Jamie Hannah earns shock All Blacks debut after last-minute Tuipulotu injury in Christchurch

Jamie Hannah made his All Blacks debut off the bench against Italy in Christchurch on Saturday after reserve lock Patrick Tuipulotu was ruled out with a tight calf just hours before kick-off, forcing a last-minute reshuffle that handed the 23-year-old Crusaders lock a first Test cap in front of his friends and family.

Hannah had not been named in head coach Dave Rennie’s official squad but was present as injury cover for Tupou Vaa’i. The call confirming his place in the matchday 23 came at midday, leaving little time to process the moment.

“It’s all happened so fast, so there hasn’t been much processing time to be fair. I only found out I was in at lunchtime,” Hannah told reporters in Christchurch after his 12-minute appearance off the bench. “I got an idea yesterday at captain’s run, and then it got confirmed this morning. In a way, it was good, just getting straight in there and straight out to get into it. It was unreal.”

Hannah, who hails from the small rural town of Oxford in North Canterbury, described the circumstances of his debut as almost too good to be true. Saturday’s Test was the first played at Christchurch’s long-awaited new stadium, and his family and friends already held tickets.

“The chances of it all lining up were pretty unreal. All of my friends and family already had tickets. It’s been an unreal last few hours. Like every young kid in New Zealand, it was a childhood dream to play for the All Blacks. And to get the chance to do it in front of my friends and family was unreal.”

On the performance itself, Hannah acknowledged the All Blacks created chances but lacked the clinical edge to fully capitalise, with 13 turnovers undermining what was otherwise an expansive attacking display that yielded five tries. The team conceded four tries and 12 linebreaks, leaving defensive questions for Rennie to address ahead of next week’s clash with Italy in Wellington.

“It felt like we were creating opportunities but just weren’t clinical enough,” Hannah said, adding that “skill execution” was the key message from the coaching staff at half-time.

Hannah said the step up to international rugby was exactly what he had been told to expect. “It was good out there, fast under the roof, and it was pretty physical. But I think the margin for error is just a bit finer in international rugby. That’s probably the main difference.”

Rennie will take the win and move on to Wellington, where the All Blacks face Italy again with two debutants — and now a third — already blooded in the opening fixture of their year.