The winners and losers of Ian Foster's first All Blacks squad of 2021

The first All Blacks squad of the year has been named for next month's test series against Tonga and Fiji, and there is no shortage of talking points about the side.

With head coach Ian Foster under pressure to bounce back from an underwhelming campaign last year, he has opted to bring in five uncapped players, including four newbies.

He has also recalled a few players who have missed out in recent seasons, dropped numerous others were involved last year and overlooked some who many pundits projected to make the cut.

With all that in mind, here are the winners and losers of Foster's first All Blacks squad of 2021.

Winners

Ethan Blackadder

Emulating his father and former All Blacks captain Todd, Ethan Blackadder has been named in the national squad for the first time on the back of a standout season for the Crusaders.

An uncompromising loose forward who was at the forefront of everything for Scott Robertson's men this year, All Blacks selection is deserved reward for the 26-year-old, who could well get a fair bit of game time against Tonga and Fiji next month.

Mostly used at blindside flanker by the Crusaders, expect Blackadder to got head-to-head with Shannon Frizell for a place in the starting lineup.

Finlay Christie

He's been on the Kiwi Super Rugby scene for quite some time now, but it wasn't until last year's edition of Super Rugby Aotearoa that Finlay Christie really burst into life.

Restricted mostly to cameo appearances for the Chiefs and Hurricanes between 2017 and 2019, the Scottish-born halfback moved to the Blues last year and hasn't looked back after producing quality performance after quality performance.

From a gymnastics background, Christie has undoubtedly benefitted from the contractual technicality that has made TJ Perenara ineligible for this squad, but his efforts to outshine his competitors for the third halfback spot must be congratulated.

Quinn Tupaea

Arguably the biggest bolter of this squad, Quinn Tupaea is in line for an All Blacks debut at the age of just 22.

Not many would have foreseen this selection, but injuries to Anton Lienert-Brown and Jack Goodhue, as well as the departure of Ngani Laumape, has allowed Tupaea to force his way into the squad as a damaging ball-carrying midfielder.

Some may say he is too raw of a prospect to be playing test rugby at this stage of his career, but it could also do a world of good for his development as he looks to realise the potential everyone first saw during his 1st XV days at Hamilton Boys' High School.

Peter Umaga-Jensen

Called into the All Blacks as injury cover last year, Peter Umaga-Jensen went on to win his first test cap off the bench in the second Bledisloe Cup test against the Wallabies in Auckland last year.

His first showing in international rugby was considered by many to be good reward for the outstanding rugby he had played for the Hurricanes in that year's Super Rugby Aotearoa, but the 23-year-old hasn't reproduced such form this season.

Struggling for minutes in Wellington, Umaga-Jensen often found himself playing second-fiddle to Billy Proctor, which has led to him dropping out of the All Blacks squad, for the time being at least.

Quinten Strange

It's hard not to feel sorry for Quinten Strange given injury denied him a test debut shortly after he was named in the All Blacks squad for the first time in his career.

Instead, Dunshea was taken to Australia for the Tri Nations series, and while he didn't win a test cap either, it must have felt like a missed opportunity for Strange to prove his worth to the national selectors.

The 24-year-old's misfortune continued into this season as Whitelock, Barrett and Dunshea were commonly used in the Crusaders' match day squad, leaving Strange plenty of work to do to climb the ranks again while with Tasman in the NPC.

Leicester Fainga'anuku

Arguably the biggest omission of the lot, barnstorming Crusaders utility back Leicester Fainga'anuku was tipped by an array of fans to make the All Blacks for the first time due to his performance for the Christchurch-based side.

Capable of playing on the wing or in the midfield, Fainga'anuku's versatility was also seen as an advantage for his selection chances, but it wasn't to be for the 21-year-old, whose defensive frailties might have cost him a spot in the squad.

Still, there is plenty of potential in Fainga'anuku's game, and if he can show improvements in the NPC while playing for Tasman, it wouldn't be out of the question to suggest he would be in the running for a place in the end-of-year tour squad.

Samisoni Taukei'aho

After slowly building his game over numerous seasons for the Chiefs, Samisoni Taukei'aho really stepped up his game this year in the No 2 jersey.

The 23-year-old hooker is a strong ball-runner and is a dependable lineout thrower, and that led many to suggest that he could snake into the All Blacks squad ahead of incumbent third-choice rake Asafo Aumua.

That didn't happen, though, but, like Fainga'anuku, an impressive campaign in the NPC for Waikato could give him another shot at All Blacks selection later this year.

Tom Robinson

An integral figure for the Blues during their drought-breaking Super Rugby Trans-Tasman title-winning campaign, Tom Robinson loomed as a possible inclusion in this All Blacks squad.

A versatile forward capable of playing blindside flanker and lock, the red-headed 26-year-old showed plenty of leadership, a high work rate and solidity at the set piece, but was ultimately overlooked by Foster on this occasion.

Why exactly remains unclear, but with such a strong cohort of loose forwards, it was never going to be easy for Robinson to make the cut, but perhaps a strong showing for Northland this year could change Foster's mind.

Mitchell Drummond

With Perenara deemed ineligible for All Blacks selection due to his contract status at the time of his departure to Japan for his sabbatical, the race was on for New Zealand's halfbacks to take his place in the national squad.

One-test halfback Mitchell Drummond emerged as one of the leading contenders to do just that as he fought off Bryn Hall for a place in the Crusaders' starting side and starred in the No 9 jersey.

That wasn't enough to earn a re-call back into the All Blacks after a three-year absence, though, as Christie has been given the nod to show what he can do before Perenara becomes eligible once again.

Jona Nareki

To the disappointment of almost every Highlanders fan, electric wing Jona Nareki missed out on a maiden call-up to the All Blacks as the selectors opted to take just five outside backs.

It came as a bit of a surprise for some, as Nareki had impressed with his fleeting footwork, top-end speed and broad skill set, all of which was crucial in the Highlanders' run to the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman final.

It wasn't to be for the 23-year-old, though, but the All Blacks' loss will be Otago's gain once the upcoming NPC rolls around in August.

Salesi Rayasi

Another highly-promising outside back considered a chance for All Blacks selection this year, Salesi Rayasi has missed out on the All Blacks squad despite his fine form for the Hurricanes.

Utilising his rangy, athletic build to full extent, the 24-year-old scored and set-up some lovely tries for the Wellington-based franchise this season, which came off the back of his ludicrous try-scoring run for Auckland in last year's NPC.

However, Rayasi hasn't been called upon by Foster, and you can't help but wonder whether sticking with sevens to chase an Olympic gold medal would have been a better option.

TJ Perenara

As already outlined above, Perenara's omission from this squad is purely as a result of a contractual technicality that came as a result of signing a sabbatical deal to play in Japan while coming off-contract with New Zealand Rugby [NZR].

The 69-test veteran has since signed a two-year contract extension with NZR, but that hasn't made him available to play for the All Blacks, unlike others who have recently returned from Japan like Retallick and Beauden Barrett.

Instead, Perenara will need to play first-class rugby on Kiwi soil before being available for selection again, so expect to see him come back into the squad in place of Christie when the Rugby Championship rolls around.