\u201cAnother conversation, not just among the selectors but among the coaches and yeah, look, he\u2019s got a lot of support within the group,\u201d Rennie said of Narawa.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe ended up deciding to take Chay. We like what we\u2019ve seen in him, him spending another four or five weeks in the group will give us a better understanding of where he\u2019s at and what he\u2019s got to get to. But he\u2019s had an excellent Super season, he\u2019s played really well for Canterbury, obviously got a cameo off the bench last week [they played].<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s tough on Emoni, he\u2019s a good player but he\u2019s got pretty clear messages around the couple of shifts that we want to see and you know, he\u2019d be next cab off the rank if we got an injury.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fihaki also got the nod ahead of Tasman\u2019s Kyren Taumoefolau, who is now eligible for All Blacks selection after last playing for Tonga in 2023.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe came up in discussions,\u201d Rennie admitted of Taumoefolau.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously scored a lot of tries, had a good Super season as well. I think he\u2019s got a few areas to focus on, especially defensively. So his job will be to have a really big Super season next year, like a lot of other guys, to apply a bit of pressure. We\u2019ve got some pretty good outside backs at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n
The group head to the UK on Thursday, meeting Scotland on November 8, Wales on November 15 and England on November 22, before the Nations Championship finals in London<\/a> across the weekend of November 28-30.<\/p>\n The make-up of the match-day squad for the first test against Scotland could again see Damian McKenzie named at first five-eighths<\/a>, with Richie Mo\u2019unga already ruled out of contention for that test as he works back from a calf injury.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a good chance for Wales and so we made a decision that [it\u2019s] better to bring him in,\u201d Rennie said.<\/p>\n