Otago supporters, well, they might have one or two questions.
Six Highlanders have been named by their own Super Rugby coach, Jamie Joseph, who has been handed control of the second-string national squad for a three-game tour.
Young hooker Jack Taylor, outstanding loose forwards Sean Withy and TK Howden, in-form halfback Folau
Fakatava and exciting outside backs Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens and Caleb Tangitau will get an opportunity to show they are contenders for Scott Robertson’s top team.
It is a particularly nice reward for Fakatava, who has been in exceptional NPC form for Hawke’s Bay.
He has seemed like a forgotten man at times since playing two tests for the All Blacks in 2022 and seeing the likes of Noah Hotham and Kyle Preston move past him in the national halfback pecking order.
There was a feeling Fakatava might look at reverting allegiance to his native Tonga with the 2027 World Cup looming, but this selection indicates he could play for the All Blacks again.
The classy Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens and the electric Tangitau would not look out of place at all in an All Blacks jersey.
Stags hooker Taylor is a work in progress, Howden is the sort of hard nut Joseph likes, and the indefatigable Withy has been consistently excellent for the Highlanders and Southland.
There is also a future Highlander in first five Josh Jacomb, set to join the club in 2027.
No8 Christian Lio-Willie, who made his test debut against France in Dunedin earlier this year, is the only Otago player named in the All Blacks XV.
That seems a little harsh, given Otago have been so good, but Joseph — a proud Otago man, not that it can be taken into consideration for selection in this squad — offered some warm comments for those who missed out.
Dynamic halfback Dylan Pledger — a strong contender for NPC player of the year — and exciting flanker Lucas Casey were young, and their time would come.
"Those guys have got massive potential," Joseph said.
"Both are in their first NPC season — in a breakout season for Otago, which is awesome — and they’ve got plenty of time.
"I’ve got no doubt those guys are going to play well in Super Rugby, and that will be their target, I guess.
"Three games, I reckon — it takes three games of footy at the top level to show that you can do it.
"[Casey] has obviously proven he’s a player of reckoning at NPC level, and hopefully next year he’ll get an opportunity to play Super footy. He’s got oodles of potential, but he’s got a little way to go."
Pledger was a topic of conversation with the national selectors, but Joseph indicated they were playing the long game.
The youngster had already had a big year, including trips to South Africa and Italy with the New Zealand under-20 team, and his first NPC campaign.
"He might benefit from being in this team but, in the long term, he will benefit from having a bit of a break, a good preseason and building into his first Super Rugby season."
Sam Darry would have been in the squad but has been whistled into the All Blacks, as veteran lock Patrick Tuipolotu is destined for shoulder surgery.
Joseph said he was excited to be guiding the All Blacks XV.
"I feel a lot of responsibility to try to help guys, in a short timeframe, become All Blacks.
"The first step is getting selected, and the second step is bringing the team together with minimal time, playing for each other and for the jersey and against stiff opposition.
"That’s an exciting challenge for a coaching team."
Joseph’s staff will include former Highlanders prop Jamie Mackintosh and fellow assistants Cory Jane and David Hill.
He said selecting the team in a collaborative process with the All Blacks selectors had been fairly straightforward.
The squad was always going to include a bunch of players with recent All Blacks experience or who were considered to be on the fringes of the top group.
As well as Fakatava, Preston and Lio-Willie, there are players with All Blacks test experience in 32-cap David Havili, fellow Crusaders midfielders Braydon Ennor and Dallas McLeod, hooker Brodie McAlister and flanker Dalton Papali’i.
There is no captain as yet, but Havili and Lio-Willie are potentially the strongest contenders.
The All Blacks XV have games against the Barbarians (November 2), England A (November 9) and Uruguay (November 16).
While the top All Blacks squad is loaded with 36 players for a four-test tour, there is little doubt some of the second-stringers will get a chance to join the big boys.
All Blacks XV
The squad
Hookers: Brodie McAlister, Jack Taylor, Bradley Slater.
Props: George Dyer, Josh Fusitua, Benet Kumeroa, Siale Lauaki, Xavier Numia.
Locks: Naitoa Ah Kuoi, Josh Beehre, Isaia Walker-Leawere.
Loose forwards: Kaylum Boshier, Devan Flanders, TK Howden, Christian Lio-Willie, Dalton Papali’i, Sean Withy.
Halfbacks: Folau Fakatava, Kyle Preston, Xavier Roe.
First five-eighths: Josh Jacomb, Rivez Reihana.
Midfielders: Braydon Ennor, David Havili, Dallas McLeod, Daniel Rona.
Outside backs: Chay Fihaki, Etene Nanai-Seturo, Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, Caleb Tangitau.
