Three Selection Changes The All Blacks Must Make On November Tour
Three Selection Changes The All Blacks Must Make On November Tour
Data from The Rugby Championship reveals where the All Blacks must evolve before November: Jordie Barrett, a new midfield, and Cam Roigard’s rise.
After six rounds of The Rugby Championship, one truth stood out - South Africa remains the benchmark for physicality, precision and control.
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New Zealand finished second, winning four from six, but the numbers expose structural flaws that will not survive the northern tour.
The All Blacks have not lost their talent, but they have lost clarity. The data points to three clear selection changes that could reshape their November campaign.
Move Jordie Barrett To Fullback
Jordie Barrett spent the entire Rugby Championship at inside center, yet with an ever-increasing need to dominate the aerial game, a move to fullback could pay huge dividends for the All Blacks.
Among the best one-on-one contesters of high balls in the game, Barrett's ability to defuse the long contestable kicking game of sides such as the Springboks, Ireland and France would force opponents to rethink their approach.
In the 43-10 loss to South Africa at Sky Stadium, he led New Zealand in kicks from hand (12) in what was a pressure-relieving move for his side against a rampant Springbok side.
His long kicking range and reliability under the high ball would add structure to a backfield that often leaked meters through broken alignment.
Linking Barrett with Will Jordan and Leroy Carter, the All Blacks could finally balance aerial security with strike running.
Jordan averaged 126 meters per match and remains the team’s best counter-attacker.
Carter’s pace and instinctive finishing ability complement that setup perfectly.
A Barrett-led backfield would restore order and release chaos in the right areas of the field.
Rebuild The Midfield
The current Barrett-Proctor pairing produced no line breaks in the opening rounds and managed just 47 meters combined in the defeat to Argentina.
That is an alarming number for any international midfield, let alone one built to control tempo and crash through contact.
When Quinn Tupaea returned against South Africa in Round 3, the difference was immediate. He scored a try, made 13 carries and straightened the line in a way the All Blacks had been missing.
Gainline success jumped from 41% to 53%.
Leicester Faingaʻanuku’s 71 metres carried from the wing against Australia in Perth underlined how his power game fits beside Tupaea’s directness.
Together, they bring balance: Tupaea’s composure and defensive decision-making inside, Faingaʻanuku’s explosiveness and physical intimidation outside.
This combination would allow the All Blacks to play flatter, shorten defensive lines and generate cleaner fronts for their playmakers. It is a return to substance over subtlety.
A New General In Town
New Zealand’s attack has long revolved around a dominant fly-half.
The problem is that modern defenses have adapted, and in truth, New Zealand currently does not have a dominant No. 10.
Against Argentina and South Africa, the All Blacks’ structure became predictable, ruck speed slowed to over three seconds and the attack shape flattened out.
Enter Cam Roigard.
His two-try performance in the 33-24 win over Australia at Eden Park showed why he should be the tactical heartbeat.
Roigard played at a tempo the Wallabies could not live with, directing short-range carries and exploiting lazy defenders around the ruck.
The All Blacks scored both of their tries within five phases of possession.
In Perth, Roigard again ranked among the top five New Zealand players for carries and meters gained, while Damian McKenzie focused on territory and goal kicking.
That distribution of responsibility worked.
Roigard’s tempo frees McKenzie or emerging talents like Ruben Love and Rivez Reihana to operate as strike runners and dual kickers, rather than as pure organizers. It modernizes the All Blacks’ shape, aligning with what Ireland and France have perfected in recent seasons.
Time To Innovate
These are not reactionary changes; they are corrections based on evidence.
The Opta data confirms the All Blacks still dominate possession, meters and line breaks, but remain inefficient in exits, midfield collisions and tempo.
Moving Jordie Barrett to No. 15 improves backfield organization.
Rebuilding the midfield around Tupaea and Faingaʻanuku restores the gainline platform.
Handing control to Roigard redefines the rhythm of their attack. Together, these shifts create a team that plays with purpose rather than habit.
The All Blacks have the athletes and skill to beat anyone, but only if selection reflects clarity.
For a side once defined by innovation, the numbers show it is time to start leading again.
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