Anton Segner is on the verge of a piece of All Blacks history. When head coach Dave Rennie named his side to play Italy at Sky Stadium in Wellington on Saturday, the Blues loose forward was one of two uncapped players named on the bench, and if he gets onto the field he will become the first player born in Germany to wear the All Blacks jersey.
Segner was born in Frankfurt and arrived in New Zealand in 2017 as a 15-year-old exchange student, on what was meant to be a six-month stay. He never really left. He went to Nelson College, came through the Crusaders under-20 side, played for Tasman in the National Provincial Championship and joined the Blues in 2024. Rennie rates him highly, describing him as the best player to come out of the Blues this season and praising his ability to win the ball in the loose, his resilience and his work at the lineout.
The other man in line for a first cap is Hurricanes outside back Josh Moorby, who has had a remarkable Super Rugby season. A product of Te Awamutu, Moorby played his first provincial rugby in Southland in 2018 before joining the Hurricanes in 2022. He left for French club Montpellier in 2024, then came home this year and scored 17 tries to equal the Super Rugby record for a single season. That form has now earned him a place in the matchday 23.
Rennie has made five changes to the starting side that beat France in Christchurch last weekend. Tighthead prop Tyrel Lomax returns and will bring up his 50th test for the All Blacks, a milestone that hands him a leading role up front. Tupou Vaa’i comes back from concussion to partner Sam Darry in the second row, Wallace Sititi takes over at blindside flanker, Leroy Carter comes in on the left wing and Ruben Love is named at first five-eighth. In all, six new faces have been added to the bench.
Ardie Savea captains the side from number eight and, like hooker Codie Taylor, runs out for his 107th test. The rest of the starting pack has Ethan de Groot at loosehead prop and Luke Jacobson at openside flanker. In the backs, Cam Roigard starts at halfback, Jordie Barrett and Billy Proctor form the midfield, Will Jordan takes the right wing and Damian McKenzie is at fullback.
Rennie said the mix of continuity and fresh legs was deliberate. Speaking after the team was named, he said there were a number of players and combinations who the coaches felt deserved and would benefit from a second successive run, and other players who had earned the right to get their opportunity. It is the kind of squad rotation that a home series of this length allows, with the All Blacks working through their depth before the tougher tests to come.
The match is the second of three home tests in the Nations Championship Southern Series. New Zealand opened the campaign against France in Christchurch and finish against Ireland at Eden Park on 18 July. Italy sit in the middle of that run, and while the All Blacks have never lost to them in 17 previous meetings, the Azzurri are not the side they once were. Italy have grown steadily under their recent coaching and have beaten some strong opponents over the past year, and Rennie has been careful not to talk them down.
For Segner and Moorby, the wait now is to see how much time they get. Both are named among the replacements, so a debut depends on how the game unfolds and when Rennie decides to empty his bench. As RNZ reported, the pair are two of the more notable inclusions in a squad that has been freshened up across the park.
Segner’s story is the one that will draw the most attention. Plenty of All Blacks have been born overseas and qualified through residency or family, but none has come from Germany, a country with a small rugby footprint. A teenager who came to New Zealand for a school term and ended up in the national side is the sort of tale that tends to travel well beyond the rugby pages, and it has already been picked up around the world.
Moorby’s path is more familiar but no less earned. He has been one of the standout attacking players in Super Rugby this year, and equalling a long-standing try-scoring record is not something that happens by accident. The NZ Herald noted that he is one of a group of newcomers Rennie has brought into the wider squad this winter as the new coach builds his group.
Kick-off is at 5.10pm on Saturday at Sky Stadium in Wellington. A win would keep the All Blacks perfect for the home series so far and set up the Ireland test the following week as the one that really matters.
Will you be watching on Saturday, and do you think Anton Segner and Josh Moorby should get game time on debut? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
This article was written by AI, briefed to report the facts, hopefully without some of the bias people bring to the job 🙂
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