All Blacks XV win enhances reputations - the players and the coach
Sunday, 9 November 2025
ANALYSIS: Multiple All Blacks XV players put their hand up for higher honours as Jamie Joseph’s development side put England ‘A’ to the sword by 31-14 in Bath.
In what always looked like the toughest assignment of the All Blacks XV’s three-game tour, Braydon Ennor, Caleb Tangitau, Josh Jacomb, Dalton Papali’i, Devan Flanders and TK Howden - in the unfamiliar position of lock - caught the eye against the English.
England ‘A’ scored a late try to add some gloss to the scoreline, but the All Blacks XV had provided all of the highlights with some sparkling attacking rugby as they enjoyed the afternoon kickoff in Bath.
However, if All Blacks winger Sevu Reece had hoped to use the fixture to reinvigorate his test career, it didn’t turn out that way.
When put in space in the first half it was clear that the top-end pace needed at the highest level just isn’t there any more.
The All Blacks XV still scored from the passage of play, but Tangitau was again the pick of the wingers on display - and Scott Robertson and co will have noticed how he won the ball back from a second-half box kick, knocking the ball back on the New Zealand side.
It was otherwise another patchy aerial display by a New Zealand side, with even the normally reliable Chay Fihaki having issues at fullback.
But perhaps the most significant performance came from Jacomb, in terms of the All Blacks’ tour of South Africa next year.
The Highlanders-bound Chiefs No 10 didn’t have a great game against the Barbarians last week and wasn’t particularly convincing in the first half against England ‘A’, but he burst into life in the second spell.
He looks good when he gets to play his natural game - attacking space with ball in hand - and he was also one of three players to produce smart offloads to create a try for Folau Fakatava.
For the second week in a row, Crusaders playmaker Rivez Reihana also impressed off the bench, and there is a real race on to be the next cab off the rank for the All Blacks No 10 position.
That is the context to the looming decision of what to do with Ruben Love at the All Blacks and the Hurricanes.
Love could switch to No 10 in Super Rugby Pacific, but does he see more of an All Blacks opportunity at fullback?
Crusaders fans will insist Will Jordan has to play fullback, but do the All Blacks actually benefit more when he plays in the No 14 jersey?
That is perhaps a debate for another day, but the All Blacks XV have certainly did their bit to promote players into the top squad - exactly what they set out to do before the tour.
The other conclusion that New Zealand Rugby will take out of the tour is that Joseph remains a good fit for international rugby - with one game remaining against Uruguay, the All Blacks XV are on track to enjoy the best campaign since their inception.