New All Blacks squad member Simon Parker has spoken about how he “zoned out” when head coach Scott Robertson told him the news of his selection, the haka his Northland teammates gave in celebration, and the loose forward enforcer he has modelled his game on.
While four uncapped players were named in Robertson’s wider Rugby Championship squad yesterday, Parker is the only one to feature in the main squad, an indication as to how highly regarded he is by the selectors.
The others, prop Tevita Mafileo, halfback Kyle Preston and utility back Leroy Carter have been named as injury cover and may be used more in a training capacity in the short term, including in Argentina, although Preston is a possibility to play in Cordoba or Buenos Aires due to the injuries to Cam Roigard and Noah Hotham.
Parker, 25, was not named for last month’s three-Test series against France, probably because of an ankle injury suffered in the Chiefs’ qualifier loss to the Blues in June, but he started at No.8 for Northland in their Ranfurly Shield defeat to Taranaki at the weekend and clearly the selectors have seen enough.
It is not difficult to see the appeal. At 1.97m and about 120kg, Parker is a big man and plays like one, with the added advantage of being mobile enough to play in the outside channels.
Robertson has made no secret of wanting big and powerful forwards to combat the giants roaming the fields of South Africa, France, Ireland and England and a peculiarity of his squad is the fact all of those at the front of the queue for the No.6 jersey – Parker, Tupou Vaa’i, Samipeni Finau and to a lesser extent Wallace Sititi and Luke Jacobson – represent the Chiefs.
Robertson will likely see Parker as a medium-to-long-term project who could start to properly deliver during next year’s arduous tour of South Africa ahead of the 2027 World Cup.
Parker’s physical dimensions make him slightly bigger than former All Blacks legend Jerome Kaino, one of the best blindside flankers to represent New Zealand and a man successive head coaches have failed to replace since he stepped down in 2017.
Parker is 1cm taller than Kaino and about 10kg heavier. It is important to remember that the former Blues man was a late developer – more evidence that Parker should be handled carefully and with patience, but Robertson’s comment yesterday that the loose forward is “intimidating” is yet another plus and a nod to Kaino.
“I tried in a way to follow in the footsteps of Jerome Kaino because of the physical presence he was,” Parker told 1News today. “I love the contact side of the game and I just try to get involved as much as I can.”
One of the more memorable moments of Robertson’s squad announcement yesterday was his explaining the conversation with Parker when he broke the news.
Parker told him he didn’t know what to say and so the man known as Razor responded with “don’t worry, I’ll do the talking for you”.
It was an account confirmed today by Parker at Northland’s training base in Whangārei.
Parker said he was in a team review meeting when Robertson rang.
“When I saw I missed his call I started shaking and when I called him I started apologising. He said ‘no, it’s all good news, mate. Congratulations and welcome to the All Blacks’.
“I zoned out for about 10 seconds, to be honest. I went back and said, ‘thanks very much, sorry I haven’t got much to say, I’m a bit overwhelmed’.
He said after calling his wife and parents to tell them the news he was greeted with a haka by his teammates.
“I haven’t had too many haka done for me and so to see that done by many guys who I grew up with was pretty special,” he said.
Parker will travel to Argentina with several other squad members after playing for Northland against Southland in Whangārei on Friday.
The first Test is in Cordoba on August 17 and the second is a week later in Buenos Aires.
“I’m probably the one taking the credit but I couldn’t have done it without my family,” he said. “There is a geographical challenge to playing sport up here. I’m thankful to everyone who has put time into me.
“Sitting on the bank at Okara Park and watching the human highlight reel [and former Northland All Black] Rene Ranger going about his business was pretty cool. Hopefully I can inspire others by showing it can be done.”
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All Blacks squad for Rugby Championship
The squad is as follows: (age, Super Rugby club, province, Test caps)
* denotes new caps
Hookers: Codie Taylor (34, Crusaders / Canterbury, 98), Samisoni Taukei’aho (27, Chiefs / Waikato, 33), Brodie McAlister (28, Chiefs / Canterbury, 1).
Props: Ethan de Groot (27, Highlanders / Southland, 32), Tamaiti Williams (24, Crusaders / Canterbury, 18), Ollie Norris (25, Chiefs / Waikato, 2), Tyrel Lomax (29, Hurricanes / Tasman, 45), Fletcher Newell (25, Crusaders / Canterbury, 25), Pasilio Tosi (27, Hurricanes / Bay of Plenty, 9).
Locks: Scott Barrett (31, Crusaders / Taranaki, 81) (Captain), Patrick Tuipulotu (32, Blues / Auckland, 55), Tupou Vaa’i (25, Chiefs / Taranaki, 40), Fabian Holland (22, Highlanders / Otago, 3).
Loose forwards: Samipeni Finau (26, Chiefs / Waikato, 11), Simon Parker (25, Chiefs / Northland, *), Ardie Savea (31, Moana Pasifika / Wellington, 97) (Vice-Captain), Du’Plessis Kirifi (28, Hurricanes / Wellington, 3), Wallace Sititi (22, Chiefs / North Harbour, 10), Peter Lakai (22, Hurricanes / Wellington, 3), Luke Jacobson (28, Chiefs / Waikato, 24).
Halfbacks: Cortez Ratima (24, Chiefs / Waikato, 14), Cameron Roigard (24, Hurricanes / Counties Manukau, 12), Noah Hotham (22, Crusaders / Tasman, 2).
First-five eighths: Beauden Barrett (34, Blues / Taranaki, 136), Damian McKenzie (30, Chiefs / Waikato, 64).
Midfielders: Anton Lienert-Brown (30, Chiefs / Waikato, 85), Jordie Barrett (28, Hurricanes / Taranaki, 71) (Vice-Captain), Quinn Tupaea (26, Chiefs / Waikato, 16), Billy Proctor (26, Hurricanes / Wellington, 4), Timoci Tavatavanawai (27, Highlanders / Tasman, 2).
Outside backs: Rieko Ioane (28, Blues / Auckland, 83), Caleb Clarke (26, Blues / Auckland, 29), Sevu Reece (28, Crusaders / Southland, 34), Emoni Narawa (26, Chiefs / Bay of Plenty, 3), Will Jordan (27, Crusaders / Tasman, 44), Ruben Love (24, Hurricanes / Wellington, 2).
Injury cover
George Bower (33, Crusaders / Otago, 23) for Tamaiti Williams, Tevita Mafileo (27, Hurricanes / Bay of Plenty, *) for Tyrel Lomax, Josh Lord (24, Chiefs / Taranaki, 7) for Luke Jacobson, Finlay Christie (29, Blues / Tasman, 23) for Cameron Roigard/Noah Hotham, Kyle Preston (25, Crusaders / Wellington, *) for Cameron Roigard/Noah Hotham, Leroy Carter (26, Chiefs / Bay of Plenty, *) for Caleb Clarke.
Unavailable due to injury: Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Asafo Aumua, Stephen Perofeta.