I wouldn’t select Mark Tele’a for the All Blacks this year—not because of any personal bias or doubt over his talent. When healthy, he’s the best winger in the country.
My reasoning is the same as why I wouldn’t have chosen Sam Cane or TJ Perenara last year.
That’s where the issue lies.
Despite both having signed contracts to play in Japan, Scott Robertson still picked Cane and Perenara in 2024. If it were a World Cup year, that might’ve made sense—final campaigns are part of the rugby cycle.
But it wasn’t. It was the start of a new cycle towards 2027, and those two should’ve been phased out. Instead, they were given extended farewells that, in my view, weren’t warranted.
I’ve argued that players like Tele’a choose to leave New Zealand during their prime because they feel like outsiders in the All Blacks environment. They see certain players, like Cane and Perenara, treated differently and realize they’ll never receive that same treatment.
So why not take the overseas contract while they can, and leave the preferential treatment to those deemed ‘special’?
Tele’a is still eligible for the All Blacks in 2025, just like Cane and Perenara were last year. That puts Robertson in a tricky spot.
By precedent, leaving Tele’a out would look hypocritical. And if he does exclude him, it only adds to the perception that the All Blacks are run to suit a chosen few.
This isn’t a criticism of Cane or Perenara—they had great careers and gave a lot to the jersey. But by 2024, they were short-term solutions.
Cane himself likely didn’t expect to be called up again after essentially retiring post-2023 World Cup. He acknowledged that he was part of the previous regime, and moving to Japan was his way of stepping aside respectfully.
Robertson could’ve let him go quietly, and most would’ve seen it as a natural progression. After all, you don’t spend time on players who won’t be around in 2027.
Yet he brought Cane back. And Perenara too, even though others had overtaken him.
Had Robertson drawn a line under the Ian Foster era and moved on cleanly, things might’ve gone smoother. Instead, he’s left himself in a bind.
On form, Tele’a should be in the squad this year. For the All Blacks’ sake, I hope Robertson agrees.
But if he doesn’t—if he decides Tele’a has forfeited his spot by leaving—it will feel inconsistent, considering who was picked last year. And that might cause some unrest within the squad.
By choosing Cane and Perenara in 2024, Robertson now faces a lose-lose situation with Tele’a.
And unfortunately, that’s a problem of his own making.
