ABs squad named for RC - Savea dumped

Forwards

Hookers
Dane Coles (Wellington/Hurricanes, 49)
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, 8)
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)

 ...The All Blacks squad for the Rugby Championship sees the returns of Chiefs and Counties Manukau tighthead prop Nepo Laulala and Hurricanes and Manawatu outside back  Nehe Milner-Skudder, while Julian Savea has been dropped...

 



....Damian McKenzie has been named as a replacement for All Blacks Vice-Captain Ben Smith, who will take an extended break from the game following the first two Bledisloe Cup matches.

The 33-man squad will again be captained by number eight Kieran Read, and sees 18 forwards selected (three hookers, five props, four locks and six loose forwards) and 15 backs (three halfbacks, two first five-eighths, four midfielders and six outside backs) and has a total of 1,109 Test caps experience.

The squad is made up of four Blues players, six Chiefs, eight Hurricanes, 10 Crusaders and five Highlanders, with 11 of New Zealand's Mitre 10 Cup provinces represented.

There are seven Canterbury players, four each from Taranaki and Wellington and three each from Auckland, Counties Manukau and Manawatu. Hawke's Bay and Bay of Plenty have two players each and there's one player each from Tasman, Otago and Southland.

All Blacks Head Coach Steve Hansen said: "Firstly, we congratulate all players selected for the Investec Rugby Championship, particularly Nepo and Nehe, who we welcome back. Conversely, we commiserate with those who have missed out, particularly Julian Savea and the unlucky Matt Todd, both of whom have made great contributions to the All Blacks jersey and will do so again in the future, I'm sure."

Hansen said the All Blacks were again looking forward to the first two Bledisloe Cup matches and the Investec Rugby Championship.

"For us, it's case of re-establishing ourselves and building on our good work from last year and during the recent DHL New Zealand Lions Series. There were some clear things learnt in the Lions Series and this is a great chance for us to implement those; to continue to grow our skill execution and the mental side of our game, and develop our leadership and the leadership group.

"The first two Bledisloe Cup matches will set the tone, as we know the Australians will throw everything at us, while we're expecting the South Africans and Argentinians to be as bruising and physical as always.

"We've learnt since the introduction of Argentina that there is a massive travelling component to the Championship, which comes at a cost at the end of the year, so we'll be looking to implement some new strategies to try and overcome that."

NZ Herald

 Would have had Tamanivalu in there over Ioane.Matt Todd has to be the unluckiest player in All Blacks history and surpised Kerr-Barlow is included as he is off to France at the end of the year, rather see some new blood brought into the fold now rather than later

 ... No mention of Richie Mo'unga...he deserves to be part of the wider squad surely after steering the Crusties to victory this year - EOYT perhaps
Hansen staying loyal to existing players by the looks so no major surprises..

 He will have to be included, one thing about Hansen he likes to get as many players as possible into the fold as soon as possible even if they dont get a jersey.And he has proved time and time again that it bares fruit in the long run.

 Not surprised at all. 
Expect to see Richie Mo'unga part of the end of year Tour up North.
Matt Todd is injury cover.

 - Matt Todd is the best current openside in NZ while Cane is out of form, got outplayed by Todd and is getting more and more average. But Hansen is going to stick with Cane no matter how low his form is.

- Jordan Taufua is the best blindside after Kaino and the inform blindside of the SR for some years. Fifita, as Dixon or Shields, are very athletic and skillful players but when things get physical they tend to disappear. Taufua brings the physicality.
And if he's not called soon he'll end up overseas and probably playing for another nation

- Lima Sopoaga has done nothing this season. If Barret gets injured is he going to be the AB nº10? wouldn't like to see this happen
Richie Mo'unga outplayed him when had the chance and he's in far better form as he proved running the champion's backline

- Ngani Laumape has been outstanding against weaker teams (but this counts for nothing),... and quite average against strong teams (e.g. in the finals),.... he's very unidimensional, a ball crasher who always goes straight against the opposite defensive line and not a good defender,... he's not going to last in the AB frame
Jack Goodhue instead is the whole package,... strong and fast, he's a tackling machine with a great rugby brain who always takes the right decision and with a remarkable ability to put his team-mates in play,... he's been exceptional in the final important games against the strongest teams

- Seta Tamanivalu has been in far better form than Ioane or Milner-Skudder (who is very far from his best form prior to his injuries)

and, yeah, I'm a saders fan,... but have no problem at all in discussing the above in rugby terms

 Savea missed the Bus. He was not even a first choice for the Canes, what is going on? He must be eating and drinking again.

 It was embarrassing to see the British Lions shut out the Saders including their number 10. That they ran out of ideas is an understatement.
Look at the Highlanders and the Canes against the British Lions. That is what it is all about when looking at Tests -->hard grit.

 @hakwa,

saders played against the B&I lions first team,.... far better than their second team that played against the blues, landers, canes and chiefs,... specially on defense

the B&I second team wasn't even a team and wasn't playing like one,... it was a bunch of players trying to impress to be in the first team,.... the first team played the attacking and defensive structures that they were going to use against the AB

embarrassing? what are you talking about?
the team that played the saders were the best players of the second, third, 5th and 7th test nations in the world, there's nothing embarrassing in losing against them,... in fact the AB lost against them,..... saders is a Super Rugby team,....

 Last season he struggled and finally got back his form. There must be something wrong with him mentally or physically. Time will tell.

As a Springbok fan, all I am able to say is SH!T.
Anther thumping coming up.  

You must of missed Laumpes outstanding performances agaungst the Lions for the Canes and the Abs. So not sure I agree he is average against stronger sides.

You must of missed Laumpes outstanding performances agaungst the Lions for the Canes and the Abs. So not sure I agree he is average against stronger sides.

 I wouldn't take the Lions games (except the real tests against the AB) too much into consideration,... they count for nothing, they were some kind of warm-ups IMO
yeah, he had a good game when started the 3rd lions game,... but I wouldn't say outstanding (Julian Savea played better IMO and look where he is)

that said, I consider Laumape as a very good SR player,... but still very unidimensional or very specific one,... he's a 12 that when takes the ball runs straight into the opposite defense to break it or, at least, push it backwards, his offloading is very good and is also a strong finisher,.... he's very good and strong in these aspects but he's not that good defending, passing, playmaking, kicking, etc,....
Nonu was a similar player when he began and many said that he wasn't going to be able to develop his game but he did,... so Laumape could also develop his game and become a very complete player,.... but I think it's going to be more difficult for him, he's already 24 and comes from league,...
and untill this happens (if it happens) there are more complete centers,... inmy view being a very good defender should be like a requisite for the midfield (it's the defensive spine of the backline) ,... Goodhue and Fekitoa are far better defenders
Goodhue can play 12, 13 and wing (though his best position by far is nº13) and he's going to be one of the best defenders nº13
IMO Hansen made a mistake bringing so much inexperience for the Lions tour, Fekitoa would have been a safer option (and his calling could have been an incentive for him to stay in NZ),... he's a very good defender, can play 12, 13 and he's also a strong ball carrier,... he's still not that good in decision making, passing and putting his team-mates in play (and he's not been able to develop these aspects of his game in the last 2 years),... but for the moment I would have him before in the picking order

my picking order would be:

1. Ryan Crotty
2. Anton Lienert-Brown
3. SBW
4. Jack Goodhue
5. Malakai Fekitoa (if he's already gone to France, Laumape would be the 5th)
6. Ngani Laumape
7. Charlie Ngatai

Ngatai has not been able yet to regain his form prior to his concussions,... but if he could he would be there fighting for the 3rd and 4th positions