Stephen Donald has praised the job Dave Rennie has done in building the All Blacks’ depth chart ahead of the northern leg of the Nations Championship.

New Zealand named a 36-man group to travel to Britain where they will take on Scotland, Wales and England in November.

Given that he took the reins with just over 18 months to go until the start of the Rugby World Cup, Rennie needed to find the core of the squad which could make them title challengers next year.

It has so far been a positive 2026 with the only country they have lost to being back-to-back world champions the Springboks.

All Blacks’ injury issues and depth

He has also had to contend with a number of injury issues with the likes of Ruben Love, Ardie Savea, Samisoni Taukei’aho, Shannon Frizell and Luke Jacobson sidelined for the end-of-year matches.

Despite those absentees, the All Blacks have still managed to pick a strong squad and they will look to build on their three victories in the southern leg in the Nations Championship.

“There are some high quality rugby players that aren’t in the squad and that just shows that Dave Rennie has quickly built some depth and that South African tour has built some depth,” Donald said on the The Aftermatch with Kirst and Beav.

“All of a sudden, there are some unlucky players when in the past it’s been a case of, ‘geez, there’s so many All Blacks going away on an end-of-year tour’, but now it’s good, it’s got to the stage where there are genuinely unlucky players to have missed out.”

Two of the biggest omissions arguably come in the second-row where Patrick Tuipulotu and Sam Darry have been left at home for the upcoming encounters.

Crusaders lock Jamie Hannah has managed to usurp them both and has joined Scott Barrett, Josh Lord, Fabian Holland and Tupou Vaa’i as their options in the engine room.

Host Kirstie Stanway argued that 33-year-old Tuipulotu, who has earned over 50 All Blacks caps, was the most unfortunate absentee.

Donald responded that “he’s hugely unlucky”, but his pick was Darry with the Blues man drifting down the pecking order despite impressing in the Nations Championship and starting two Tests in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry.

“I would say another lock too in Sam Darry, who’s had a wonderful year and I’m pretty sure he started a Test in South Africa as well. I would dare say he’s unlucky,” the 2011 Rugby World Cup winner said.

Other big omissions

Rennie also once again omitted one of Super Rugby Pacific’s form players in Du’Plessis Kirifi and gifted wing Kyren Taumoefolau, who enjoyed a stunning NPC campaign.

“There are guys like Du’Plessis Kirifi but for pure boltiness there’s a bit of smoke around Kyren Taumoefolau, but when I read the comments that Dave Rennie said [about his defence], I thought those were some things I had seen,” Donald said.

“Kyren’s torn the NPC apart and set new records, but some teams did get the better of him in Super Rugby defensively. Those are things Rens has put a bit of value on at that high level.

“To be fair, the quality of wings and outside backs that he’s named [are outstanding].”