All Blacks squad for Vista 2016 All Blacks Northern Tour
allblacks.com 23 Oct 2016
The squad is as follows: (with province and Test caps in brackets):
Forwards:
Hookers
Dane Coles (Wellington, 46)
Codie Taylor (Canterbury, 11)
Liam Coltman (Otago, uncapped)
Props
Wyatt Crockett (Canterbury, 55)
Charlie Faumuina (Auckland, 42)
Owen Franks (Canterbury, 87)
Joe Moody (Canterbury, 20)
Ofa Tu’ungafasi (Auckland, 2)
Locks
Brodie Retallick (Hawke’s Bay, 57)
Luke Romano (Canterbury, 26)
Patrick Tuipulotu (Auckland, 10)
Samuel Whitelock (Canterbury, 82)
Loose Forwards
Sam Cane (Bay of Plenty, 37)
Elliot Dixon (Southland, 2)
Jerome Kaino (Auckland, 74)
Steven Luatua (Auckland, 14)
Kieran Read, captain (Canterbury, 94)
Ardie Savea (Wellington, 9)
Liam Squire (Tasman, 6)
Matt Todd (Canterbury, 5)
Backs:
Halfbacks
Tawera Kerr–Barlow (Waikato, 24)
TJ Perenara (Wellington, 26)
Aaron Smith (Manawatu, 54)
First five–eighths
Beauden Barrett (Taranaki, 46)
Aaron Cruden (Manawatu, 43)
Lima Sopoaga (Southland, 5)
Midfielders
Ryan Crotty (Canterbury, 24)
Malakai Fekitoa (Auckland, 20)
Anton Leinert-Brown (Waikato, 5)
George Moala (Auckland, 3)
Outside backs
Israel Dagg (Hawke’s Bay, 58)
Rieko Ioane (Auckland, uncapped)
Damian McKenzie (Waikato, 1)
Waisake Naholo (Taranaki, 8)
Julian Savea (Wellington, 49)
Ben Smith (Otago, 58)
The squad features the selection of 19-year-old Auckland outside back Rieko Ioane, who spent time in the All Blacks wider training group this year. It also sees the return to the All Blacks squad of his Auckland teammate, 25-year-old loose forward Steven Luatua, who played 14 Tests in 2013-2014. Otago hooker Liam Coltman, who has provided injury cover throughout the season, has also been selected in an official squad for the first time.
Meanwhile, lock Sam Whitelock suffered a high ankle sprain in last night’s record-breaking Test win over Australia and is expected to be out of rugby for a minimum of three weeks. As a result, Canterbury lock Scott Barrett has been named as an injury replacement for him and will join the touring squad. Fellow lock Brodie Retallick also took a head knock in the game. Wellington lock Vaea Fifita has been named as an injury replacement and a decision on whether he joins the squad will be made this week when Retallick undergoes concussion protocols.
Several players weren’t considered for selection due to injury, including hookers Nathan Harris and James Parsons, midfielders Sonny Bill Williams and Charlie Ngatai and outside back Nehe Milner-Skudder.
