signalled that Savea would not play<\/a> the early matches but the extent of that plan to freshen up a player who has had an enormous recent workload in New Zealand and Japan was not known until now.<\/p>\n\u201cArdie\u2019s been training and playing since January 2025\u2026 we need to find a window where we can freshen him up,\u201d Rennie said. \u201cThis seemed the obvious time. It was a pretty simple decision.<\/p>\n
![\"Ardie](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ardie-savea-celebrates-the-all-blacks-victory-over-ireland-a-QJVS2Q3F75HGNBTMICOQPTLTM4.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Ardie Savea celebrates the All Blacks’ recent victory over Ireland at Eden Park. (Source: Photosport)<\/p>\n
\u201cArdie would plug on but I think it comes to a head at some stage. It\u2019s such a big series \u2013 freshening him up before those four Tests is essential. What we could have done is leave him out of the last three and freshen him up that way but it was important to us and him that he play. We think this is a good compromise.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hooker Codie Taylor will be the tour captain but will not play the first two matches due to a calf niggle, Rennie said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has a huge amount of respect within this group,\u201d Rennie said of Taylor.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think a tour captain will help deal with a hell of a lot of media and scrutiny while we\u2019re over there. It\u2019s not just the 80 minutes on game day.\u201d<\/p>\n
All of those in South Africa will get game time over the first three matches against the Stormers, Sharks and Bulls. The All Blacks play the Lions midweek after the first Test in Johannesburg.<\/p>\n
For the new players, the experience would be \u201cmassive\u201d, Rennie said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will be a bit of a shock. We know the attention over there, the crowds, the altitude will be a new experience for some of the guys. It\u2019s pretty exciting, eh?”<\/p>\n
As for predictions for one of the toughest trips in world rugby, Rennie, true to form, preferred to take it week by week.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to win and we want to win each week. We\u2019re playing the best team in the world. It couldn\u2019t come at a better time for us. We\u2019ve had a month together, I think we\u2019ve made good shifts. I think we have an understanding of our DNA and the game we want to play. <\/p>\n
“We just need to get better and now we\u2019re going to be tested by a phenomenal side on their home pitch.\u201d<\/p>\n
All Blacks squad<\/p>\n
(age, Super Rugby Club, province, Test caps):<\/p>\n
* denotes new cap<\/p>\n
Forwards (25)<\/p>\n
Hookers: Asafo Aumua (29 \/ Hurricanes \/ Wellington \/ 22), Codie Taylor (35 \/ Crusaders \/ Canterbury \/ 109), Samisoni Taukei\u2019aho (28 \/ Chiefs \/ Waikato \/ 44), George Bell (24 \/ Crusaders \/ Canterbury \/ 4)<\/p>\n
Props: Ethan De Groot (27 \/ Highlanders \/ Southland \/ 43), George Bower (34 \/ Crusaders \/ Otago \/ 26), Xavier Numia (27 \/ Hurricanes \/ Wellington \/ 2), Ollie Norris (26 \/ Chiefs \/ Waikato \/ 3), Tyrel Lomax (30 \/ Hurricanes \/ Tasman \/ 51), Fletcher Newell (26 \/ Crusaders \/ Canterbury \/ 37), Pasilio Tosi (27 \/ Hurricanes \/ Bay of Plenty \/ 17), Siale Lauaki * (23 \/ Hurricanes \/ Wellington \/ 0)<\/p>\n
Locks: Tupou Vaa\u2019i (26 \/ Chiefs \/ Taranaki \/ 47), Patrick Tuipulotu (33 \/ Blues \/ Auckland \/ 57), Josh Lord (25 \/ Chiefs \/ Taranaki \/ 15), Sam Darry (26 \/ Blues \/ Canterbury \/ 10), Fabian Holland (23 \/ Highlanders \/ Otago \/ 12)<\/p>\n
Loose Forwards: Peter Lakai (23 \/ Hurricanes \/ Wellington \/ 10), Simon Parker (26 \/ Chiefs \/ Northland \/ 8), Ethan Blackadder (31 \/ Crusaders \/ Tasman \/ 14), Luke Jacobson (29 \/ Chiefs \/ Waikato \/ 27), Anton Segner (25 \/ Blues \/ Auckland \/ 2), Ardie Savea (32 \/ Moana Pasifika \/ Wellington \/ 109) (Captain), Wallace Sititi (23 \/ Chiefs \/ North Harbour \/ 21), Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa * (22 \/ Moana Pasifika \/ Southland \/ 0)<\/p>\n
Backs (19)<\/p>\n
Halfbacks: Cameron Roigard (25 \/ Hurricanes \/ Counties Manukau \/ 20), Cortez Ratima (25 \/ Chiefs \/ Waikato \/ 24), Kyle Preston (26 \/ Crusaders \/ Wellington \/ 1)<\/p>\n
First Five-Eighths: Ruben Love (25 \/ Hurricanes \/ Wellington \/ 8), Beauden Barrett (35 \/ Blues \/ Taranaki \/ 144), Damian McKenzie (31 \/ Chiefs \/ Waikato \/ 77), Josh Jacomb * (25 \/ Chiefs \/ Taranaki \/ 0)<\/p>\n
Midfielders: Jordie Barrett (29 \/ Hurricanes \/ Taranaki \/ 81), Quinn Tupaea (27 \/ Chiefs \/ Waikato \/ 26), Billy Proctor (27 \/ Hurricanes \/ Wellington \/ 13), Anton Lienert-Brown (31 \/ Chiefs \/ Waikato \/ 90), Timoci Tavatavanawai (28 \/ Highlanders \/ Tasman \/ 2)<\/p>\n
Outside Backs: Caleb Clarke (27 \/ Blues \/ Auckland \/ 35), Fehi Fineanganofo (23 \/ Hurricanes \/ Bay of Plenty \/ 1), Leroy Carter (27 \/ Chiefs \/ Bay of Plenty \/ 7), Josh Moorby (28 \/ Hurricanes \/ Waikato \/ 2), Will Jordan (28 \/ Crusaders \/ Tasman \/ 57), Rieko Ioane (29 \/ Blues \/ Auckland \/ 88), Emoni Narawa (27 \/ Chiefs \/ Bay of Plenty \/ 4)<\/p>\n
Unavailable due to injury: Tamaiti Williams, Scott Barrett and Leicester Fainga\u2019anuku.<\/p>\n
The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including a man\u2019s arrested for allegedly spying for New Zealand, and when to expect a fresh cold snap. (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n
Rugby\u2019s Greatest Rivalry Fixtures<\/p>\n
(all times NZT)<\/p>\n
Saturday 8 August, 5:00am: All Blacks v Stormers, DHL Stadium, Cape Town<\/p>\n
Wednesday 12 August, 5:00am: All Blacks v Sharks, Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban<\/p>\n
Sunday 16 August, 5:00am: All Blacks v Bulls, Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria<\/p>\n
Sunday 23 August, 3:00am: All Blacks v Springboks, Ellis Park, Johannesburg (first Test)<\/p>\n
Wednesday 26 August, 5:00am: All Blacks v Lions, Ellis Park, Johannesburg<\/p>\n
Sunday 30 August, 3:00am: All Blacks v Springboks, DHL Stadium, Cape Town (second Test)<\/p>\n
Sunday 6 September, 3:00am: All Blacks v Springboks, FNB Stadium, Johannesburg (third Test)<\/p>\n
Sunday 13 September, 3:05am: All Blacks v Springboks, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore (fourth Test).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"An All Blacks announcement which featured good and unexpected news for new boys Semisi Tupou Ta\u2019eiloa, Siale Lauaki…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":547156,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[789,111,139,69,213],"class_list":["post-547155","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-all-blacks","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/547155","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=547155"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/547155\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/547156"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=547155"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=547155"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=547155"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"Beauden](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/beauden-barrett-congratulates-quinn-tupaea-after-the-all-bla-FOMW6KLYCNEUBIVZBK6KTVEVWM.jpg\")
<\/p>\n