Dave Rennie has confirmed Du'Plessis Kirifi was left out of the All Blacks touring squad for the Greatest Rivalry series in South Africa due to the depth already available at openside flanker, with Ardie Savea, Anton Segner, Luke Jacobson and Peter Lakai all capable of covering the seven jersey.
"Dups is a good player; he had a good season, but there are good players who have missed the squad, not just him," Rennie said. The Hurricanes co-captain was a regular under Scott Robertson last year but has not featured under the new head coach despite his Super Rugby Pacific-winning campaign.
In place of Kirifi, Rennie has recalled Crusaders loose forward Ethan Blackadder and handed an uncapped call-up to Moana Pasifika's Semisi Tupou Ta'eiloa, identifying both as bringing something the Nations Championship squad lacked. Blackadder, 31, missed last year's programme through injury but impressed throughout the 2026 Super Rugby season, with Rennie earmarking him for roles at eight and on the blindside. "He has a massive engine, physically, so we think he offers a point of difference around that," Rennie said.
Ta'eiloa's inclusion is the more striking selection. The powerful loose forward stood out for Moana Pasifika despite the club's difficult season, drawing praise from Savea in particular. "We haven't got that big, powerful loose forward like him, and he's really destructive defensively," Rennie said. "He carried Moana on his back a lot this year."