Fabian Holland shock axing: All Blacks coach makes it clear nobody’s jersey is safe

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Fabian Holland has learned that no jersey in the All Blacks belongs to anyone. The young lock was cut from the squad for the first Bledisloe Cup test, a call that landed as a genuine shock. In the aftermath, coach Dave Rennie left no doubt about his thinking, making it clear that nobody's place is safe. The message to the wider group is that form, not reputation, decides who runs out in a test. Dropping a player of Holland's promise also shows the selection bar sits higher than outsiders may have assumed. For the lock himself, the task now is to force his way back into contention through what he does on the training pitch. The first Bledisloe test will tell whether Rennie's blunt approach gets the response he wants.

Now it's Fabian Holland's turn to be nervous. All Blacks coach Dave Rennie’s decision to cull the talented lock from the Bledisloe I test was a shock call.

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