Dave Rennie has confirmed the All Blacks will trial a 6-2 bench split during their tour of South Africa, marking a departure from a stubborn coaching tradition that has seen every All Blacks head coach — bar Ian Foster in that 35-7 Twickenham thrashing — default to a 5-3 split.
Rennie revealed that squads for the first four tour games, which include provincial matches against the Stormers, Sharks and Bulls ahead of the Test series, have already been selected. He confirmed that at least one of those provincial fixtures will see the 6-2 configuration trialled. A 7-1 split — the arrangement the Boks used in that same Twickenham warm-up and again in the 2023 World Cup final — is not yet on the table.
"We've certainly talked about 6-2 splits, and the plan is to do one of those in South Africa in one of the provincial games," Rennie said. "We've got the versatility. We think we can do that."
The bench structure question arose in the context of Rennie's team selection to face Ireland in the Nations Championship, headlined by the move of Tupou Vaa'i from lock to blindside flanker. Rennie was open about the rationale: "It gives us a bigger lineout, a bigger pack. We feel he's got the skill set that suits what we want."
Asked whether Vaa'i's shift to the loose forwards is a long-term repositioning, Rennie was noncommittal, noting only that the All Blacks "are going to come across some big packs throughout the year" and that Vaa'i offers athleticism alongside his lineout value. Former All Blacks winger Jeff Wilson has publicly framed the selection as a move specifically designed with the Springbok series in mind.