Dave Rennie adds Tupou Ta’eiloa to All Blacks squad
Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa is a big man. And he could well prove the big mover among the All Blacks tour squad to South Africa.
Dave Rennie’s quest to discover points of difference continues his penchant for selecting bolters.
Moana Pasifika’s No 8 Tupou Ta’eiloa fits that bill.
Rennie pulled further surprises as he added 10 players to form his 44-man South African touring squad by selecting four first five-eighths and just three halfbacks – continuing to omit Noah Hotham.
Soon to be Highlanders playmaker Josh Jacomb receives his maiden inclusion despite the door remaining ajar for Richie Mo’unga to fly in on a mid-tour injury-replacement ticket once he features for Canterbury.
Dynamic Hurricanes prop Siale Lauaki was tipped for his rookie inclusion, leaving Tupou Ta’eiloa and the loose forwards as the headline talking point.
In two years, Mangere-raised Tupou Ta’eiloa has progressed from club rugby and no Super Rugby teams interested in acquiring his services to the All Blacks.
While Moana Pasifika’s collapse leaves him unsigned to a Super Rugby team next year, he will board the plane to Africa this week after impressing this season through his physical dominance on both sides of the ball. His Super Rugby stat line of 147 carries, 45 defenders beaten – more than any other No 8 in the competition – 500 running metres, four tries and 165 tackles seized the All Blacks’ attention.
From South Auckland to Otago Boys’ High School, Southland provincial rugby and Moana Pasifika, the 22-year-old has traversed the country in search of opportunities.
Having now cracked the All Blacks, Tupou Ta’eiloa is just getting started.
“He’s got a genuine point of difference. We haven’t got the big, powerful loose forward like him,” Rennie said. “He’s really destructive defensively. He carried Moana on his back a lot this year.”
When Rennie called to inform him of the news, Tupou Ta’eiloa couldn’t stop shaking. He shared the emotional moment at his parents’ house in Auckland while preparing to fly to Dunedin to see his girlfriend and then bus to Invercargill to start the NPC season with Southland.
His immediate future now looks very different.
“It’s a good story isn’t it,” Rennie said. “Someone who is playing in a side [Moana] that is battling can stand out the way he did.”
Seven weeks with the All Blacks could transform Tupou Ta’eiloa from promising prospect to potent weapon.
Rennie, with his non-negotiable demands for repeat efforts and work-rate, and forwards coach Neil Barnes will work him hard and whip him into shape for the test arena.
“There’s some guys we want to find out more about and work out if they’re genuine options heading into a World Cup year next year. Having them inside the tent where we can create change and they’ve got a chance to impress us will help with that decision-making.”
Tupou Ta’eiloa’s inclusion continues to shine the spotlight on the composition and complementary assets of the loose forwards.
Ethan Blackadder’s return – he played the last of his 14 tests against the Springboks in 2024 - provides cover for Ardie Savea’s late tour start while the captain sits out the first three matches, before joining the All Blacks 10 days before the first test in a bid to refresh after 18 months on the rugby grind.
Blackadder, although injury-prone in the past, will fill a similar role to Luke Jacobson.
Blackadder is preferred over championship-winning Hurricanes co-captain Du’Plessis Kirifi. His ongoing omission is a cause for consternation for many.
While a noted turnover exponent, Kirifi’s specialist openside status counts against him in a squad where Jacobson, Savea, Anton Segner and Peter Lakai can all feature there.
Missing out on an extended squad of this size will be a bitter blow, though, that may leave Kirifi pondering his New Zealand rugby future.
With size clearly high on the agenda to counter the Springboks’ combative, physical strengths, Kirifi and Highlanders rookie of the year Lucas Casey didn’t fit the desired mould. Crusaders No 8 Christian Lio-Willie also falls into that category after a standout Super Rugby campaign.
“There’s a fair bit of size coming in,” Rennie said in reference to Tupou Ta’eiloa, Fabian Holland and Lauaki.
“Dupes is a good player, had a good season. There’s good players who have missed out, not just him. His job is to go away and keep working hard and be ready if an opportunity arises. I’d be surprised if we don’t call someone in at some stage.”
Tupou Ta’eiloa isn’t the finished product but the All Blacks will attempt to polish his rough edges, condition him for the speed they want to play and harness his raw ball carrying power.
Versatility, and telling points of difference, are proving decisive in capturing Rennie’s attention.
Liam Napier is a Senior Sports Journalist and Rugby Correspondent for the New Zealand Herald. He is a co-host of the Rugby Direct podcast.