Razor's first All Blacks Squad for 2024 is...

[cashead]

Hooker
Asafo Aumua (Hurricanes/Wellington)
Codie Taylor (Crusaders/Canterbury)
George Bell (Crusaders/Canterbury)

Props
Ethan de Groot (Highlanders/Southland)
Tyrel Lomax (Hurricanes/Tasman)
Fletcher Newell (Crusaders/Canterbury)
Pasilio Tosi (Hurricanes/Bay of Plenty)
Ofa Tu'ungafasi (Blues/Northland)
Tamaiti Williams (Crusaders/Canterbury)

Locks
Scott Barrett (Captain, Crusaders/Taranaki)
Patrick Tuipulotu (Blues/Auckland)
Tupou Va'ai (Chiefs/Taranaki)

Loose Forwards
Ethan Blackadder (Crusaders/Tasman)
Samipeni Finau (Chiefs/Waikato)
Luke Jacobson (Chiefs/Waikato)
Dalton Papali'i (Blues/Counties Manukau)
Ardie Savea (Wellington)
Wallace Sititi (Chiefs/North Harbour)

Halfbacks
Finlay Christie (Blues/Tasman)
Noah Hotham (Crusaders/Tasman)
TJ Perenara (Hurricanes/Wellington)
Cortez Ratima (Chiefs/Waikato)

Five-Eighths
Beauden Barrett (Taranaki)
Damian McKenzie (Chiefs/Waikato)

Midfielders
Jordie Barrett (Hurricanes/Taranaki)
Rieko Ioane (Blues/Auckland)
Anton Lienert-Brown (Chiefs/Waikato)
Billy Proctor (Hurricanes/Wellington)

Back Three Quarters
Caleb Clarke (Blues/Auckland)
Emoni Narawa (Chiefs/Bay of Plenty)
Stephen Perofeta (Blues/Taranaki)
Sevu Reece (Crusaders/Southland)
Mark Tele’a (Blues/North Harbour)

[cashead]

Breakdown by Super Rugby team

Blues
Beauden Barrett*
Finlay Christie
Caleb Clarke
Rieko Ioane
Dalton Papali'i
Stephen Perofeta
Mark Tele’a
Patrick Tuipulotu
Ofa Tu'ungafasi

Chiefs
Samipeni Finau
Luke Jacobson
Anton Lienert-Brown
Damian McKenzie
Emoni Narawa
Cortez Ratima
Wallace Sititi
Tupou Va'ai

Hurricanes
Asafo Aumua
Jordie Barrett
Tyrel Lomax
Fletcher Newell
TJ Perenara
Billy Proctor
Ardie Savea*
Pasilio Tosi

Crusaders
Scott Barrett
George Bell
Ethan Blackadder
Sevu Reece
Codie Taylor
Tamaiti Williams

Highlanders
Ethan de Groot


Unsurprisingly, the Blues, Chiefs and Hurricanes are rewarded with heavy representation in the team, contributing 9, 8 and 8 respectively. The Crusaders also get 8 representatives in, although it is hard to question most of the selections (not feelin' Blackadder, myself. I'd have gone with Naitoa Ah Kuoi as a lock/blindside cover, TBH).

The lack of Highlanders representation is unsurprising, as other than de Groot, their best players are either leaving (Harmon) or sill ineligible (Holland).

[Puja]

No Sotutu?

Puja

[cashead]

Nope. No Sotutu. It’s seen as a bit of a shock, but the story is that he does have some attitude issues, and there are some question marks over his defence.

During the Super Rugby final, Sititi was also more effective with ball in hand, beating more defenders, and getting more metres with fewer carries than Sotutu as well.

[J Dory]

Starting 15 anyone? I'll have a go:

1: Ethan De Groot
2: Codie Taylor
3: Tyrel Lomax
4: Scott Barrett
5: Patrick Tuipulotu
6: Ethan Blackadder
7: Ardie Savea
8: Wallace Sititi
9: TJ Perenara
10: Damien McKenzie
11: Caleb Clarke
12: Jordie Barrett
13: Billie Proctor
14: Sevu Reece
15: Beauden Barrett

[cashead]

I'd go with

1. de Groot
2. Taylor
3. Lomax
4. Tuipulotu
5. S Barrett (C)
6. Blackadder
7. Papali'i
8. Savea
9. Perenara
10. McKenzie
11. Clarke
12. J Barrett
13. Ioane
14. Reece
15. Perofeta

16. Aumua
17. Tu'ungafasi
18. Newell
19. Va'ai
20. Sititi
21. Christie
22. B Barrett
23. Telea