Rennie names surprise All Blacks back row for France Test with Savea shifted to No.8

Dave Rennie has named a back-row combination that raised eyebrows in his first All Blacks matchday squad, with captain Ardie Savea shifted to No.8, Luke Jacobson returning at openside flanker, and 23-year-old Peter Lakai handed a blindside start he has never made at first-class level — all for Saturday’s Test against France at One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch.

Rennie acknowledged the trio was the last piece of his selection puzzle to fall into place. “It was the area we probably discussed most around combinations,” he told media in Christchurch. “It sounds like some people got quite excited about the change, but all of those guys have played a little bit of No.8.”

Savea has worn the No.7 jersey for club and country for the past two seasons, including during his time at Rennie’s former Kobe Steelers, but the All Blacks head coach is relaxed about the reshuffle. “It’s just numbers on backs for me,” Rennie said. “We like Ardie at No.8; we could have played Ardie at No.7. I reckon what they’ve got is a complementary skillset, so we’re excited to see them work together.”

Lakai, who helped the Hurricanes to the Super Rugby Pacific title this season, has no first-class experience starting at blindside flank. Rennie explained the practical implication is minimal: “He’s packing down at No.6 at the scrum — that’s probably the only difference.”

Jacobson’s inclusion is perhaps the most notable element of the selection given the injury misfortune that has followed the Chiefs captain over the past two years. He made five bench appearances and one start during the 2024 Test season before breaking his thumb in October. In 2025, he was named to start against France in the July series only to suffer a quad injury in the warm-up, then sustained a head knock that wiped out his entire international year. A single appearance off the bench for the All Blacks XV on their European tour was the sum of his rugby late in the season.

Now fit and back in the starting XV, Jacobson said he was eager to make up for lost time. “Really looking forward to getting out there and having a crack,” he said. “I don’t find there’s too much difference between the loosie roles. There’s sometimes a little bit of a difference around lineout roles and scrummaging at No.8, but on the whole they’re pretty similar.”

Rennie was clear about what he expects Jacobson to bring against a physically imposing French side. “Luke’s tough. He’ll have a real physical presence against the French, and we think that’s really important. Both Pete and Ardie will also give us a post-tackle presence; they’re excellent athletes who suit our type of game.”