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NAMED: All Black squad for The Rugby Championship
By RugbyPass
All Black coach Steve Hansen has announced a 34-man squad to contest this year's Rugby Championship. There are no new caps in the squad, and Damian McKenzie has tentatively been bracketed to take Ben Smith's place when the Highlanders captain takes a break after the first two Bledisloe Cup tests.
Hurricanes winger Julian Savea is a notable omission, he finds himself stranded four short of the All Blacks' try scoring record with 46.
The All Blacks kick off their campaign against the Wallabies on August 19th in Sydney.
FORWARDS
Hookers
Dane Coles (Wellington/Hurricanes, 49 tests)
Nathan Harris (Bay of Plenty/Chiefs 8)
Codie Taylor (Canterbury/Crusaders, 19)
Props
Wyatt Crockett (Canterbury/Crusaders, 62)
Owen Franks (Canterbury/Crusaders, 94)
Nepo Laulala (Counties Manukau/Chiefs, 4)
Joe Moody (Canterbury/Crusaders, 28)
Ofa Tu'ungafasi (Auckland/Blues, 4)
Locks
Scott Barrett (Taranaki/Crusaders)
Brodie Retallick (Hawke's Bay/Chiefs, 64)
Luke Romano (Canterbury/Crusaders, 26)
Samuel Whitelock (Canterbury/Crusaders, 88)
Loose forwards
Sam Cane (Bay of Plenty/Chiefs, 44)
Vaea Fifita (Wellington/Hurricanes, 1)
Jerome Kaino (Auckland/Blues, 74)
Kieran Read, captain (Counties Manukau/ Crusaders, 100)
Ardie Savea (Wellington/Hurricanes, 16)
Liam Squire (Tasman/Highlanders 8)
BACKS
Halfbacks
Tawera Kerr-Barlow (Waikato/Chiefs, 25)
TJ Perenara (Wellington/Hurricanes, 33)
Aaron Smith (Manawatu/Highlanders, 62)
First five-eighths
Beauden Barrett (Taranaki/Hurricanes, 53)
Lima Sopoaga (Southland/Highlanders, 7)
Midfielders
Ryan Crotty (Canterbury/Crusaders, 27)
Ngani Laumape (Manawatu/Hurricanes, 2)
Anton Lienert-Brown (Waikato/Chiefs, 13)
Sonny Bill Williams (Counties Manukau/Blues, 36)
Outside backs
Jordie Barrett (Taranaki/Hurricanes, 2)
Israel Dagg (Hawke's Bay/Crusaders, 65)
Rieko Ioane (Auckland/Blues, 4)
Nehe Milner-Skudder (Manawatu/Hurricanes 8)
Waisake Naholo (Taranaki/Highlanders, 13)
Ben Smith (Otago/Highlanders, 62)
Utility back / Replacement
Damian McKenzie (Waikato/Chiefs, 2)
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Latest Comments
That’s what they said about the all blacks when they were at #1.
No matter who the top dog is, there will always be a theory about how they are treated special by referees.
Go to commentsI can't look at the pointless jinking and oofing into waiting arms and hair flipping and looking at the giant screen and hitching up of the short shorts. God...
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