(Reuters) – All Blacks coach Scott Robertson has retained former captain Sam Cane and long-serving scrumhalf TJ Perenara in his 36-man squad for the season-ending tour of the northern hemisphere.
New Zealand media had speculated Robertson would cut loose forward Cane and Perenara to develop new players given the seasoned pair will head to Japan on multiple-year deals at the end of the current season.
However, Robertson has opted for continuity on his first northern tour after losing the Rugby Championship title to world champions South Africa.
His squad features just one change to the roster that secured home-and-away Rugby Championship test wins against Australia, with scrumhalf Cam Roigard returning after a long recovery from a serious knee injury.
Roigard scored two tries for provincial side Counties Manukau over the weekend in a successful return to competitive rugby, and joins Perenara and Cortez Ratima among the squad’s three scrumhalves.
Crusaders halfback Noah Hotham, who made his test debut against Fiji in San Diego, misses out.
“It was fantastic to see Cam in great form for Counties in the weekend and we are excited to have him back in the mix,” Robertson said in a statement on Monday.
“Fellow halfbacks Cortez Ratima and TJ Perenara showed during the Rugby Championship that they deserve their spots in the squad.”
Cane retains his place among a loose forward mix also featuring Dalton Papali’i, Wallace Sititi and Ethan Blackadder.
The All Blacks start their tour against Eddie Jones’s Japan in Yokohama on Oct. 26 before meeting England at Twickenham on Nov. 2.
They then face Ireland, France and Italy in successive weeks in November.
“This Northern Tour is an exciting challenge, which will allow us to continue evolving our game and building a style of rugby that creates opportunities against some fierce competition,” Robertson said.
“We have selected a squad that will bring consistency and continuity, while also achieving the right balance of giving newer talent the chance to develop.”
Squad:
Forwards – Asafo Aumua, Codie Taylor, George Bell, Ethan De Groot, Tyrel Lomax, Fletcher Newell, Pasilio Tosi, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Tamaiti Williams, Scott Barrett, Tupou Vaa’i, Patrick Tuipulotu, Sam Darry, Ethan Blackadder, Sam Cane, Samipeni Finau, Luke Jacobson, Dalton Papali’i, Ardie Savea, Wallace Sititi
Backs – Cam Roigard, TJ Perenara, Cortez Ratima, Beauden Barrett, Damian McKenzie, Jordie Barrett, David Havili, Rieko Ioane, Anton Lienert-Brown, Billy Proctor, Caleb Clarke, Will Jordan, Ruben Love, Stephen Perofeta, Sevu Reece, Mark Tele’a
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Jamie Freed)
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