Ten new caps have been named in the Maori All Blacks squad for their 2017 northern tour to Canada and France.
He tāngata hou, he kaiako hou, he wāhanga hou mo te Kapa Ōpango Māori kua whakaingoatia i te rangi nei
Tekau ngā mahuri tōtara kua tohua ki te ope ō Te Kapa Ōpango Māori mo te hīkoi 2017 ki te raki, ki Kānata me Wīwī.
The Maori All Blacks squad is (E tohu ana te * i ngā kaitākaro hou):
| Te Aroākapa | ||
| Chris Eves | Waikato / Tainui | North Harbour |
| Ross Wright * | Ngāti Whātua | Northland |
| Marcel Renata | Ngāti Whānaunga / Te Aupouri | Auckland |
| Tyrel Lomax * | Ngāi Tuhoe / Muaupoko | Tasman |
| Kaikape | ||
| Ash Dixon | Ngāti Tahinga | Hawke’s Bay |
| Liam Polwart* | Ngāti Maru | Bay of Plenty |
| Kaiwhītiki | ||
| Tom Franklin | Ngāti Maniapoto | Bay of Plenty |
| Jackson Hemopo * | Tūhourangi / Ngāti Wāhiao | Manawatu |
| Jarrad Hoeata | Ngāi Tūhoe / Ngāti Kahungunu | North Harbour |
| Te Keepatakatakaaorangi (Keepa) Mewett | Te Aupouri | Bay of Plenty |
| Poutaka | ||
| Dan Pryor | Ngāti Awa / Ngāti Pikiao / Ngāti Rangitihi | Northland |
| Sam Henwood * | Ngāpuhi / Te Whānau ā Apanui | Counties Manukau |
| Akira Ioane | Ngāpuhi / Te Whānau ā Apanui | Auckland |
| Jordan Manihera * | Ngati Wairere / Waikato -Tainui | Waikato |
| Poutoko | ||
| Brad Weber | Ngāti Porou | Hawke’s Bay |
| Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi | Ngāti Pikiao | Taranaki |
| Jonathan Ruru * | Ngāti Kahungunu / Rongomaiwāhine | Otago |
| Topatahi | ||
| Ihaia West | Ngāti Kahungunu / Ngāti Porou | Hawke’s Bay |
| Jackson Garden-Bachop * | Ngāti Awa | Wellington |
| Takuahi | ||
| Tim Bateman | Ngāi Tahu | Canterbury |
| Rob Thompson | Ngāti Kahungunu | Canterbury |
| Teihorangi Walden * | Te Atiawa | Otago |
| Poumuri | ||
| Sean Wainui | Ngāi Tuhoe / Te Āitanga a Māhaki / Ngā Arikikaiputahi / Ngāti Porou | Taranaki |
| Charlie Ngātai | Ngāti Porou / Te Whānau ā Apanui / Te Whakatōhea | Taranaki |
| Ambrose Curtis | Ngāi Te Rangi | Manawatu |
He tokorua anō ka whakaingoatia mai hei te roanga o te wiki.
Ko ngā kaitākaro kua whara, e kore e tākaro: Otere Black, Namatahi Waa, Ben May, Matt Proctor, Jacob Skeen, Kara Pryor, Leighton Price, Elliot Dixon, Bryn Hall.
Ka tākaro Te Kapa Ōpango Māori ki a Kānata i Vancouver hei te 3 o Whiringa ā rangi, me te kapa o ngā Mohoao o Wīwī (French Barbarians) ki Bordeaux hei te 10 o Whiringa ā rangi.
Hei tā te kaiako matua, a Clayton McMillan, kua whai wāhi atu ētahi kaitākaro hou ki te 27 kua tohua, engari ehara i te mea he puhi ēnei kaitākaro ki te kēmu nei.
I te hūnukutanga o ētahi kaitākaro ki whenua kē, kua tohua rānei ki Te Kapa Ōpango, kua tino rerekē te kapa ki te kapa i tākaro ki te kapa o ngā Raiona o Piritana me Airani i te Pipiri.
Ko te hunga kua tohua mo te wā tuatahi ko Ross Wright o te Taitokerau, Jordan Manihera nō Waikato, Liam Polwart and Keepa Mewett o te Waiariki, Sam Henwood nō Counties Manukau’s, Tyrel Lomax o Tāhimana, Jackson Hemopo nō Manawatū, Jackson Garden-Bachop nō Te Whanganui a Tara, me Jonathan Ruru me Teihorangi Walden hoki nō Ōtākou.
“He nui ā mātou kaitākaro i eke ki taumata kē i te whakataetae mo te Kapu Mitre 10, me te aha, ko te hīkoi nei he huarahi e taea anō he taumata te piki” te kī ā McMillan.
“E poho kererū ana mātou i a Damian McKenzie, Rieko Ioane, Nehe Milner-Skudder me Kane Hames mā kua whai wāhi atu ki te ao ō Te Kapa Ōpango – he tohu tērā ō te kaha o ngā kaitākaro Māori i Aotearoa nei. Heoi, kua whai mana hoki mātou ki te tūhura i ētahi pūkenga hou ka whai wāhi atu pea ki te poraka pango.
“Kua waimarie mātou i te hokinga mai o Ash Dixon hei kāpene; Ko ia te ngākau o te kapa, me te aha, he kaiārahi ia, i runga i te papa tākaro, i wāhi kē atu hoki, hei tohu i te ahurea motuhake ō te kapa.
Nā McMillan te kapa o te Waiāriki i ārahi ki ngā whiringa whāiti o te whakataetae mo te kapu Mitre 10, me te kapa Mohoao Taiwhenua o Aotearoa i te tukinga ki te Kapa Raiona o Biritana me Airani i tēnei tau. Inaianei kei te whakatika a McMillan mo tana hīkoi tuatahi me te kapa Māori, he aronga hou mō te kapa, mōna ake hoki.
“He huarahi pai tēnei e kitea ai Te Kapa Ōpango Māori e tētahi hunga hou. Koinei noa te wā tuarua kua tuki mātou ki a Kānata, koinei hoki tā mātou haerenga tuatahi ki Vancouver.
“Ka noho te tukinga ki ngā Mohoao o Wīwī hei kaiwhakataki i tetahi wiki mutunga whutupaoro whakahirahira i Wīwī, inā hoki, ka tākaro mātou i Bordeaux i te pō ia mua i te whakamātautau o Te Kapa Ōpango ki a Wīwī i Parī.
Hei tāna “E poho kererū ana ahau kua whai wāhi mai au ki tēnei kapa, kei te hīkaka hoki ki ngā hua ka ngawhā mai hei ngā wiki e haere ake nei”.
Ka whakakao Te Kapa Ōpango Māori ki Tāmaki Makaurau i tēnei wiki i mua i tā rātou wehenga atu a te Rātapu. Engari anō ngā kaitākaro e tohe tonu ana mo te kapu Mitre 10 i ngā whiringa whāiti, ka tūtaki atu ki te kapa kia pau mai ngā tukinga.
Te Rātaka Pāpāho o Te Kapa Ōpango Māori mo te wiki mai i te 23 o Whiringa ā nuku:
Ka tīmata te huihui mai o te kapa mai i te Rāpare. Ka tae te kapa katoa ki Tāmaki Makaurau i mua i te Rātapu i te mutunga mai o te whakataetae Kapu Mitre 10 me ngā whiringa whāiti o te whakataetae Pirimia.
Te rātaka tākaro o Te Kapa Ōpango Māori:
Rāmere 3 Whiringa ā rangi
Kānata v Te Kapa Ōpango Māori
BC Place
Vancouver
Rāmere 10 Whiringa ā rangi
Ngā Mohoao o Wīwī v Te Kapa Ōpango Māori
Stade Chaban-Delmas
Place Johnston
Bordeaux
Maori All Blacks management team:
Kaiako Matua Clayton McMillan Ngāi Te Rangi (Ngāi Tamawhariua, Te Rangihouhiri)
Kaumatua Luke Crawford Ngāti Tūwharetoa / Ngāti Porou
Kaiwhakangūngū Simon Thomas
Kaitātari Jayson Ross Ngāti Kahungunu
Tākuta Ra Durie Ngāti Kauwhata /Ngāti Raukawa / Rangitāne
Kaiwhakahaere Tony Ward
Kaiwhakariterite Paul Minehan
Kaiwhakahaere Hīkoi Matt Sexton
Kaimirimiri Ash Draper
Kaiāwhina Kaiako Tana Umaga
Kaiāwhina Kaiako Carl Hoeft
The Maori All Blacks squad is (* denotes new cap):
FRONT ROW
Chris Eves (Waikato / Tainui) – North Harbour
Ross Wright * (Ngati Whatua) – Northland
Marcel Renata (Ngati Whanaunga / Te Aupouri) – Auckland
Tyrell Lomax * (Ngai Tuhoe / Muaupoko) – Tasman
Ash Dixon (Ngati Tahinga) – Hawke’s Bay
Liam Polwart * (Ngati Maru) – Bay of Plenty
Tom Franklin (Ngati Maniapoto) – Bay of Plenty
Jackson Hemopo * (Tuhourangi / Ngati Wahiao) – Manawatu
Jarrad Hoeata (Ngai Tuhoe / Ngati Kahungunu) – North Harbour
Te Keepatakatakaaorangi(Keepa) Mewett * (Te Aupouri) – Bay of Plenty
LOOSE FORWARDS
Dan Pryor (Ngati Awa / Ngati Pikiao / Ngati Rangitihi) – Northland
Sam Henwood * (Ngapuhi / Te Whanau a Apanui) – Counties Manukau
Akira Ioane (Ngapuhi / Te Whanau a Apanui) – Auckland
Jordan Manihera * (Ngati Wairere / Waikato -Tainui) – Waikato
HALFBACKS
Brad Weber (Ngati Porou) – Hawke’s Bay
Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi (Ngati Pikiao) – Taranaki
Jonathan Ruru * (Ngati Kahungunu / Rongomaiwahine) – Otago
Ihaia West (Ngati Kahungunu / Ngati Porou) – Hawke’s Bay
Jackson Garden-Bachop* (Ngati Awa) – Wellington
MIDFIELDERS
Tim Bateman (Ngai Tahu) – Canterbury
Rob Thompson (Ngati Kahungunu, Nga Rauru) – Canterbury
Teihorangi Walden * (Te Atiawa) – Otago
OUTSIDE BACKS
Sean Wainui (Ngai Tuhoe / Te Aitanga a Mahaki / Nga Arikikaiputahi / Ngati Porou) – Taranaki
Charlie Ngatai (Ngati Porou / Te Whanau a Apanui / Te Whakatohea) – Taranaki
Ambrose Curtis (Ngai Te Rangi) – ManawatuTwo more players will be named later this week.Players unavailable due to injury are: Otere Black, Namatahi Waa, Ben May, Matt Proctor, Jacob Skeen, Kara Pryor, Leighton Price, Elliot Dixon, Bryn Hall.The Maori All Blacks play Canada in Vancouver on 3 November, and the French Barbarians in Bordeaux on 10 November.
Head Coach Clayton McMillan said the full squad of 27 included a group of new, but not inexperienced talent.
With players either moving offshore, or earning selection to the All Blacks, the squad takes on a very different look from the Maori All Blacks side that played against the British & Irish Lions in June.
Those selected for the first time include Northland’s Ross Wright, Waikato’s Jordan Manihera, Bay of Plenty’s Liam Polwart and Keepa Mewett, Counties Manukau’s Sam Henwood, Tasman’s Tyrell Lomax, Manawatu’s Jackson Hemopo, Wellington’s Jackson Garden-Bachop, Otago’s Jonathan Ruru and Teihorangi Walden.
“Many of our players have displayed outstanding form in the Mitre 10 Cup, and this tour gives them a great opportunity to step up another level again,” McMillan said.
“We’re really proud that the likes of Damian McKenzie, Rieko Ioane, Nehe Milner-Skudder and Kane Hames have all earned time in the All Blacks environment – as it shows the strength of Maori talent in New Zealand. But we now also have an opportunity to uncover other emerging Maori talent for the black jersey.
“We are fortunate to have Ash Dixon return as captain; he is the heart of our pack and his leadership, both on and off the field, steers the team’s special character,” he said.
Having coached Bay of Plenty to a Mitre 10 Cup Championship Finals berth, and the New Zealand Provincial Barbarians against the British & Irish Lions earlier this year, McMillan is embarking on his first campaign with the Maori team, a new chapter for the team, and for himself.
“This short tour is a great opportunity to take the Maori All Blacks to new audiences. It’s only the second time we have played Canada and it will be our first visit to Vancouver.
“Our match against the French Barbarians opens what will be a special weekend of rugby in France, as we play in Bordeaux on the eve of the All Blacks Test match against France in Paris.
“I’m very proud to be part of this team, and I am excited about what the next few weeks will bring,” he said.
The Maori All Blacks assemble in Auckland this week ahead of travel on Sunday. Players involved in Mitre 10 Cup Finals will join the squad after those matches.
Maori All Blacks match schedule:
Friday 3 November
Canada v Maori All Blacks
BC Place
Vancouver
Friday 10 November
French Barbarians v Maori All Blacks
Stade Chaban-Delmas
Place Johnston
Bordeaux
Maori All Blacks management team:
Head Coach Clayton McMillan Ngai Te Rangi (Ngai Tamawhariua, Te Rangihouhiri)
Asst Coach Tana Umaga
Asst Coach Carl Hoeft
Kaumatua Luke Crawford Ngati Tuwharetoa / Ngati Porou
Strengthen & Conditioning Trainer Simon Thomas
Analyst Jayson Ross Ngati Kahungunu
Doctor Ra Durie Ngati Kauwhata /Ngati Raukawa / Rangitane
Team Manager Tony Ward
Logistics Manager Paul Minehan
Campaign Manager Matt Sexton
Physiotherapist Ash Draper
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