Published: 3 hours ago | 26 July 2026 23:51 EDT
mens
international
Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa of Moana Pasifika runs the ball during the round 10 Super Rugby match between NSW Waratahs and Moana Pasifika at Allianz Stadium on April 17, 2026 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images) 
All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie has detailed the shock that newly selected All Black squad member Semisi Tupou Ta’ieloa had when he received a call on Sunday afternoon.
The Moana Pasifika No.8 was one of three new names in the 44-man touring squad for South Africa, with the surprise selection a true bolter earning a spot over other capped loose forwards like Du’Plessis Kirifi.
Tupou Ta’ieloa was a standout for a struggling Moana Pasifika outfit, with his ball carrying and power proving very hard for opposition teams to stop.
Rennie believed that they would get something different out of the 22-year-old Southland product.
“Moose and I split up the 10 phone calls we needed to make. So, yeah, it was cool, very emotional,” he said, “Semisi said he couldn’t stop shaking.”
“He was at his parents’ place up here in Auckland and getting ready to fly back to Dunedin, where his girlfriend is, and then bus to Invercargill. He couldn’t stop shaking.
“So that that would have been pretty awesome getting off the phone of him, going and telling mum and dad.”
Rennie said that his “point of difference” will give the All Blacks something they don’t currently have when it comes to destructive ball carrying.
“We’ve spoken about Semisi just before, but he’s got a genuine point of difference,” Rennie said of the No.8.
“We haven’t got sort of the big, powerful loose forward like him, and yes, he’s really destructive defensively, and he carried Moana on his back a lot this year, so yeah, we think it adds a point of difference as well.”
The No.8 came with an endorsement from captain Ardie Savea, who played with him at Moana Pasifika last year in his first season of Super Rugby.
“I watched less Super Rugby last year, to be fair.
“When I was in Japan and not realizing I was going to be coaching the All Blacks, but I watched a lot this year.
“Ardie speaks really highly of him. So yeah, look, it’s it’s exciting. It’s it’s a really good story, isn’t it? It’s someone who may be playing in a side that’s battling can can stand out the way he did. So, really pleased for him.”