2. Ngani Laumape
For a talent of such quality as Ngani Laumape to be kept out two Rugby World Cup squads, the positional rivals must be of an exceptional calibre. A classic example of a player that would become the first name on the team sheet for a tier two or three nation, Ngani Laumape has been kicked to the hard to come back from fringes of the All Blacks selection pool.
The centre had his international break-out as recently as 2017. After a stunning debut against Samoa and continued impressive performances in a black jersey, Laumape was called up to take on the touring 2017 British and Irish Lions. Laumape’s call up pushed Malakai Fekitoa out, with the Benetton centre moving so far away from the All Blacks fringes, he recently found himself called up into the Tongan national side.
Circumstances seemed set for Laumape’s Rugby World Cup debut in 2019, he was excelling in Super Rugby with the Hurricanes, having scored 13 tries in 16 games that season. However Head Coach Steve Hansen had alternative ideas, and left Laumape off the list for Japan, in what is considered amongst the harshest omissions in recent Rugby World Cup history.
Hansen instead selected Sonny Bill Williams, Jack Goodhue, Anton Lienert-Brown and Ryan Crotty as out-an-out centres, leaving no space for the then Hurricanes star. Laumape has struggled to get back in the All Blacks fold, with fleeting appearances in the 2020 Rugby Championship being his latest inclusion. With younger All Blacks stars breaking through, Laumape has once again missed out on selection for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
However, this could well play into his favour, following recent reports of Laumape welcoming the idea of representing his native Tonga with Fekitoa, when his ‘stand-down’ period expires in 2025. At 30-years-old, Laumape certainly has one more Rugby World Cup cycle in him. Here’s hoping that the bulldozing centre can keep fit, and stay at the top of his game to run out in Tongan colours at the 2027 Rugby World Cup.