Five All Blacks Dave Rennie must pick for the 1st Springboks Test: Rugby's Greatest Rivalry

Whilst the tour really kicks off then, the tour matches were important for the All Blacks to get used to South African conditions, stay sharp, and also for Dave Rennie to try out different tactics and players that could provide promise for the Springbok games.

Rennie's All Blacks squads were filled with a mixture of experience, some having been on the Test stage for many years, but majority had only played a handful of matches and some even made their All Blacks debuts. Out of those, there were many that had incredible performances, and gave themselves a strong case for playing a key role in the tests.

With all the positives, injuries have become a concern and will force Rennie to change his plans. Will Jordan and Cam Roigard had been sidelined in all three matches, and Caleb Clarke, Damian McKenzie and Billy Proctor all had their tours either postponed or cut short, as Richie Mo’unga even ended his three-year exodus from the All Blacks squad.

With the big guns likely to feature, including both Jordan and Roigard expected to feature in the first test, here is five players that Dave Rennie must select in the squad for the first test this Saturday in Johannesburg.

This one should come as no surprise, but Peter Lakai in the games he played was phenomenal. He was the standout player against the Stormers, breaking lines and stopping tackles, and was possibly the biggest reason why the All Blacks shifted gears and dominated the game in the last fifteen minutes, which ultimately saw them take the game away from the Stormers.

He had another strong outing against the Bulls, further showing how crucial he is in the forward pack. And at only 23 years old, this tour will be a huge step in Lakai’s integration into a more long term role in the All Blacks.

Unfortunately for Lakai, the man taking his position is Ardie Savea. There is no doubt that the All Blacks captain and 2023 World Rugby Player of the Year will be starting in possibly all three tests, meaning Lakai will not be starting at number eight.

However, he could find some meaningful minutes at flanker. Whilst Rennie did not use him and Ardie together, them as a duo in the forward pack could be instrumental for the All Blacks defence against the Springboks, which will need to be near perfect to stand a chance in claiming victories. If Lakai is not expected to play flanker minutes, fully expect him to feature on the bench as the backup to Ardie.

Leroy Carter has been electric so far in this tour. No matter whether Will Jordan is playing or not, I fully expect Leroy Carter to have some role in this match, and likely be the backup to Jordan on the right wing. Rennie’s attacking system revolved heavily around using the wings effectively, and Carter was the standout player in the attack whenever he played. Two tries against the Bulls, and one against the Stormers is just the tip of the iceberg of how effective he has been.

His pace, agility, passing and try scoring ability has seen him be arguably the All Blacks best player across the three tour games. Fehi Fineanganofo also played at right-wing and performed really well in his sole game, but because of Carter’s involvement in all three games, he is likely the preferred option at right-wing.

Will Jordan’s availability remains the key question for the first test, but Leroy Carter should definitely have some minutes on the wing in the first test.

With Damian McKenzie out injured, the fullback position is up for grabs. Rennie will likely choose Beauden Barrett, hoping his experience will be vital to the team’s chances of winning, but Josh Moorby should be considered as either coming off the bench, or even starting at fullback.

Moorby has been used both as a winger or fullback in the tour games, even starting at left wing against the Bulls. But with Leroy Carter, Rieko Ioane, and the return of Will Jordan expected, Moorby will struggle to find meaningful minutes on the wings. However, he can be impactful at fullback, where he played against the Stormers.

Moorby was consistent throughout the tour matches, but particularly in the final game against the Bulls, he had many fans and experts giving him nods to be included in the squad. An unexpected riser, he has been involved in the Māori All Blacks since 2024 before being selected for this tour.

Whilst he could be used on the wings, the absence of Damian McKenzie makes his case at fullback much stronger, and is increasingly likely to see minutes in the first test as the days go on.

Depending on Cam Roigard’s availability, Kyle Preston’s expectation in the first test is not yet decided. However, he should at least make the bench, and should start if Roigard is unfit. Preston came off the bench against the Stormers and Bulls, and started against the Sharks.

Against the Stormers, he was instrumental in the All Blacks late scoring flourish to win the game, was very dangerous with his box kicking and passing ability, and even scored a couple tries himself against the Sharks. Particularly against the Sharks, his partnership with Ruben Love ran the offence for the All Blacks, and with Love expected to play, either starting or off the bench, the duo could cause some trouble for the Springboks.

The decision will ultimately come down between him and Cortez Ratima. Ratima does have more experience in the All Blacks squad, but Preston’s impact either off the bench or starting has been a massive tool for the All Blacks in many key areas. And if Rennie does use him in a partnership with Ruben Love, that might be one of the key talking points not just for this tour, but as a potential dangerous duo in the World Cup next year.

This may come as a surprise, and even a bit of a confusion with Leroy Carter likely to feature in the squad, but Fehi Fineanganofo could be one of the most dangerous players on the field. If Will Jordan is fit, he would have to compete with Carter for right-wing minutes, but he was exceptional against the Sharks.

Based off the three tour games, Rennie is expected to keep the tactics of fast, constant pressure on the wings to attack, and Fineanganofo is not only fast enough, but strong enough to make a huge impact on both ends of the game. Against the Sharks, he scored two tries, assisted Rieko Ioane, and broke free from many tackles to either make meters or make smart passes to keep the attack going. With Caleb Clarke out for the rest of the tour due to injury, Fineanganofo could even find himself having minutes on the left wing over Ioane or Josh Moorby.

Having only made his debut earlier this year against Italy, Fineanganofo has exceeded all expectations and has many fans wondering how the All Blacks seem to keep finding “hidden gems” throughout the ranks.

This tour is already proving to be a big developmental process for the young players, but Fineanganofo may be experiencing it at a much larger level. Will Jordan is arguably the best in the world at his position and still has plenty of gas left in him at only 28. But Fineanganofo at only 23 could become a familiar name in rugby households around the world, and this tour could be the start of that. For now, being included in the squad for the first test will be huge, and it would be fairly surprising if he is not.

Honourable Mentions: Anton Segner, Anton Lienert-Brown, Josh Lord, Luke Jacobsen