Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

'100 cap All Black': Leading midfield candidates putting pressure on Razor

(Photo by Dave Rowland/Getty Images and Rowland/Getty Images)

Three weeks into Super Rugby Pacific and the race for the All Blacks midfield is heating up with new contenders pushing into contention based on form.

ADVERTISEMENT

In Scott Robertson’s first year in charge of the All Blacks he kept the Jordie Barrett-Rieko Ioane combination in tact, a relic of the Ian Foster era after both players made positional switches to make it work.

Despite pressure from Hurricanes centre Billy Proctor after his standout debut against Fiji in San Diego, Razor resisted change in 2024 sticking with the tried and true.

Video Spacer
Video Spacer

But now change looks more likely than ever with second five-eighth Jordie Barrett on sabbatical with Leinster missing the Super Rugby season, two standouts have emerged.

Chiefs centre Quinn Tupaea has hit the ground running in 2025, scoring a double against the Crusaders last week in his 50th Super cap, while again terrorising the Brumbies in his first start of the season.

Tupaea scored one for himself after breaking the line and chipping the fullback, running down the ball just before the dead ball line. Off another set-piece scrum, he produced a beauty of a long pass while falling to the ground to set up another Chiefs try.

Fans are calling for an All Black recall for Tupaea who is in ‘the form of his life’ and looking like a ‘100 cap All Black’.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

The other contender is Highlanders dynamic wrecking ball Timoci Tavatavanawai, who former All Black Justin Marshall described as ‘Ma’a Nonu on steroids’.

Tavatavanawai began his Super career on the wing, much like Nonu, topping the charts in defenders beaten when he played for Moana Pasifika.

The Highlanders made the masterstroke decision to move him into No.12 this season which paid dividends with a huge upset over the Blues on the back of a magnificent performance from the co-captain.

He pulled in three turnovers as his immense strength over the ball was on display, offering a point of difference for the selectors to consider.

Some fans are even calling on Razor to release the ‘TNT’ midfield, Tupaea and Tavatavanawai as the All Blacks midfield pairing.

Download the RugbyPass app now!

News, stats, live rugby and more! Download the new RugbyPass app on the App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android) now!

ADVERTISEMENT

Kubota Spears vs Tokyo Sungoliath | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Quarter Final Replay

Australia vs USA | Pacific Four Series 2025 | Full Match Replay

New Zealand vs Canada | Pacific Four Series 2025 | Full Match Replay

South Africa vs New Zealand | The Rugby Championship U20's | Full Match Replay

Argentina vs Australia | The Rugby Championship U20's | Full Match Replay

The Game that Made Jonah Lomu

The gruelling reality behind one of the fastest sports in the world | The Report

Boks Office | Episode 40 | The Steven Kitshoff Special

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

45 Comments
D
DC 77 days ago

people forget quinn was injured by darcy swain and it wass his injury that made jordie a number 12 for the allblacks rather than a 11 14 or 15 i would prefer the havili at manapacifica over the one at the crusaders at the moment proter isnt playing and sure brown is playing well havent seen much of mcloud at the crusaders umunga jenson is playing quite well also

J
JW 78 days ago

My midfield rundown from another post

impossible amount of midfield combos the ABs could have, Lam at the Blues has been used in both positions with great success, SR and NZ, last year. Tupaea is on fire at the Chiefs with ALB, Poihipi is perhaps the smartest and most skillful 12 in the country last year, Rona his partner has all the nouse of a center in the mold of Conrad, Higgins might still come back and light up the comp with his audacity, along with Proctors athletic ability, and in the Sth Isl Dallas should overtake Havili and hopefully Ennor’s class will return to pressure Aumua, but the biggest wildcards are Timoci and Tele’a with the Landers. You also still have the Umaga-Jensen boys with a lot of class and potential to click, the two Sullivan boys getting opportunities, the next group of age grade reps, and ofcourse, the two incumbents to consider somewhere.

My money is on an ALB and Rieko midfield for France, with the Difference on the bench.

J
JH 78 days ago

If last year’s selection conservatism (bar an injury occurring) is anything to go by, then neither will make the squad, or they won’t see any real game time if they do.


Rieko should be dropped altogether, and Jordie would be an ideal 23 with the positions he covers. The Jordie-Rieko axis just does not work.

J
JW 78 days ago

You would have to think Jordie would be the one getting dropped. Hard to see him allowed to continue straight on into the ABs after such a long year on the other side of the world. They need a team firing for France.

m
ma 78 days ago

Havili isn’t a center . He still trying to find he’s place. He hasn’t put on any good performance just too many errors.

S
SC 78 days ago

Havili is a fantastic Super Rugby player. He has been a starter on 7 championship teams starting at fullback and then 12.


Havili is not a test player but don’t confuse him for not being a great Super Rugby player.

B
BH 78 days ago

AB’s midfield choices based on form so far this year in no particular order:


Jordie

Tavatavanawai

Tupaea

ALB


Rieko should be gone and unfortunately Proctor is injured long term.

S
SC 78 days ago

Leicester Fainga’anuka will be back for July test series vs France.

S
SC 78 days ago

Drop ALB and Havili. Would select Proctor way before selecting ALB.

B
Blackmania 78 days ago

TT played at 13 with Tasman. He has enough speed and good hands to play in this position. Moreover, he is an excellent defender. A 12 can play 13.

Jordie/Rieko clearly didn’t work well last season.

There wasn’t a strong enough anchor at first receiver, and the distribution, especially from Rieko, was honestly poor. Balls were pushed to the wings too quickly without creating space…

Razor needs to open his eyes to his midfield, which could be much better, really much better… We talk a lot about Tavatavanawai and Tupaea, rightly so. He would bring a much higher dimension on both sides of the ball than the current two centers. And let’s not forget Fainga’anuku, who is coming back from France and is performing excellently at the second center position.

This All Blacks team, if properly assembled, could be lethal. It’s up to Razor to make the right choices.

J
JW 78 days ago

TT played at 13 with Tasman. He has enough speed and good hands to play in this position.

I prefer him closer where he gets more touches, he’s just a guy you want as close to the ball as possible.

S
SC 79 days ago

Tavatavanawhai, Tupaea, AJ Lam, and Peter Umaga-Jensen are big physical 12s all playing very well so far but no standout 13s yet where All Blacks MUST replace Ioane who still cannot distribute under pressure after five full seasons of specializing at 13.


And I am not a Reiko hater. I thought he was going to crush the All Black try scoring record and become its greatest winger ever back in 2019. Then foolishly he was moved to 13 despite no loss of speed at all and has become an average 13.

J
JW 78 days ago

It’s Rieko.

I
IS 78 days ago

Alb literally is a stand out 13 so don't know what you talking about was a standout 13 for the abs too tbh I think the all blacks just need a full chiefs backline with maybe will Jordan in there

S
SC 79 days ago

Lots of players looking good at 12 so far for NZ Super Rugby franchises but in my opinion it is 13 which the All Blacks desperately need new specialists to emerge and replace Ioane and put pressure on Proctor who looked great vs Fiji and a defensive liability vs Japan.

J
JWH 78 days ago

TT can play 13

S
SC 79 days ago

Two things:


1. It’s Week 3, lol. Super Rugby players should be evaluated when the pressure is on in May and June, not February.


2. I like both players a lot but they are both 12s, not 13s. And it’s simply not the same position- Nonu was a terrible 13 and Conrad Smith could never have played 12. ALB is a good test 12 but useless at 13. Tupaea and Timoci are both 12s and should be selected to play 12 or not selected at all. We also need two specialist 13s to emerge to replace Ioane and Proctor (who could not defend to save his life vs Japan)

J
JW 78 days ago

Lam with his pace and previous experience their played we at 13 last year too. Unfortunately Rona, who is Conrad esque, has been injured. Tele’a is looking very solid but is probably not the right partner for Tupaea or Lam. One who you knew know might have still be able to improve his game despite being constantly injured is Ennor, who could work like a better version of Rieko on attack but which you a going to trade for defesively.

C
Cantab 79 days ago

There are several extremely promising players coming through. Exciting to imagine a backline where every player contributes and there is also depth in every position.

Y
YBGUR 79 days ago

Neither plays for Canterbury, unlike David Havili. (ALB also).

S
SC 79 days ago

What is your point? Do you have one? Or are you just bitter at the Crusaders succcess?


ALB has played his whole career for Chiefs and Waikato, not Canterbury. Like Havili, ALB is a great Super Rugby player and below standard test player- both get selected for ABs as backups because of their ability to play multiple positions. Neither are good enough to be test starters against tier 1 teams. Both need to be dropped for younger, bigger, more physical midfielders in 2025.

A
Another 79 days ago

It isn’t quite yet the business end of the Super season, when we tend to find out more about leading candidates for higher honours, but the AB selectors absolutely ought to be paying attention to form.


The midfield has been an area with some contention over the last year or so. Seeing players like Tavatavanawhai, Tupaea (and ALB too!) make statement performances are just that.

Load More Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

S
Solenn Bonnet 7 days ago
Leinster cleanse palette with record URC scoreline against Zebre

My name is Solenn Bonnet, and I am a single mother navigating the challenges of raising my two-year-old child while trying to make ends meet. I came across a trading platform that promised astonishing daily profits of 18%. The allure of such a high return on investment was too tempting to resist, and I found myself drawn into cryptocurrency trading. Excited by the prospect of financial freedom, I invested a significant amount of my savings, totaling over 5.7 BTC. However, what started as a hopeful venture quickly turned into a nightmare. The platform was a scam, and I lost everything I had invested. The emotional toll of this loss was immense; I felt devastated and helpless, struggling to provide for my child and keep up with my bills. In my desperate attempt to recover my funds, I sought help from various recovery experts. Unfortunately, I encountered numerous fraudulent individuals who claimed they could help me retrieve my lost money. Each time I reached out, I was met with disappointment and further scams, which only deepened my despair. Last year was one of the most challenging periods of my life, filled with anxiety and uncertainty about my financial future. Feeling overwhelmed and at a loss, I confided in a close friend from church about my situation. She listened compassionately and shared her own experiences with financial difficulties. Understanding my plight, she introduced me to Tech Cyber Force Recovery, a group of skilled hackers known for their expertise in recovering lost funds. Skeptical yet hopeful, I decided to reach out to them as a last resort. Their services came at a higher cost, but my friend generously offered to help me with a partial payment. I was amazed by how quickly they responded and began the recovery process. Their team was professional, efficient, and incredibly supportive throughout the entire ordeal. To my relief, they successfully recovered more than I had lost to those heartless scammers. This was truly transformative, and I felt a sense of relief and gratitude that I hadn’t felt in a long time. I strongly encourage anyone who has faced similar challenges or fallen victim to scams to reach out to Tech Cyber Force Recovery. If you’ve invested in a fraudulent platform like I did, they are highly capable of helping you reclaim your hard-earned money. Don’t lose hope; there is a way to recover what you’ve lost.

CONSULT TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY

EMAIL.. support@techyforcecyberretrieval.com

WhatsApp.. +15617263697

website.. https://techyforcecyberretrieval.com

Telegram.. +15617263697

0 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Bordeaux’s thrilling pretenders and salary cap changes threaten Toulouse supremacy Bordeaux’s thrilling pretenders and salary cap changes threaten Toulouse supremacy
Search