All Blacks team to face Springboks: Beauden Barrett selected
Rugby NewsTuesday, 08 September 2026 at 07:09
The All Blacks head to Baltimore this weekend for the final game of Rugby's Greatest Rivalry tour, knowing nothing less than a victory will do if they are to level the series at 2-2.
Dave Rennie's side have endured a testing campaign against the Springboks, but now have one final opportunity to finish on a high. Here is our predicted All Blacks squad for the decider.
15 Damian McKenzie
A fairly straightforward selection, McKenzie has established himself as one of the first names on the team sheet when fit. He provides an excellent second playmaking option alongside Ruben Love.
His form has not been perfect during this tour, but he remains a world-class player capable of producing big moments.
14 Will Jordan
Jordan has once again shown his quality on this tour and is incredibly difficult to stop when given space with the ball. As the All Blacks' record try-scorer, he is an automatic selection whenever available.
13 Rieko Ioane
With Quinn Tupaea injured, an opening has emerged at outside centre. Ioane has spent large periods of the tour on the sidelines, but this could be the opportunity he needs to force his way back into the starting XV.
A powerful runner and strong defender, he fits the role perfectly and offers a more dynamic option than Anton Lienert-Brown. His experience also gives him the edge over Timoci Tavatavanawai.
12 Jordie Barrett
Barrett's experience at the highest level makes him an ideal option for these games, and he should retain his place in the midfield.
11 Fehi Fineanganofo
Leroy Carter has struggled defensively in recent weeks, so it could be time for Fineanganofo to be given his opportunity. The winger is an outstanding try-scoring threat, having scored more tries than anyone else in Super Rugby last season, while his performances in the warm-up matches showed exactly what he can offer.
Still set to join Newcastle Red Bulls at the end of the summer, a strong performance in Baltimore could give him an experience that makes him reconsider his future and potentially remain with the All Blacks, which could be hugely beneficial.
10 Ruben Love
Love did not enjoy his best outing against the Springboks in the third Test, but he was not entirely to blame. The All Blacks' forwards struggled to generate go-forward ball, leaving the fly-half with limited opportunities to impose himself.
He remains the best option at 10, and one below-par performance should not change that.
9 Cam Roigard
While his dive following contact from Cobus Reinach has attracted plenty of attention for the wrong reasons, Roigard remains an outstanding scrum-half who brings plenty of quality and attacking threat to the All Blacks.
1 Ethan de Groot
The All Blacks' scrum struggled in the third Test, and with de Groot now back from injury, he could offer something different in the front row and potentially help them compete more effectively.
He himself struggled during the opening Test, although he was dealing with a knee problem for much of the game. If fully fit, he has every chance of making a significant impact.
2 Asafo Aumua
Aumua provides a strong carrying threat around the pitch and offers more dynamism than Codie Taylor or Samisoni Taukei’aho. His performances against the Springboks have been solid enough to earn him the starting role in Baltimore.
3 Fletcher Newell
Newell struggled after coming off the bench against the Springboks in Soweto, but consistency is important and he remains an excellent scrummaging option.
He will have learned plenty from that experience and deserves another opportunity to put things right.
4 Patrick Tuipulotu
5 Fabian Holland
Tuipulotu and Holland provide an excellent combination of experience and youth. Both are imposing physical presences, strong in the air and capable of putting in a huge amount of work around the pitch.
This looks like the strongest lock combination available, and with both players in the squad, they should form the second-row partnership this weekend.
6 Tupou Vaa'i
The All Blacks need someone with Vaa'i's physical presence at blindside to ensure they can compete with the Springboks in the collisions.
His importance to this squad was made clear during the first Test victory, and his physicality could once again prove crucial.
7 Ethan Blackadder
With Luke Jacobson injured, Blackadder has a major opportunity to start at openside after impressing during the warm-up matches.
His relentless work rate and defensive ability could be particularly important against the Springboks.
8 Peter Lakai
With Ardie Savea unfortunately injured, Lakai is the next option at No. 8.
At 23, this is the opportunity for him to show that he can live up to the considerable hype surrounding him and step into the huge void left by Savea. His dynamism is comparable to the veteran's, but now he needs to prove he can produce at the highest level.
Replacements
- 16 Samisoni Taukei’aho
- 17 Xavier Numia
- 18 Tyrel Lomax
- 19 Simon Parker
- 20 Wallace Sititi
- 21 Kyle Preston
- 22 Beauden Barrett
- 23 Leroy Carter
The most notable inclusion is Beauden Barrett, whose experience could be particularly valuable in the latter stages of the match.
The All Blacks have struggled badly in that area during the series, and having a player of Barrett's quality available off the bench could give them a much-needed boost when the game enters its final quarter.
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- Jordie Barrett over Damian de Allende is far from being correct. The hype around Dupont is also overreaching, he's probably 4th in the world and has been since the 2023 WC. He also avoids certain matchups which is strange. The rest of the list is pretty good apart from minor subjective biases.JasonMarlow16-09-2026
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