{"id":642603,"date":"2026-10-27T08:04:11","date_gmt":"2026-10-27T08:04:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/642603\/"},"modified":"2026-10-27T08:04:11","modified_gmt":"2026-10-27T08:04:11","slug":"all-blacks-leicester-faingaanuku-selection-in-loose-forwards-brings-intriguing-flexibility-for-end-of-year-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/642603\/","title":{"rendered":"All Blacks: Leicester Fainga\u2019anuku selection in loose forwards brings intriguing flexibility for end of year tour"},"content":{"rendered":"

Injuries have disrupted Fainga\u2019anuku\u2019s season,<\/a> but selection in the Northern Tour squad perhaps sheds some light on how the All Blacks plan to use the versatile figure.<\/p>\n

\"LeicesterLeicester Fainga\u2019anuku last played for the All Blacks against Wales on the 2025 end of year tour. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n

While covering several spots in the line-up is an asset for the side to be able to call upon should they find themselves in a position where they need to pivot, Fainga\u2019anuku seems likely destined for a specialist role on the bench. That sort of role will allow the All Blacks to explore a 6-2 split with Fainga\u2019anuku as cover for both the loose forwards and the backs, with Rennie confirming he sees the Crusaders utility man as a pure hybrid player.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe would have been keen for Leicester to go to Africa, which gives you real flexibility on the bench,\u201d Rennie said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just throwing someone in, he\u2019s shown at Super level that he can do the job really well and the challenge for him was often getting your head around all the detail and maybe seven is not quite as challenging because the lineout options and other things are simpler.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt gives you massive flexibility, you can name a 5-3 bench but it\u2019s generally a 6-2 and he can definitely make [an] impact in all of those spots.\u201d<\/p>\n

But while many expected Fainga\u2019anuku to earn his place back in the All Blacks squad at some point, a return for Lio-Willie was perhaps less predictable.<\/p>\n

Lio-Willie, who has made the odd appearance on the blindside but has operated almost exclusively as a No 8 through his professional career, made three starts in 2025 but has not featured in an All Blacks squad this year.<\/p>\n

\"ChristianChristian Lio-Willie last play for the All Blacks on the 2025 Northern Tour. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n

The 28-year-old was favoured for a recall over the likes of Semisi Ta\u2019eiloa and Du\u2019Plessis Kirifi, with Ta\u2019eiloa earning selection for the tour of South Africa and Kirifi called in as an injury replacement for the second Bledisloe Cup test.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe had a really good Super season as well. We had him in a non-finalist camp and there was serious discussions about taking him to Africa but we decided that we had others who we thought might provide a bit more of a point of difference,\u201d Rennie said of Lio-Willie.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut again, he\u2019s had an excellent NPC, he\u2019s really tough, he\u2019s got a big engine, got a really high skill set and suits the type of game that we\u2019re trying to play. So yeah, really excited for him. He\u2019s performed well after the disappointment of missing out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like the loose forwards, there was some surprise in the locking selections with Jamie Hannah included as the fifth option over Sam Darry and Patrick Tuipulotu.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not a shocking selection by any means. The All Blacks have indicated all year that they have liked what they\u2019ve seen from the Canterbury lock. While this is the first time the 23-year-old has been included in an All Blacks squad proper after thrice being called in as an injury replacement.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s unlucky because he\u2019s played a lot of good footy for us and that was a message to him. We\u2019ve just got amazing depth in that position all of a sudden,\u201d Rennie said of Darry missing out.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously with Scooter [Scott Barrett] coming back and then the quality of the other locks that we\u2019ve got there, we really like Jamie, good athlete, really good lineout forward, runs the lineout well but he\u2019s got a bit of a dark side around carry, clean, tackle.<\/p>\n

\"AllAll Blacks lock Jamie Hannah has been an injury replacement three times this season. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n

\u201cSo yeah, look, it\u2019s tough on Sam. It\u2019d be probably the most competitive spot in our side and he\u2019s really unlucky to miss out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tuipulotu missed the Bledisloe Cup series due to injury and although he was back running he was yet to do any contact work. Rennie said while the 33-year-old was technically available, they decided Hannah was the right option for this tour.<\/p>\n

Rennie has already used more than 50 players across tests and tour games in South Africa, with Lio-Willie set to add to that count should he get a run. <\/p>\n

It was always likely to be a big number with a 44-man squad selected for the South African tour, however injuries have opened the door for more players to enter the test arena and try to work their way into the thinking of more permanent selections with the World Cup looming on the horizon.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s one thing that did excite me about the role was the chance to go to Africa and have a captured audience for seven weeks and learn a lot about the boys,\u201d Rennie said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re in a good spot in regard to understanding all the layers within the players across the country and you look at NPC has been a brilliant competition and there\u2019s more players surfacing there so it\u2019s not like the group that\u2019s going to the UK is guaranteed to go to a World Cup.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we take 33 maybe to a World Cup. We would have used 50-odd players at this stage so there\u2019ll be good players missing out.\u201d<\/p>\n

All Blacks 36-man squad for Northern Tour<\/p>\n

Hookers: Codie Taylor (c), Asafo Aumua, George Bell<\/p>\n

Loosehead props: Ethan de Groot, George Bower, Xavier Numia.<\/p>\n

Tighthead props: Fletcher Newell, Pasilio Tosi, Saula Ma\u2019u (new test cap).<\/p>\n

Locks: Scott Barrett, Josh Lord, Fabian Holland, Jamie Hannah, Tupou Vaa\u2019i.<\/p>\n

Loose forwards: Anton Segner, Leicester Fainga\u2019anuku, Ethan Blackadder, Christian Lio-Willie, Peter Lakai, Wallace Sititi.<\/p>\n

Halfbacks: Cam Roigard, Kyle Preston, Cortez Ratima.<\/p>\n

First five-eighths: Richie Mo\u2019unga, Damian McKenzie, Josh Jacomb (new test cap).<\/p>\n

Midfielders: Jordie Barrett, Quinn Tupaea, Timoci Tavatavanawai, Anton Lienert-Brown.<\/p>\n

Outside backs: Rieko Ioane, Chay Fihaki, Fehi Fineanganofo, Josh Moorby, Will Jordan, Beauden Barrett.<\/p>\n

Unavailable: Samisoni Taukei\u2019aho (calf), Shannon Frizell (knee), Tyrel Lomax (neck), Leroy Carter (ankle), Ruben Love (ankle), Ardie Savea (shoulder), Luke Jacobson (elbow), Caleb Clarke (shoulder), Ollie Norris (knee), Simon Parker (personal reasons).<\/p>\n

Christopher Reive<\/a> joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Injuries have disrupted Fainga\u2019anuku\u2019s season, but selection in the Northern Tour squad perhaps sheds some light on how…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":642604,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[5263,8136,1038,315139,8127,2550,243437,9479,2082,217468,42,78,296,212454,53436,114231,12235,43,1118,117812,17879,242535,119415,1557,23741,1361,165,40,38,41,39,208,379],"class_list":["post-642603","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-all","tag-blacks","tag-brings","tag-curveballs","tag-end","tag-even","tag-faingaanuku","tag-flexibility","tag-for","tag-forwards","tag-headlines","tag-in","tag-into","tag-intriguing","tag-leicester","tag-loose","tag-mixed","tag-news","tag-of","tag-promised","tag-selection","tag-selections","tag-selectors","tag-squad","tag-surprises","tag-that","tag-their","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories","tag-tour","tag-year"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/642603","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=642603"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/642603\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/642604"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=642603"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=642603"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=642603"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}