Potential North v South Island Teams

All Blacks head coach Ian Foster confirmed on Friday that a North Island versus South Island rugby match will go ahead with the clash doubling as an All Blacks trial.

The inter-island match was once a regular fixture on the New Zealand rugby calendar, starting in 1897 and running through till 1995 when it became a victim of the crowded calendar that developed as the game went professional with just two games since 1985, the last of which took place in 2012 with the South winning 32–24.

Foster also revealed how players would qualify to represent the respective teams with players becoming eligible for either the North or South Island side depending on which province they made their first-class debut for. This has thrown a spanner in the works for the clash set to take place on August 29 with many believing the eligibility criteria should’ve been which high school players attended.

The ruling from the All Blacks on eligibility for the clash means that Jordie and Scott Barrett would be eligible for the South Island, while older brother Beauden Barrett representing the North. Beauden made his provincial debut for Taranaki, the team his father Smiley played for, but his younger brothers both made their provincial debuts for Canterbury. All three brothers are currently contracted to Taranaki.

The same situation is set to occur with the Goodhue twins with Jack debuting for Canterbury making him eligible for the South while brother Josh debuted for Northland. As with the Barretts, the Goodhues are both contracted to Northland.

Here are our potential line ups for the two sides:

North Island:

1. Ofa Tuungafasi (Auckland)

2. Dane Coles (Wellington)

3. Angus Ta'avao (Auckland)

4. Patrick Tuipulotu (Auckland)

5. Vaea Fifita (Wellington)

6. Ardie Savea (Wellington)

7. Sam Cane (Bay of Plenty)

8. Hoskins Sotutu (Auckland)

9. Aaron Smith (Manawatu)

10. Beauden Barrett (Taranaki)

11. Rieko Ioane (Auckland)

12. Ngani Laumape (Manawatu)

13. Anton Lienert-Brown (Waikato)

14. Sevu Reece (Waikato)

15. Damian McKenzie (Waikato).

Replacements: Asafo Aumua (Wellington), Aidan Ross (Bay of Plenty), Alex Fidow (Wellington), Tom Robinson (Northland), Luke Jacobson (Waikato), TJ Perenara (Wellington), Otere Black (Manawatu), Vince Aso (Auckland) 

South Island:

1. Joe Moody (Canterbury)

2. Codie Taylor (Canterbury)

3. Nepo Laulala (Canterbury)

4. Sam Whitelock (Canterbury)

5. Scott Barrett (Canterbury)

6. Cullen Grace (Canterbury)

7. Dillon Hunt (Otago)

8. Gareth Evans (Hawke's Bay)

9. Brad Weber (Otago)

10. Richie Mo'unga (Canterbury)

11. George Bridge (Canterbury)

12. Jack Goodhue (Canterbury)

13. Braydon Ennor (Canterbury)

14. Will Jordan (Canterbury)

15. Jordie Barrett (Canterbury)

Replacements: Liam Coltman (Otago), Daniel Lienert-Brown (Canterbury), Tyrel Lomax (Tasman), Shannon Frizell (Tasman), Tom Christie (Canterbury), Mitchell Drummond (Canterbury), David Havili (Tasman), Jona Nareki (Otago).