Commentator ‘not hugely surprised’ by Finlay Christie’s All Blacks omission

Sky Sport commentator Tony Johnson wasn’t “hugely surprised” to see Finlay Christie omitted from the All Blacks’ initial squad for The Rugby Championship, with coach Scott Robertson going in another direction with a new-look trio.

TJ Perenara and Cortez Ratima have both retained their spots after being named in the All Blacks’ first squad of the year on June 24. Christie was the other halfback picked before those July Tests but it’s a different story this time around.

Coach Robertson and the All Blacks selectors have given Noah Hotham the nod in the 36-man squad. Hotham, 21, showed signs of promise after coming off the bench to debut at Test level in New Zealand’s comprehensive 47-5 win over Fiji in San Diego.

Those three No.9’s could potentially line up alongside either Damian McKenzie or Beauden Barrett in the halves, while Will Jordan, Stephen Perofeta and potential debutant Ruben Love can provide another playmaking option out the back.

While those outside of the All Blacks’ inner sanctum are going to have their own opinions about the squad and the direction selectors maybe should’ve gone in, Tony Johnson wasn’t caught off guard by the decision to leave Christie out.

“Not hugely surprised,” the well-known commentator said on SENZ's Afternoons with Staffy.

“He’s a good player. I just think… they’re looking for a different kind of element in their halfbacks now and that’s what Noah Hotham brings.

“No great surprises. It’s a squad of 36. It’s funny, they’re just marking the anniversary of the ‘Invincible All Blacks’ that went to Britain and were away for about five or six months. It was a three-month tour with midweek games and I think they had 26 players.

“Now we’ve got 36 for what, half a dozen games? It’s a big squad.”

There’s genuine depth in New Zealand rugby at the halfback position. Christie came off the bench in last year’s defeat in the Rugby World Cup final and went on to start in the No. 9 jumper against England at Eden Park last month.

Cam Roigard is another strong candidate not just to make the squad but to start as well, but the Hurricanes scrumhalf continues to chip away on his rehab after suffering a devastating injury during Super Rugby Pacific. Then there’s Folau Fakatava who is another candidate.

But the decision to go with Perenara, Ratima and Hotham is a popular choice amongst fans. Ratima and Hotham enjoyed breakout seasons with their respective Super Rugby franchises this year, and Perenara is an 81-Test veteran with plenty still to give.

Perenara worked hard to get back onto the field after rupturing his Achilles during a dramatic draw with England at Twickenham in November 2022. After more than 450 days, he returned for a Hurricanes pre-season game and went on to perform well in 2024.

But Perenara’s career in the black jersey might be coming to an end, according to a report from The New Zealand Herald. The All Blacks veteran is apparently set to join the Black Rams Tokyo in Japan Rugby League One at the end of the year.

“I think there’s a bit of a changing of the guard. I think it’s been probably quite important to have him around this year because, obviously, with Aaron Smith moving on, you’ve got a clutch of young guys,” Johnson explained.

“One of them, Cam Roigard, who was probably earmarked to be the number one, getting that injury and so a bit of experience in the mix (from Perenara). He’s the sort of guy that will pass on all the benefits of a long career to those around him, he’s not a selfish player.

“He’s done his bit.

“It looks to me like they’re looking for a new kind of halfback in the All Blacks. Obviously, Roigard, what he brings which is a lot… Noah Hotham, that’s significant because there are still areas of his game that he’s refining. What (Hotham) is, is a dangerous, strong runner – quite a big fell for a halfback.

“I think they’re looking at changing the role a bit and he deserves to go off now and make whatever hay he can in the twilight of his career.”