiti Williams celebrates during the All Blacks v Argentina.
Photo:
Blake Armstrong/ActionPress
Tamaiti Williams almost certainly goes straight back in to start, which is far more of a reflection of just how important he is rather than anything that's been lacking in his absence. Indeed, Ethan de Groot got through a power of work on both sides of the ball in Córdoba, which was a timely reminder of his capabilities after a tough end to 2024. Whoever backs up Williams on the bench is in line for a decent stint though, as the big man will be on managed minutes after his injury.
Meanwhile, Wallace Sititi may well be the other way around. His comeback to the test arena has been keenly anticipated, but Robertson may well feel that the loose forward mix can benefit with Du'Plessis Kirifi staying in the starting openside role and therefore leaving Ardie Savea at number eight. While Sititi did play blindside for much of last season, Tupou Vaa'i has been excellent there and it feels like the Scott Barrett/Fabian Holland locking partnership is going to stay intact.
Simon Parker.
Photo:
Martin Hunter/www.photosport.nz
But then where does that leave Simon Parker? He has likely been picked as a Springbok-counter measure so will likely need some game time before those highly anticipated tests next month. Parker and Sititi or Vaa'i off the bench isn't out of the question, although it would somewhat go against Robertson's selection logic.
Crusaders Kyle Preston during Super Rugby Pacific.
Photo:
Brett Phibbs / www.photosport.nz
Cortez Ratima was one of the standouts in Cordoba, with an assured performance that included a now trademark finish of a long range try. So he's a certainty for the starting job, but did Finlay Christie do enough to keep his spot on the bench? Defensively you'd have to say no, Christie's ineffectual tackle attempt led to a try to Tomas Albornoz, but it is worth remembering that his shift did include some tight possession play around the ruck that he controlled. Waiting in the wings is Kyle Preston, although he is a last minute, uncapped injury replacement.
Quinn Tupaea of the Chiefs.
Photo:
© Photosport Ltd 2025 www.photosport.nz
The most glaring errors last weekend were when the All Blacks butchered chances on attack, which was due to some extremely clunky transition from Billy Proctor and Rieko Ioane. Proctor does deserve to be persisted with at centre, but just what the back up plan is might be interesting as it may involve Ioane shifting back in.
It's a bit tricky to see where Timoci Tavatavanawai fits into all this if he's not picked tomorrow, although having Quinn Tupaea on the bench to replace the injured Anton Lienert-Brown makes perfect sense.
Out wide, it would be nice to see Leroy Carter get a run, given just how good he was during Super Rugby Pacific and the long legacy of picking wings when they're young and fast.
Ardie Savea.
Photo:
ActionPress
Not so much a selection issue as both are obviously the first names on the sheet, being captain and vice-captain respectively. It's more about the ability to replace Barrett, as was the case last week, and have Savea take over as skipper by design. Savea's decision-making in Cordoba was effective and forthright at the end, which takes nothing away from Barrett's calls at the start that led to a 31-10 halftime lead.
Subbing an All Black captain regularly is something that would take a bit of getting used to, however, it does open up the possibility of even more power coming off the bench and perhaps the aforementioned pairing of Parker and Sititi.
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RNZ News
6 hours ago
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All Blacks: main selection talking points
Pumas v All Blacks Kick-off: 9:10am Sunday 24 August Estadio Vélez Sarsfield, Buenos Aires Live blog updates on RNZ Analysis - What adjustments does Scott Robertson make to his All Black side for this weekend? The 41-24 win over the Pumas on Sunday morning was certainly a positive step forward - after all, that was a fixture the All Blacks lost last year - but there was enough in the performance to make Friday morning's team naming quite an interesting one. Here are the talking points: Tamaiti Williams celebrates during the All Blacks v Argentina. Photo: Blake Armstrong/ActionPress Tamaiti Williams almost certainly goes straight back in to start, which is far more of a reflection of just how important he is rather than anything that's been lacking in his absence. Indeed, Ethan de Groot got through a power of work on both sides of the ball in Córdoba, which was a timely reminder of his capabilities after a tough end to 2024. Whoever backs up Williams on the bench is in line for a decent stint though, as the big man will be on managed minutes after his injury. Meanwhile, Wallace Sititi may well be the other way around. His comeback to the test arena has been keenly anticipated, but Robertson may well feel that the loose forward mix can benefit with Du'Plessis Kirifi staying in the starting openside role and therefore leaving Ardie Savea at number eight. While Sititi did play blindside for much of last season, Tupou Vaa'i has been excellent there and it feels like the Scott Barrett/Fabian Holland locking partnership is going to stay intact. Simon Parker. Photo: Martin Hunter/ But then where does that leave Simon Parker? He has likely been picked as a Springbok-counter measure so will likely need some game time before those highly anticipated tests next month. Parker and Sititi or Vaa'i off the bench isn't out of the question, although it would somewhat go against Robertson's selection logic. Crusaders Kyle Preston during Super Rugby Pacific. Photo: Brett Phibbs / Cortez Ratima was one of the standouts in Cordoba, with an assured performance that included a now trademark finish of a long range try. So he's a certainty for the starting job, but did Finlay Christie do enough to keep his spot on the bench? Defensively you'd have to say no, Christie's ineffectual tackle attempt led to a try to Tomas Albornoz, but it is worth remembering that his shift did include some tight possession play around the ruck that he controlled. Waiting in the wings is Kyle Preston, although he is a last minute, uncapped injury replacement. Quinn Tupaea of the Chiefs. Photo: © Photosport Ltd 2025 The most glaring errors last weekend were when the All Blacks butchered chances on attack, which was due to some extremely clunky transition from Billy Proctor and Rieko Ioane. Proctor does deserve to be persisted with at centre, but just what the back up plan is might be interesting as it may involve Ioane shifting back in. It's a bit tricky to see where Timoci Tavatavanawai fits into all this if he's not picked tomorrow, although having Quinn Tupaea on the bench to replace the injured Anton Lienert-Brown makes perfect sense. Out wide, it would be nice to see Leroy Carter get a run, given just how good he was during Super Rugby Pacific and the long legacy of picking wings when they're young and fast. Ardie Savea. Photo: ActionPress Not so much a selection issue as both are obviously the first names on the sheet, being captain and vice-captain respectively. It's more about the ability to replace Barrett, as was the case last week, and have Savea take over as skipper by design. Savea's decision-making in Cordoba was effective and forthright at the end, which takes nothing away from Barrett's calls at the start that led to a 31-10 halftime lead. Subbing an All Black captain regularly is something that would take a bit of getting used to, however, it does open up the possibility of even more power coming off the bench and perhaps the aforementioned pairing of Parker and Sititi.
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14 hours ago
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All Blacks: Underwhelming or on brink of a breakthrough?
Analysis: 1News rugby writers Patrick McKendry and Scotty Stevenson discuss how the All Blacks can improve for the second Test against Argentina. PM: So Scotty, The All Blacks got the job done 41-24 in Cordoba, and in the end it was a dominant performance thanks to a final-quarter surge. And yet, I felt there was an underwhelming vibe to it all – perhaps due to the slightly bumbling nature of their play at times. Am I being too harsh? Maybe I'm comparing it too closely to the sensational Wallabies' victory over the Boks in Johannesburg but, as we know, the All Blacks hold themselves to a high standard, and in fact leverage off it. ADVERTISEMENT Your thoughts, please. SS: It's been a bit like that this week, hasn't it? A general atmosphere of "meh". There are a couple of threads that could be followed to land on the reasons for the strange sense of ambivalence. First, this season has to date felt a little lacking in flavour. A French team shorn of star power punch was not exactly the hors d'ouevres of a footy fan's dream and the series was overshadowed by the Lions tour across the Tasman. Second, there remains an expectation that the All Blacks should beat Argentina, despite a couple of reversals in recent seasons. That presumption is hard to shake and feeds a narrative that the team got the job done – as you put it in your opener – and not much more needs to be said. Third, I am not sure this team has quite captured the public's imagination in a way that great All Blacks teams of the past have. There are signs they are beginning to coalesce, but into what exactly? It's hard to become a total greater than the sum of all parts when there is still so much conjecture surrounding who the parts should be. I am not sure what it is going to take to convince the public that this team is charting a course to conquer all. Perfection is a fool's quest in such a dynamic code, and I don't think anyone is capable of articulating what the perfect performance looks like anyway. They do look like they have a better idea about what they are trying to create, though. Cortez Ratima dives in for a try against the Pumas in Cordoba. (Source: Photosport) ADVERTISEMENT Where do you see the key sticking point for this team when it comes to executing their game plan? PM: Skill execution and decision making. Both are areas of improvement and maybe some of us assumed the three Tests against France last month would have helped prevent the errors that kept cropping up at the weekend. The handling mistakes are understandable in what you rightly stated is such a dynamic game, but even so… some of the stuff in Cordoba was pretty ordinary. Maybe it was a case of some players trying too hard – I'm thinking halfback Cortez Ratima here – but overall the All Blacks should expect better and by all accounts they do. It does pose a couple of questions: Is Razor Robertson's 'fast-thinking, fast-game' strategy the right one, and secondly, do you think everyone is on the same page? SS: I think this team is getting there. I chatted with All Blacks assistant coach Scott Hansen today who talked at length about the team creating opportunities. I put it to him that, on a couple of occasions, Argentina were able to read the play and make good defensive decisions. His response was that they still need time to ensure the connections and partnerships are in place and working to full potential. The All Blacks are trying to create an attacking shape that affords multiple options at the line but that requires everyone involved in the phase to take the best available option. If 14 guys are expecting the 15th to make a certain decision, and he takes another, it's tough to reload and start from scratch. If the team take the best available option more often, they can then build rhythm, and attack through momentum. That's what they are trying to do. ADVERTISEMENT When you refer to "fast thinking", I believe it could be better referred to as "fast decision making". The team seems to have a good grasp of what they are trying to do and therefore don't have to think too hard about that attacking shape. What they do still have to think about is the call they make in the moment. Is it a pop, a back ball, a hit and hold, a drop off on an unders line? I have seen enough to say that, when this clicks, it will be a nightmare to defend. They just haven't quite built the level of cohesion to pull it off as often as they would like. It's a plan that asks a lot of every player on the field, and a tough one to execute well under fatigue and line speed pressure. Cortez Ratima is one player who would have had a lot on his mind, and who would have felt enormous pressure to perform. Hansen suggested he had been supported well through the week to clear the mind and play his natural game. In his words, "He's a young All Black learning his craft". Given how important that halfback spot is to the team, I thought he acquitted himself very well. Codie Taylor leads the All Blacks haka in Cordoba. (Source: Photosport) To another position, then. The centre debate does not feel settled, but Billy Proctor seems to me a player worth persisting with. The injury to ALB makes his selection a no-brainer again – or does it? PM: Yes, I am almost certain that Razor will persist with Proctor at centre, and, by extension, Rieko Ioane on the left wing. Neither man played to his full potential at the weekend, mainly for the reasons you expressed, and the injury to Anton Lienert-Brown will be another reason for the selectors to give that combination another try. And, to be fair, I would agree with it. Centre is a difficult position to play at any level and Proctor deserves time to establish himself. 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Again, I believe this team is a split second here and a dodgy line there away from finding that synchronicity they are trying to summon. I like the idea of Sititi returning which will allow Ardie Savea to return to the side of the scrum. That's no slight on Du'Plessis Kirifi, but a Tupou Vaa'i-Sititi-Savea trio feels well balanced. Naturally having another huge front rower – Williams – to call upon is a gift for forwards coach Jason Ryan. Speaking of gifts: One will be handed out after this Test. Codie Taylor will become a 100-Test All Black and receive the silver cap. How would you rate the player and the man, and his impact on and importance to this team? ADVERTISEMENT PM: Excellent point, and it will be Ardie's 99th Test, too. When he finally hangs them up, Taylor will go down as a great All Blacks hooker, a man who kept improving with a work ethic that was second to none, a man proud of his background and who can pull together a damn fine haka. He's a great fella too – for what it's worth and, for many that's worth a lot. I'm not one to judge a man wanting to make an extra buck, but one of my favourite things about Taylor (and Richie McCaw, for that matter) is that the sabbatical he took was a true one – a break from the game – to get his body right and to, in fact, improve it – rather than chase the pound, yen or euro. I'm sure you have thoughts here, and I'll let you have the final word. SS: He's the epitome of leader, isn't he? Listening to his former teammate, Izzy Dagg, talk about him this morning, I could tell he is held in the highest regard by all. One point struck me as spot on: He's got great balance in his life. He is the ultimate professional, sets incredible standards that he is always first to live up to, and is also a brilliant family man and father. There is something very old school about him, something emblematic of a fading nostalgic notion of what an All Black should be. I suspect he will play down the occasion but the men on the field with him will rise to it. And, given that, I fully expect another All Blacks victory, too.
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