The Rugby Championship 2025 Preview: All Blacks Out For Bok Revenge
The Rugby Championship 2025 Preview: All Blacks Out For Bok Revenge
The All Blacks will chase Rugby Championship glory in 2025 under Scott Robertson, facing fierce rivals South Africa, Argentina and Australia.
Few teams in global sport carry a reputation quite like New Zealand’s All Blacks.
Synonymous with excellence, intensity and innovation, New Zealand enters the 2025 Rugby Championship as the reigning powerhouse and the team everyone else is chasing.
With an astonishing 20 titles since the competition’s inception, including nine since its rebrand in 2012, the All Blacks remain the standard-bearers of rugby in the Southern Hemisphere.
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But dominance comes with its own burden.
Every team marks the All Blacks fixture on their calendar. Every opponent saves its fiercest performance for them. And yet, more often than not, New Zealand rises to the occasion.
The All Blacks' playing style continues to evolve, merging raw physicality with clinical execution and unmatched rugby IQ. This year's side is no exception. It's loaded with depth, experience and talent across the park.
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While Bledisloe Cup dominance continues, and the Freedom Cup has largely been theirs, New Zealand will be acutely aware of the challenges posed by South Africa’s resurgence and Argentina’s hunger. The bar is high, but the All Blacks rarely operate below it.
Expect relentless pressure, clinical finishing and uncompromising standards. The All Blacks aren’t just playing to win. They’re playing to again prove that greatness is a habit, not a phase.
Head Coach: Scott Robertson
Scott ‘Razor’ Robertson isn’t your average rugby coach.
Sure, he’s got the trophies, the stats and the silverware cabinet that groans under the weight of it all – but he’s also the guy who’ll bust out a breakdance on the field after a big win. That mix of high performance and high personality has made “Razor” one of the most compelling figures in the game.
As a player, he was a hard-nosed flanker who pulled on jerseys for Bay of Plenty, Perpignan, Canterbury and the Crusaders and earned 23 caps for the All Blacks between 1998 and 2002.
He played with grit and smarts – traits that have carried straight into his coaching.
After retiring, Robertson climbed the coaching ladder fast. He won provincial titles with Canterbury, a world title with the New Zealand U20S, and then took over the Crusaders in 2017.
What followed was ridiculous: seven seasons, seven Super Rugby titles and a winning record that makes the rest of the competition look like it’s playing catch-up.
Now in charge of the All Blacks, Razor’s out to blend the best of Kiwi rugby’s attacking flair with a fierce edge up front. He’s not afraid to back young guns, tweak tactics or shake up selections if it gets the team firing.
Now heading into his second year in the hot seat of New Zealand Rugby, Razor faces the unenviable task of trying to reclaim The Rugby Championship. To do so, there is no doubt they will need to beat the Springboks at least once during their two home clashes with the World Champions.
While this would be an acceptable return given where both squads are in their development, the Kiwi public will be expecting a sweep of their greatest rivals. Failure to do so could see the pressure ratchet up on Robertson’s squad, which lost twice to the Boks last year, in addition to a brutally disappointing home loss at the hands of Los Pumas.
Star Player: Will Jordan
If you blink, you might miss him.
Will Jordan’s got that rare mix of pace, timing and instinct that makes him look like he’s reading the game two moves ahead of everyone else. And more often than not, it ends with him diving over the line.
Born in Christchurch in 1998, Jordan was carving up defenses before he’d even left high school.
At Christchurch Boys’ High, he topped the UC Championship try charts in 2015, and it has been the same story ever since.
A standout season with Tasman in 2017 put him on the radar, but a rough injury run delayed his Crusaders debut until 2019. Since then, he’s been part of a dynasty – helping the Crusaders to title after title, including playing every minute of the 2021 Super Rugby Aotearoa final win over the Chiefs.
His All Blacks debut came in 2020 against Australia, and it didn’t take long for him to start filling the highlight reels – like the five-try blitz against Tonga in 2021, or the hat trick against the USA later that year.
That form saw him crowned World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year in 2021.
By mid-2025, Jordan’s record is bordering on ridiculous: 42 tries in 44 tests, the third-best strike rate in international rugby history.
Whether it’s on the wing or at fullback, he’s lethal in broken play, ruthless under the high ball and calm when the line’s in sight.
For defenses, the bad news is simple – Will Jordan’s still just getting started.
Biggest Strength: Explosivity
From No. 1 to 23, the All Blacks are blessed with gifted power athletes, each capable of breaking open a match at a moment’s notice.
Operating a well-balanced attack under Razor, the Kiwis showed flashes of what they can do against France with long-range strike plays and a powerful mauling game.
Combining a structured approach to kicking for position rather than touch, New Zealand forced France to counterattack and punished them when the game opened up a touch.
Beauden Barrett’s intermediate kicking game and array of passes at the line opened up space for the back three, in particular Will Jordan, to get around the fringes of Les Bleus' defense.
What concerned Razor and his coaching staff was their lack of accuracy in the first and third tests when they should’ve put away two heavily rotated French sides. Instead, they squandered several try-scoring opportunities when they had their visitors on the back foot.
Against the other three teams in the championship, these errors will be punished, in particular, by the Boks’ power game.
Yet, given his track record and quality of players at his disposal, fans can be confident that Razor will rectify this issue.
Biggest Weakness: Combinations
Second row, back row, halfbacks and the centers, to date under Razor, the All Blacks have yet to fully nail their ideal combinations in these position groups.
Starting at lock, skipper Scott Barrett remains an integral player, even if his form has dipped somewhat of late, in addition to a few niggling injuries.
Alongside him, Dutch-born Fabian Holland made a mightily impressive start to life as an international rugby player against France in July.
Then, there's the case of the explosive Patrick Tuipulotu, who, on form, could well get the nod to start ahead of either player.
While there is no shortage of good locks in New Zealand, as of yet, a combination akin to that of Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock has yet to be established.
Shift one position back, and the back row remains an area of contention, with the returning breakthrough star Wallace Sititi now available following his absence in July.
When fit, Sititi should shift into the No. 8 shirt, freeing up Ardie Savea to move to the openside with Tupou Vaa’i starting at blindside. This trio offers Robertson a well-balanced, yet untested, combination.
In the halfbacks, the first-choice combination of Cam Roigard and Beauden Barrett showed flashes of what they could be against France in July.
Now set to face far stiffer opposition, the questions around whether the 34-year-old Barrett should still be starting ahead of Damian McKenzie will be an interesting subplot to track.
Finally, in the centers, vice-captain Jordie Barrett is the nailed-on starter at 12 with his long-term partner Rieko Ioane having been shipped to the wing in July.
Despite being stacked with plenty of center talent in the squad, picking a well-balanced partnership is still a work in progress.
Heading into the Championship, Ioane, Billy Proctor and Anton Lienart-Brown all are in a shootout to join Barrett.
The Story So Far
New Zealand is the undisputed juggernaut of The Rugby Championship.
With 20 titles—including a record 11 Tri Nations and nine Rugby Championship wins—the All Blacks lead the pack by a wide margin.
Their overall record is staggering: 103 wins in 139 matches, a win rate of over 74%. They've finished last only twice and never tied for first.
Their points differential across all competitions is +1,562, with 4,208 points scored, more than 1,000 ahead of the next-best team.
They’ve dominated the Bledisloe Cup (23 wins) and Freedom Cup (16 wins), further cementing their superiority in head-to-head rivalries.
Individually, New Zealand's players top the scoring charts: Dan Carter leads all point-scorers (554), Beauden Barrett is both a top points- and try-scorer, and All Blacks past and present occupy nearly every spot in the top 10.
While recent challenges from South Africa and surprise losses to Argentina have proven they’re not invincible, the All Blacks remain the gold standard in this competition.
With new talent emerging alongside legendary veterans, 2025 presents another opportunity not just to win, but to dominate once more.
Tournament Prediction: Second
Given their schedule, this season’s Championship is a flip of the coin for the All Blacks.
Hosting their toughest competitors in back-to-back tests allows Robertson’s side to put the Boks away before getting stuck into Bledisloe Cup action.
Prior to these clashes, the All Blacks will have overcome the tricky proposition of seeing off Argentina twice on the road, something they will feel confident about doing.
Across the Atlantic, South Africa should pick up two bonus-point wins against Australia, setting the table for a direct shootout in Auckland and Wellington in Round 3 and Round 4.
In this series, we see the two sides splitting to ensure the tournament comes down to the final two rounds.
Squaring off against the Wallabies two weeks later, again at Eden Park, should see the Kiwis head into the final round in good shape for the title.
This is where things get really interesting.
The Wallabies are an ascending side that will be itching to pick up a win over their greatest rivals.
In Joe Schmidt, the Australians have a coach who knows the All Blacks intimately and will have a plan to nullify their strengths.
We are, therefore, predicting a major upset with the All Blacks falling in the final round, while the Boks beat Los Pumas to secure back-to-back titles for the first time.
All Blacks Rugby Championship 2025 Squad
Forwards
Codie Taylor, Samisoni Taukei’aho, Brodie McAlister, Ethan de Groot, Tamaiti Williams, Ollie Norris, Tyrel Lomax, Fletcher Newell, Pasilio Tosi, Scott Barrett (capt), Patrick Tuipulotu, Tupou Vaa’i, Fabian Holland, Samipeni Finau, Simon Parker, Ardie Savea (vice-capt), Du’Plessis Kirifi, Wallace Sititi, Peter Lakai, Luke Jacobson.
Backs
Cortez Ratima, Cameron Roigard, Noah Hotham, Beauden Barrett, Damian McKenzie, Anton Lienert-Brown, Jordie Barrett (vice-capt), Quinn Tupaea, Billy Proctor, Timoci Tavatavanawai, Rieko Ioane, Caleb Clarke, Sevu Reece, Emoni Narawa, Will Jordan, Ruben Love.
Injury Cover
George Bower (for Tamaiti Williams), Tevita Mafileo (for Tyrel Lomax), Josh Lord (for Luke Jacobson), Finlay Christie (for Cameron Roigard/Noah Hotham), Kyle Preston (for Cameron Roigard/Noah Hotham), Leroy Carter (for Caleb Clarke).
All Blacks 2025 Rugby Championship Fixtures
All Times Eastern
Saturday, Aug. 16 at 5:10 p.m. - All Blacks vs. Argentina, Mario Alberto Kempes Stadium, Córdoba
Saturday, Aug. 23 at 5:10 p.m. - All Blacks v Argentina, Vélez Sarsfield Stadium, Buenos Aires
Saturday, Sept. 6 at 3:05 a.m. – All Blacks v South Africa, Eden Park, Auckland
Saturday, Sept. 13 at 3:05 a.m. – All Blacks v South Africa, Sky Stadium, Wellington
Saturday, Sept. 27 at 1:05 a.m. – All Blacks v Australia, Eden Park, Auckland
Saturday, Oct. 4 at 5:45 a.m. – All Blacks v Australia, Optus Stadium, Perth
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