All Black Samisoni Taukei’aho summoned to start Super Rugby Pacific amid Chiefs hooker crisis
Thursday, 5 February 2026
Samisoni Taukei’aho has done a U-turn on his plan to skip the start of the Super Rugby Pacific season, coming to the rescue for new coach Jono Gibbes after an injury to fellow All Black Brodie McAlister left the Chiefs with a hooker crisis going into their campaign.
As reported by the Waikato Times in December, Taukei’aho, the 28-year-old 43-test rep, had been scheduled to sit out the first two rounds of the competition, which kicks off next weekend, as part of a late-start clause in his New Zealand Rugby contract.
The logic was, in what shapes as a huge All Blacks year featuring 17 games (13 tests), including a much-anticipated tour of South Africa, it would give the 115kg powerhouse a little extra time to build his way into the season, having previously talked about being guilty of going too hard too early and not being able to hang on later in the year.
However, a spanner has now been thrown in the works, with NRL returnee Tyrone Thompson (calf) and uncapped Taine Kolose (knee) having been nursing niggles, and for the perfect storm to be capped off with a broken hand to McAlister at training last week, which is set to sideline the 2025 newly-capped All Black for the first two-to-three rounds.
“It was in a drill that had some hit-shields, so not full-contact, and his hand came in contact with Josh Lord’s knee,” Gibbes told the Waikato Times.
“It’s nothing complicated, doesn’t require any surgical intervention, but just bad timing, and really unlucky.”
McAlister, 28, had enjoyed a strong first campaign in Chiefs colours last year, following his move from the Crusaders, playing 12 games (starting five), then earning his international call-up, playing two tests, along with notching two more games for the All Blacks XV.
“He became a really good leader in certain areas for us, brought a good calmness around some defensive organisation around lineout, and just had a really positive impact off the field as well,” said Gibbes, who was an assistant coach with the team last year to Clayton McMillan, who departed to Munster at season’s end.
“We were really looking forward to him starting the season growing and having more influence on and off the field. He just has to bide his time now a little bit.”
Ironically, the Chiefs were one of two Kiwi teams (the Hurricanes the other) to contract four hookers rather than the standard three in their squad of 38, chiefly due to Thompson becoming available late after opting to return from the Newcastle Knights, and also, further ironically, in part to cover Taukei’aho’s early-season absence.
However, having returned to team training along with the rest of the All Blacks last Monday, Taukei’aho has now proved a rather handy man to call on to fill the void, for what are three first-up derbies for the three-time runners-up, away to the Blues next Saturday, then away to the Highlanders and home to the Crusaders.
“Soni’s been in Hamilton, he’s been around, and understood the situation, and made himself available for the start of the season, which is pretty awesome from him,” Gibbes said.
The Chiefs have their second and final pre-season game against the Hurricanes in Porirua on Saturday, and it could be that wider-training-group member JJ Pokai (Taranaki) and Sione Tupou, the one-test Tonga international and Steamers rep, get further minutes, after holding the fort in last Saturday’s 47-31 win over the Fijian Drua in Mt Maunganui.
Gibbes said not all the All Blacks will take the park in the fixture, given their individually-tailored return-to-play plans, but that they are all selectable for the Chiefs’ opener at Eden Park. Should he want them from the get-go, that is.
“Internally we’ve had guys who have done a great job in December that have continued to keep growing, and that have built confidence in the depth of our squad.
“So, yeah, all the All Blacks will be available round one, but that doesn’t guarantee that they will play.”