9. Nepo Laulala – Toulouse
The final two departing All Blacks from the 2023 Rugby World Cup squad are both heading to France, beginning with prop Nepo Laulala’s move to Toulouse. Laulala missed the flight home from France, and instead took the seven hour journey south from Paris to the Stade Toulousain. Laulala battled for the starting tight-head spot in Ian Foster’s squad, yet was dropped to the bench for the final in favour of Tyrel Lomax. Laulala started in the tournament opener against France, and also ran out first half appearances in the pool stage wins against Namibia and Italy.
Laulala made his All Blacks half-century in the aforementioned landslide win over the Azzurri, and begins his new chapter in Toulouse as a 51-capped All Black. Unlike the majority of the other departing All Blacks, Laulala has jumped around the Super Rugby circuit. The 32-year-old began his Super Rugby career with the Crusaders in 2013, before making the swap for the Chiefs in 2016. After winning the Super Rugby title that year, he stayed for an additional four seasons in Hamilton.
The tight-head prop then made the move to play for the Auckland Blues in 2020, where he has since stayed on New Zealand’s North Island. All the while, the Samoan-born prop was running out for Canterbury, and then the Counties Manukau provincial clubs, in the Super Rugby off-season. Laulala is off to embark on his newest venture, and given the revolving door of top-quality All Blacks props, the front row will soon be packed down, as Ofa Tu’ungafasi eyes up a re-calling to the tight-head spot.
10. Leicester Fainga’anuku – RC Toulon
The man with arguably the greatest name in rugby; Leicester Ofa Ki Wales Twickenham Fainga’anuku (seriously), is also staying in France after getting a taste of his new home during the Rugby World Cup. Fainga’anuku joins up with 2023 Challenge Cup winners Toulon, which is a club that has previously housed some of the all-time great All Blacks. Fainga’anuku follows in the footsteps of Ma’a Nonu and Tana Umaga at Toulon, and is eager to make some history of his own.
Despite being in the infancy of his international career, the 24-year-old has decided to step away from the All Blacks, after a breakthrough couple of seasons at the Crusaders. Fainga’anuku has an impressive strike rate for club and country, with 35 tries in 55 matches for the Crusaders, and five tries in just seven All Blacks matches. Fainga’anuku was often seen doing the ‘shark fin’ try celebration at the Rugby World Cup, which is a nod to his provincial club Tasman Mako.
Fainga’anuku had an explosive Rugby World Cup campaign as he scored all five of his All Blacks tries in France. Fainga’anuku scored in New Zealand’s dismantling of Namibia, before adding a World Cup hat-trick against Uruguay. The winger’s most significant score came in the quarter-finals, as he added a key try in the All Blacks narrow victory over Ireland, and ended a run of 17 unbeaten matches for Andy Farrell’s side.