Ten All Blacks return to Hilux NPC as Bledisloe looms

The All Blacks have returned home from the first Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry presented by Castle Double Malt with plenty to digest, but the focus will need to turn quickly to the next challenge ahead of the team. 

A further ten All Blacks who were part of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry in South Africa and the U.S.A. are available to play for their provincial teams in this week’s Hilux NPC. This is in addition to the players who returned from the tour earlier and have already featured for their teams.

All Blacks returning to the Hilux NPC this week

Five All Blacks are set to feature in the Tasman v Bay of Plenty fixture at Nelson’s Trafalgar Park on Thursday 24 September. Tasman will have Timoci Tavatavanawai and Noah Hotham available to add impact to the back line, while prop Pasilio Tosi and outside backs Fehi Fineanganofo and Emoni Narawa will be available for Bay of Plenty. 

Northland will have the services of loose forward Simon Parker for Saturday afternoon’s Ranfurly Shield defence against Counties Manukau at Semenoff Stadium, Whangārei. When Canterbury host Southland that evening, they will have lock Jamie Hannah available to call on, while Southland will be bolstered by loose forward Semisi Ta’eiloa. 

On Sunday, Taranaki will have the option to include lock Josh Lord in their line-up to play Hawkes Bay in Napier. 

Halfback Cortez Ratima, is a chance to feature for Waikato against Wellington on Sunday afternoon if he is medically cleared to play.

Countdown to the Bleisloe Cup

The Bledisloe Cup begins against Australia at Eden Park on 10 October before the return Test at Sydney’s Accor Stadium on 17 October. After seven demanding weeks on tour and four consecutive Tests against South Africa, the immediate challenge will be recovering physically and converting some painful lessons into improved performances against Australia. 

South Africa sealed the series with a 43-28 victory in Baltimore, scoring six tries to four in the first Test between the rivals played in the United States. The All Blacks remained within striking distance for much of the match, but South Africa were more clinical when opportunities arrived. 

The All Blacks produced several encouraging attacking passages. Captain Codie Taylor scored the opening try, Will Jordan finished a patient 32-phase attack and Ethan Blackadder crossed during a fourth-quarter fightback. Beauden Barrett added a late try, but scores from Malcolm Marx and Pieter-Steph du Toit shortly after halftime gave South Africa control before Kurt-Lee Arendse’s long-range effort effectively settled the contest. South Africa’s win completed a 3-1 series victory.

Lessons from Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry

The series began brightly for the All Blacks with a 33-16 victory at Ellis Park. South Africa responded by winning the next three Tests, repeatedly finding ways to turn periods of pressure into points. 

Set-piece consistency, discipline and the collection of contested kicks will be important review areas. The All Blacks showed that their attacking game can trouble even the South Africans, but too often they required long passages of possession to score. South Africa were more ruthless, particularly after penalties and turnovers. 

Rennie acknowledged the disappointment while maintaining that the tour had accelerated the development of his squad. 

“The result hurts,” Rennie said, adding that he remained “excited about where our game is heading”. Rennie said the All Blacks were “tracking in the right direction”, but also recognised South Africa’s ability to punish mistakes. He described South Africa as clinical with the chances they created. 

Taylor, captaining the All Blacks for the first time in a Test in Baltimore, delivered a similarly measured assessment. 

“We don’t die wondering,” he said after the final whistle. “I know this will set us up going forward.” The hooker also described the tour as a “good stepping stone”, particularly with the 2027 Rugby World Cup now little more than a year away. 

Richie Mo’unga’s return provided another significant storyline. Playing his first Test since the 2023 World Cup final, Mo’unga was once again exposed to the pace and pressure of top-level international rugby. Afterwards, he described the current Springboks as a “complete team”, an indication of the standard the All Blacks must reach consistently.

All Blacks injury picture before the Bledisloe Cup

Recovery will be central to the All Blacks’ preparation over the coming weeks. 

Ardie Savea missed the Baltimore Test after dislocating his shoulder in the third match in Johannesburg. His availability for the Bledisloe Cup series remains uncertain and will depend on further assessment. 

Luke Jacobson was also ruled out of the finale with an elbow injury, while Quinn Tupaea suffered a knee injury. Anton Lienert-Brown, who started in the mid-field in Baltimore, also required assessment after injuring his knee. Rennie indicated the initial news was encouraging, confirming it did not appear to be an ACL injury. 

The break before the first Bledisloe Cup Test may also improve the chances of former captain Scott Barrett rejoining the squad. Caleb Clarke, Billy Proctor and several other players were injured during the wider tour, highlighting the physicality of the South African campaign. 

Australia have injury problems of their own. First-choice flyhalf Carter Gordon has fractured his leg and is expected to miss the Bledisloe Cup. Filipo Daugunu is also injured, with Jordan Petaia called into the wider squad.

All Blacks injury status

Status as at 21 September 2026. Return dates remain subject to medical clearance and the naming of the Bledisloe Cup squad. 

Ten members of the All Blacks squad for Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry sustained injuries during the tour. Below is an update on the status of those injuries (status as of 21 September 2026; return dates remain subject to medical clearance): 

• Anton Lienert-Brown: Knee (MCL) injury. Likely return to play 4 – 6 weeks. 
• Ardie Savea: Dislocated shoulder; will require surgery. Likely return to play to be determined following surgery. 
• Luke Jacobson: Elbow tendon injury; has had surgery. Likely return to play 4 – 5 months. 
• Quinn Tupaea: Knee injury (MCL). Likely return to play 1- 2 weeks. 
• Anton Segner: Ankle-joint inflammation. Likely return to play 1 – 2 weeks. 
• Cortez Ratima: Knee injury (PCL). Likely return to play 1 - 2 weeks. 
• Billy Proctor: Fractured shoulder blade. Likely return to play 4 – 6 weeks. 
• Caleb Clarke: Ruptured shoulder tendon. Likely return to play 5 months. 
• Ollie Norris: Knee cartilage injury. Likely return to play Super Rugby pre-season. 
• George Bell: Calf injury. Has returned to play in NPC.

A fresh challenge at Eden Park

The All Blacks have held the Bledisloe Cup since 2003, but Rennie will know that history cannot be allowed to disguise the improvements still required. 

Australia will arrive with a new coach, an evolving squad and nothing to lose. For the All Blacks, the opening Test offers an opportunity to respond in front of a home crowd and reinforce the progress their coaches and players believe was made in South Africa. 

Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry exposed the All Blacks to four weeks of relentless Test match pressure. The Bledisloe Cup will show how quickly they have learned from it. 

Reinforcements could reshape the Bledisloe Cup squad 

The break before the Bledisloe Cup should allow Rennie to refresh his squad after the physical toll of the South African tour. Former captain Scott Barrett is expected to be available after missing Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry through injury, while Leicester Fainga’anuku is also targeting a return after breaking his leg during the Super Rugby Pacific finals.

2026 Bledisloe Cup fixtures

All Blacks v Australia: Saturday 10 October, 7.10PM (NZT), Eden Park, Auckland  

All Blacks v Australia: Saturday 17 October, 6.00PM (NZT), Accor Stadium, Sydney 

Click here to purchase tickets to the All Blacks v Australia at Eden Park. Tune in to the Bledisloe Cup Tests live on Sky Sport or follow the game with live updates, scores, stats and more in the Official All Blacks Match Centre.