All Blacks Rugby World Cup 2023: Squad includes eight Chiefs

NZ Herald

10 August 2023

All Blacks Rugby World Cup 2023: Squad includes eight Chiefs

Waikato-based Chiefs Samisoni Taukei’aho, Brodie Retallick, Tupou Vaa’i, Sam Cane, Luke Jacobson, Damian McKenzie, Anton Lienert-Brown and Emoni Narawa, as well as Samipeni Finau and Brad Weber as injury cover, were named this week in the All Blacks squad of 18 forwards and 15 backs to contest the Rugby World Cup in France.

Gallagher Chiefs head coach Clayton McMillan said that for Emoni, Shaun and Samipeni in particular, making their debut in the black jersey is a deserving reward for their efforts this season. The Chiefs had a mostly unbeaten run in this year’s DHL Super Rugby Pacific competition, only losing twice: to the Queensland Reds and 25-20 in the grand final to their arch-nemesis, the Crusaders.

But Super Rugby foes are now teammates with the All Blacks captained by Chiefs captain Sam Cane with only a month to go until the All Blacks opening World Cup match when they take on host France.

McMillan said the Chiefs club wishes the All Blacks heading to France all the best and looks forward to supporting their campaign. “We are extremely proud of our Gallagher Chiefs men that have been given the opportunity for higher honours.”

All Blacks coach Ian Foster and former All Blacks captain Richie McCaw announced the 33-strong All Blacks World Cup squad in Napier on Monday, where the All Blacks were on a three-day pre-world cup preparation camp.

The team decided to hold the camp in Hawke’s Bay after the region was hit hard by Cyclone Gabrielle. The entire squad was out in the community helping to rescue the damaged Tangoio Marae and also hosted a public training session.

“By naming this team in Napier and spending three days there in the community we want to acknowledge the tremendous adversity the communities of the East Coast have endured recently. We have felt helpless from afar and hope this small symbol of our support will assist in some small way,” Foster said.

About the selected team of 33, Foster said it had a combined 1493 Test caps making it the All Blacks’ most experienced Rugby World Cup squad in history.

“This is a vastly experienced team but with over half the players going to their first Rugby World Cup, it has a strong balance of youth and future planning.”

Foster said the New Zealand team is going into the world cup with the aim to become the first country to win the Rugby World Cup four times.

“This year’s Rugby World Cup promises to be the most competitive yet and the pool draw means we have to be ready right from the outset. We have worked hard through the first part of our season and have made some strong progress through the Rugby Championship and the Bledisloe series.

“The challenge is to continue our growth through the game in London vs South Africa, into our camp in Germany before arriving in Lyon with a clear focus on performance in each of our pool games,” Foster said.

The All Blacks will kick off their Rugby World Cup campaign against host France in Paris on September 8, then play Namibia in Toulouse on September 15, Italy in Lyon on September 29, and their final pool match against Uruguay in Lyon on October 5.

(Super Rugby team, province, Test caps)

● Hookers

Dane Coles (Hurricanes, Wellington, 86)

Samisoni Taukei’aho (Chiefs, Waikato, 24)

Codie Taylor (Crusaders, Canterbury, 79)

● Props

Ethan de Groot (Highlanders, Southland, 16)

Tyrel Lomax (Hurricanes, Tasman, 26)

Nepo Laulala (Blues, Counties Manukau, 49)

Fletcher Newell (Crusaders, Canterbury, 7)

Ofa Tu’ungafasi (Blues, Northland, 53)

Tamaiti Williams (Crusaders, Canterbury, 2)