The rare group of All Blacks who ended up facing New Zealand
- All Blacks leave door open for sensational call-up following tour ending injury - August 10, 2026
- The rare group of All Blacks who ended up facing New Zealand - August 10, 2026
- All Blacks suffer major blow as key man ruled out of Springboks series - August 9, 2026
Old faces.
Pulling on the famous black jersey is the pinnacle for any New Zealand rugby player, but a select group have experienced the unusual feeling of later lining up against the All Blacks.
Ma’a Nonu could become the latest when the 44-year-old lines out for the Sharks against New Zealand in Durban on Tuesday.
Here are some of the most notable examples from the professional era.
Justin Marshall and Xavier Rush – Barbarians, 2004
Marshall and Rush both represented the Barbarians against New Zealand at Twickenham in December 2004. Remarkably, Marshall was still an active international and would play for the All Blacks again the following year.
Doug Howlett – Munster, 2008
The one Irish supporters will remember best. Howlett faced his former country when Munster welcomed the All Blacks to Thomond Park in 2008.
Howlett was among Munster’s New Zealand contingent who performed a haka before kick-off as the province came agonisingly close to another famous victory. Joe Rokocoko’s late try eventually rescued an 18-16 win for the All Blacks.
Joe Rokocoko – Barbarians, 2009
A year later, Rokocoko experienced the other side himself. The All Blacks winger represented the Barbarians against New Zealand at Twickenham, helping the Baa-Baas secure a famous 25-18 victory.
Julian Savea, Andy Ellis, Steven Luatua, Dominic Bird and Luke Whitelock – Barbarians, 2017
The Barbarians took things to another level in 2017, selecting five capped All Blacks to face New Zealand at Twickenham.
Among them was Julian Savea, who had already scored an incredible 46 tries in 54 Tests. The Barbarians threatened an upset before New Zealand eventually recovered to win 31-22.
Ma’a Nonu – Sharks, 2026
Nonu could now join the group. More than 20 years after making his Test debut and after 103 appearances, two World Cups and an incredible career in black, the legendary centre could find himself trying to beat the team he represented for more than a decade, after being named on the bench for the Sharks.
Have we missed anyone? Let us know!
