Former All Blacks full-back Shane Howarth has called on Dave Rennie to be bolder than his predecessors and pick a younger player at fly-half.
The 57-year-old would like to see Hurricanes star Ruben Love given a go in the number 10 jersey after a stunning season in Super Rugby Pacific.
Should that happen, he would be the first player not named Beauden Barrett, Damian McKenzie or Richie Mo’unga to start a Test for the All Blacks since Lima Sopoaga in 2017.
That means Ian Foster (2019-2023) and Scott Robertson (2023-2026) relied on those players throughout their tenures, with Mo’unga only not featuring for New Zealand under the latter due to his stint in Japan.
‘Banging the drum’
“I’ve been banging the drum for a while about where are the apprentices? Where are the young boys coming up? Beauden’s going to be 36 at the World Cup,” Howarth told The Rugby Run on Sport Nation.
“It really sits on Ian Foster and Scott Robertson that they haven’t brought anyone through. This can’t sit with Dave Rennie, he’s got to do what’s in front of him, but I could name three youngsters I would have tried: [Rivez] Reihana, [Josh] Jacomb and Love.
“Why haven’t they been tried? That’s the thing you’ve got to look at because then it’s a matter of, ‘oh well, Damian and Beauden have got Test experience, so they have to play regardless of form’.
“It sits with poor old Dave Rennie now and I really hope that Rens goes, ‘do you know what, Ruben Love, you have this first game’.”
Mo’unga will be eligible later in the year after re-signing with New Zealand Rugby but there is currently a question mark about the fly-half position.
McKenzie has impressed for the Chiefs but Barrett is currently struggling in a Blues side that have not found their attacking rhythm in 2026.
“Going to coach the All Blacks I understand the pressure and the feeling that you have to win, but I think the New Zealand public would be a lot lighter on you if you are trying players to see if they can actually play at that level.
“You don’t know until they play. Everyone goes, ‘Ruben Love, he could possibly be good at Test match level or Josh Jacomb could be good in a Test match’. Well, you don’t know until they play and that’s where I think the New Zealand public now would be a lot easier if you tried someone in a Test.
“Even if they didn’t win the Test, at least they’ve got experience.”
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Fly-half the big All Blacks concern
Howarth was then asked separately what the big area of concern for the All Blacks was and he retuned to the fly-half conundrum.
“It’s 10 isn’t it, that’s the crux, and I really, really hope Dave Rennie goes, ‘you know what, Ruben Love, first Test match, it’s yours’,” he said.
“I can’t tell you [if he’s good enough], that’s the roundabout. You’ve got to put him in to see because it’s another level going up to All Blacks level from Super Rugby.
“I want to see, ‘here you go Ruben, here’s the first Test, you’ve got the 10 jersey, show us what you can do’.”
While it would be a brave call for Rennie to pick Love over Barrett and McKenzie, it would also make sense from a combination standpoint given that the players either side of the fly-half are likely to be from the Hurricanes.
“That’s the nail on the head, he’s comfortable, he knows Cam Roigard and he knows Jordie [Barrett], and they know him, so I really, really hope Ruben Love runs out at 10 in the first Test,” Howarth added.
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