Bradley Slater and Schoolboy Sensation set for All Blacks Debut vs Sharks after Shock Call-Ups

Slater’s promotion has come at remarkable speed. The hooker only joined the squad five days ago after being called up as an injury replacement for George Bell, but Dave Rennie has wasted little time throwing him into the matchday 23.

Ta’eiloa’s journey has been rather different. The 22-year-old loose forward has been building towards this opportunity since bursting onto the scene as a teenager, developing through Southland and Moana Pasifika before earning his first taste of the All Blacks environment.

Both players arrive with plenty of momentum behind them, and their selections underline the depth New Zealand are looking to build ahead of the next World Cup cycle.

Bradley Slater’s route into the All Blacks squad has taken another remarkable turn, with the 27-year-old now just hours away from pulling on the famous black jersey for the first time. Born in New Plymouth and the son of former Taranaki representative Andy Slater, the hooker came through New Plymouth Boys’ High School before earning selection for New Zealand Under-20s in 2019.

His professional career has largely been built in the Chiefs and Taranaki environments, where he developed into a dependable and increasingly influential front-row option. He has also shown his versatility by being capable of operating at flanker. The 2025/26 season has been particularly significant. Slater made 11 appearances for the Blues in Super Rugby Pacific, starting every match and scoring four tries, before featuring for the All Blacks XV.

That form earned him an unexpected opportunity when George Bell’s injury opened a place in the senior squad. Five days later, Slater is set to come off the bench against the Sharks. It is a whirlwind introduction to Test rugby, but one that caps years of progression through New Zealand’s provincial and professional ranks.

Few players have made quite such an impression so early in their rugby journey as Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa. The 22-year-old first captured attention as a teenager at Otago Boys’ High School, where his explosive combination of power and pace produced a viral try that offered an early glimpse of what was to come.

Ta’eiloa subsequently represented New Zealand Under-19s on a tour of South Africa in 2022 before making the move into senior provincial rugby with Southland. His breakthrough arrived with Moana Pasifika in 2025, where under the guidance of All Blqcks legend Tana Umaga and alongside All Blacks captain Ardie Savea, Ta’eiloa quickly established himself as one of the competition’s most exciting young loose forwards.

He made 13 appearances during his debut Super Rugby Pacific campaign, scoring seven tries and playing 943 minutes — the most of any Moana player. He also topped the competition for carries, finishing with 205, while earning the club’s Rookie of the Year and Best Defensive Player awards. Now signed to New Zealand Rugby, Ta’eiloa has taken the next step, and will have plenty of Super Rugby contracts on the table upon his return home from South Africa, following Moana Pasifika's collapse.