Neil Barnes on tightest All Blacks selections: 'You don't do s**t like that lightly'

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Neil Barnes on tightest All Blacks selections: 'You don't do s**t like that lightly'

2026/06/23 Report

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All Blacks lead assistant coach Neil Barnes has shared some insights into the tight selection calls in the first All Blacks squad of 2026, addressing the established Test players who have been left out.

Some of the names fans were most shocked not to see in Monday's squad included Rieko Ioane and Du'Plessis Kirifi, both in their prime playing years and were All Blacks in 2025.

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Barnes told Sport Nation's Scotty and Izzy radio show that he had felt the weight of responsibility involved in selecting his first All Blacks squad, and was pushed to work harder than he had before to make his selections. The former Canada, Fiji and Italy assistant joined All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie and former head coach, Sir Graham Henry, on the national team's selection panel.

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