THE RESULTS
The All Blacks started the year in Dunedin (yay!) with a relatively underwhelming 31-27 win over a vastly depleted French team.
They were quite a bit better a week later, beating France 43-17 in Wellington, and they completed a 3-0 series sweep with a 29-19 win in Hamilton.
A relatively convincing 41-24 win over Argentina in the Rugby Championship opener in Cordoba was followed by a poor 29-23 loss — the first to the Pumas in Argentina — in Buenos Aires.
Fortress Eden Park was defended for the first time with a 24-17 win over the Springboks, but what followed was genuinely horrific, a second-half collapse leading to a 43-10 humiliation at the hands of the Boks in Wellington.
The All Blacks then held off the Wallabies at Eden Park, retaining the Bledisloe Cup with a 33-24 win, and won the Perth rematch 28-14 at the weekend.
Overall, the All Blacks played nine tests for seven wins and two losses, scoring 262 points (29.1 per game) and conceding 214 points (23.8 per game).
Will Jordan scored five tries; Cam Roigard, Samisoni Taukei’aho and Leroy Carter scored three; Tupou Vaa’i, Ardie Savea and Sevu Reece scored two; and 12 players scored one try each.
Beauden Barrett led all scorers with 41 points (13 conversions, five penalties), followed by Damian McKenzie with 39 points (nine conversions, eight penalties).
The All Blacks retained the Bledisloe Cup, finished second in the Rugby Championship, and rose to No 2 in the world rugby rankings, behind South Africa.
BEST PERFORMANCE
There was no real "wow" effort — in terms of a totally convincing performance — from the All Blacks this season.
They were mostly good in the second test against France and the first test against Argentina, and they were fantastic in the first 25 minutes of the Eden Park test against the Wallabies.
Perhaps the most promising performance was actually the most recent.
They needed a bonus-point win in Perth to keep their Rugby Championship hopes alive, they scored four tries to one and they took charge when they needed to against a Wallabies team we were told were on the way up.
WORST PERFORMANCE
Sure, the loss to the Pumas in Buenos Aires was a drag.
No, neither the Dunedin win over the French nor the Auckland win over the Boks was particularly amazing.
But you will go a long way, and (hopefully) wait an extremely long time, to see anything as bad from the All Blacks as that second half against the Springboks in Wellington.
APPEARANCES
The All Blacks have used no fewer than 43 players in nine tests in 2025.
Chocolate fish if you can name the five men who earned just one cap (answer down below).
Will Jordan (seven at fullback, two on the right wing) and Ardie Savea (seven at openside, two at No 8) were the only two All Blacks to start all nine tests.
Jordie Barrett (one sub), Fabian Holland (two subs), Fletcher Newell (three subs), Damian McKenzie (six subs) and Samisoni Taukei’aho (seven subs) appeared in all nine tests.
Billy Proctor (all starts) and Ethan de Groot (all starts) played eight tests.
THREE BEST PLAYERS
1. Ardie Savea. World Rugby’s player of the year in 2023 — and has anyone been better in 2025? He is by far the All Blacks’ most indispensable player, and perhaps the only one who walks into every team on the planet.
2. Will Jordan. Now thoroughly established as the national side’s favoured fullback. Will likely break the All Blacks’ try-scoring record some time next year.
3. Cam Roigard. I know — he played just four games due to injury. But in those four games, the All Blacks were basically a different team. Roigard’s spark is utterly essential to this team operating anywhere near potential.
MOST PROMISING
This one has to be a tie.
Highlanders fans’ hearts were warmed when their giant Dutchman earned his first test cap, and Fabian Holland took to international rugby like it had always been his destiny.
Late in the season, former sevens star Leroy Carter scored three tries in three starts and he is locked in as a starter on the wing for the foreseeable future. Great ‘tache, too.
COMEBACK KIDS
Ethan de Groot and Quinn Tupaea both started 2025 with points to prove.
Highlanders prop de Groot had fallen behind Tamaiti Williams on the depth chart, and Tupaea had not played a test in three years.
Look at them now.
"Grooter" was consistently excellent and held on to the No 1 jersey — until he got concussed — even when Williams was back from injury.
Tupaea was a regular impact man but played so well in a start at centre at the weekend that selectors now have some decisions to make.
DRIFTING AWAY
Will Sevu Reece, Samipeni Finau, Luke Jacobson and Rieko Ioane play a significant number of tests in the next couple of years?
THE QUESTIONS
1. Was that a pretty good home season or merely an average one?
2. Is Scott Robertson under less pressure now, following those two wins over the Wallabies? Or are there still lingering concerns about the team’s direction?
3. Should we be worried that, right now, the All Blacks only have three or four genuinely world-class players?
4. What was with the scrum? Poor against the Springboks, good against the Wallabies — erratic, or did that just reflect the nature of the opposition?
5. Did Wallace Sititi have the second-year blues?
6. Is Beauden Barrett still the man at No 10? Or is Richie Mo’unga going to be fast-tracked?
7. Is Fletcher Newell the ultimate unsung hero?
8. Is Simon Parker the answer at blindside?
WORTH A TRY
If everyone is fit, perhaps this is a starting XV and bench to consider:
Jordan, Carter, Tupaea, J Barrett, Fainga’anuku, B Barrett, Roigard, Lakai, Savea, Vaa’i, Holland, S Barrett, Newell, Taylor, de Groot. Reserves: Taukei’aho, Lomax, Williams, Tuipolotu, Sititi, Ratima, McKenzie, Love.
WHAT HAPPENS NOW
The All Blacks have a brief break before playing Ireland in Chicago on November 2.
Northern tests follow against Scotland (November 9), England (November 16) and Wales (November 23). Those tests are at ungodly hours as the northern unions could not care less about playing in time zones that suit everyone.
It is technically a grand slam tour — the All Blacks beat all four "home" unions in 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010 — but the fact the Irish test is on American soil negates that for some.
If the All Blacks can win all four tests, it will represent a heck of an effort. But the Irish love playing the All Blacks in Trump Nation, England are always tough at Twickers, Scotland are as strong as they have been in years, and Wales ... will field a team.
• Dalton Papali’i, Josh Lord, Kyle Preston, Caleb Clarke and Leicester Fainga’anuku have (so far) played just one game for the All Blacks this year.
