2020 Māori All Blacks

The Māori All Blacks v Moana Pasifika match presented by Sky will bring culture, connection and entertainment to Hamilton’s FMG Stadium Waikato in Hamilton on Saturday, 5 December, New Zealand Rugby (NZR) announced today.

The match brings together the Māori All Blacks for the only time in 2020 and will mark their first match in Hamilton since playing Samoa during the 2008 Pacific Nations Cup. It will also be the first time a team has played under the Moana Pasifika banner.

The Māori All Blacks will be coached by Clayton McMillan (Ngāi Te Rangi) who has guided the team to four wins from five matches since being appointed in late 2017, and has been appointed as the interim Chiefs Head Coach for 2021. The Maori All Blacks squad will be named on Monday, 23 November.

@Bovidae oh hell yeah. Never been to a Māori All Blacks game, exciting stuff.

I've seen the Maori play the Lions twice, Ireland and even Waikato. A different atmosphere to other games.

The fact that they are playing Moana Pasifika seems to suggest they will be the Pasifika team in Super rugby, law suits not withstanding.

@Bovidae said in 2020 Māori All Blacks:

The Māori All Blacks v Moana Pasifika match presented by Sky will bring culture, connection and entertainment to Hamilton’s FMG Stadium Waikato in Hamilton on Saturday, 5 December, New Zealand Rugby (NZR) announced today.

The match brings together the Māori All Blacks for the only time in 2020 and will mark their first match in Hamilton since playing Samoa during the 2008 Pacific Nations Cup. It will also be the first time a team has played under the Moana Pasifika banner.

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The Māori All Blacks will be coached by Clayton McMillan (Ngāi Te Rangi) who has guided the team to four wins from five matches since being appointed in late 2017, and has been appointed as the interim Chiefs Head Coach for 2021. The Maori All Blacks squad will be named on Monday, 23 November.

Tana coaching Moana, interesting...

What would the Maori team kind of look like this year?

Quite a few players will be missing from last years team. They won't have the services of Akira, Lomax, Harris, E.Dixon, Franklin, Parkinson, Thompson, Nankivell and Walden this year.

Māori All Blacks to play Moana Pasifika

The Māori All Blacks will play one game in 2020, against a team of players of Pasifika heritage, made up of current and former international players, and a number of players eligible for international Pasifika teams. This team will play under the name Moana Pasifika, the same banner used for the franchise that may join the Super Rugby competition from 2022.

The game will be played on Saturday, 5 December 2020 at FMG Stadium Waikato (Hamilton). Kick-off is at 7.05pm.

2020 Māori All Blacks coaching staff

Māori All Blacks Head Coach is once again Clayton McMillan (Bay of Plenty). The names of the assistant coaches haven't been published. In previous years, Roger Randle (Waikato Assistant Coach) was one of the assistant coaches.

2020 Moana Pasifika coaching staff
Moana Pasifika will be coached by Blues assistant coach, Faalogo Tana Umaga. He will be assisted by former Highlanders coach Aaron Mauger.

The 2020 Māori All Blacks squad

For this post, I've looked at the availability of players who have been capped for the Māori All Blacks previously, as well as potential new caps.

Below is the 2019 squad.
Strikethrough: players not or no longer available
Italics: players capped before 2019, who are available (in NZ)
*asterisk: possible new cap (playing SR and/or Mitre 10 Cup)

Apart from a few stand-outs like Tyrone Thompson and Zarn Sullivan, I haven't included other first-year Mitre 10 Cup players.
I may have overlooked a few players of whom I didn't know whether they have Maori heritage or not.

So, assuming they'll pick a squad of approximately 26 players, who do you think they'll pick?
The squad will be named tomorrow, Monday 23 November 2020.

Rene Ranger is Cook Islands heritage I believe.

@mikedogz Ngāpuhi and Cook Island Māori

@Stargazer @mikedogz

I thought Ranger had previously had difficulty proving his whakapapa (I think that's the right term). Had a feeling he was adopted either officially or otherwise and it wasn't clear if he is actually Maori. Stand to be proved wrong and it's obviously a delicate subject.

@Stargazer said in 2020 Māori All Blacks:

Ethan Roots

Te Ahiwaru Cirikidaveta. A solid loosie/lock - he'd be handy.

Ranger is definitely a Cook Islander .one player who has impressed since he returned from Injury is Tamati Tua and could be an outside chance to make the NZ Maori squad , although I know he is down to have shoulder surgery at the end of the season .

A very interesting question is who will be in the Pacifika squad, they've all gotta be here in in NZ already. It will be interesting how many are kiwis of heritage Vs born in the other Pacific Islands

@Stargazer Some other possibilities are Daniel Leinert Brown... Ben May... Mitch Crosswell... Josh Timu... Beauden Waaka.... Caleb makene made the team as a replacement player a couple of years ago

@Machpants guess Ranger could go in that team, Jone Macilai too.

@Kiwidom DLB isn't Maori; Ben May is injured; Caleb Makene will be playing sevens (Ignite 7s; I've left out all players who'll be playing at the Ignite7s). The other ones are indeed possibilities.

Edited to add that Makene was initially named for the USA leg of the MABs tour to the USA, Brazil and Chile (2018). He didn't play for the MABs because he got injured in the Mitre 10 Cup Final.

It's only a one-off game so I don't expect the squad to be huge. Too many options at halfback and not enough in other positions like prop and lock. Ben May might be rolled out again (if fit).

Midfield has been decimated by departures (Thompson) and injuries (Nankivell as well) so McMillan will be hoping Wainui is fit.

@Bovidae said in 2020 Māori All Blacks:

It's only a one-off game so I don't expect the squad to be huge. Too many options at halfback and not enough in other positions like prop and lock. Ben May might be rolled out again (if fit).

Midfield has been decimated by departures (Thompson) and injuries (Nankivell as well) so McMillan will be hoping Wainui is fit.

That's why I said "approximately 26". A matchday 23 with only a few extras.

Rather thin ranks in some positions. Are Rivez Reihana, the Hoeata brothers, Tamaiti Williams and Matt Garland others that are eligible??

@ARHS I assume they are eligible, but thinking about Jarrad Hoeata in the squad made me :face_vomiting: and I don't think we need the others, maybe Williams and Garland excepted, although Lowe can play at centre. As per usual, I do expect a surprise or two.