Rennie explains why record-breaking Taumoefolau missed All Blacks Nations Championship squad

Kyren Taumoefolau broke the NPC single-season try-scoring record for Tasman in 2026, crossing 19 times in 11 starts, yet All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie left the 23-year-old outside back out of his Nations Championship squad, citing defensive deficiencies as the primary reason.

Speaking at the squad announcement press conference in Auckland on Tuesday, Rennie confirmed Taumoefolau had been considered. “Yeah, look, he came up in discussions. Obviously, he scored a lot of tries and had a good Super season as well,” Rennie said. “I think he’s got a few areas to focus on, especially defensively. And so his job will be to have a really big Super season next year, like a lot of other guys, to apply a bit of pressure. But yeah, we’ve got some pretty good outside backs at the moment.”

Taumoefolau, a former Tonga international who became All Blacks-eligible at the start of October, also led the NPC in clean breaks, defenders beaten, and metres made with the ball in hand. Tasman were eliminated in the quarter-finals by eventual runners-up Northland, but his individual performances had generated significant speculation about a potential All Blacks call-up.

Rennie’s named outside back group for the Nations Championship consists of Rieko Ioane, Chay Fihaki, Fehi Fineanganofo, Josh Moorby, Will Jordan, and Beauden Barrett.

Also absent from the squad is Emoni Narawa, who has earned just four Test caps across three years of intermittent involvement with the All Blacks. Rennie indicated the decision to prefer Fihaki was a collective one among both selectors and coaches.

“That was another conversation, not just among the selectors, but among the coaches. And look, he’s got a lot of support within the group,” Rennie said of Narawa. “We ended up deciding to take Chay; we liked what we saw in him. Him spending another four or five weeks in the group gave us a better understanding of where he’s at and what he’s got to get to. He’s had an excellent Super season. He’s played really well for Canterbury.”

Rennie added that Narawa remains close to selection. “It’s tough on him; Emoni’s a good player, but he’s got pretty clear messages around the couple of shifts that we want to see, and you know he’d be the next cab off the rank if we got an injury.”