Fiji-born winger Sevu Reece is relishing his experience with the current All Blacks squad, benefiting from the guidance of head coach Scott Robertson and several new assistants.
Robertson stepped in as head coach after the Rugby World Cup in France, replacing Ian Foster. While forwards coach Jason Ryan remained from the former coaching staff, the other assistant coaches are new to their roles. Joining Robertson and Ryan are Jason Holland (backs), Leon MacDonald (attack), Scott Hansen (defence), and Tamati Ellison, a former Crusaders assistant, who serves as the contact skills coach. Renowned mentor Wayne Smith is also supporting the team as a performance coach.
After sitting out the entire 2023 Test season due to an ACL injury, Reece made a strong comeback with the Crusaders in the Super Rugby Pacific, finishing the season as one of the top scorers despite the team’s overall struggles.
As the 2024 international campaign approaches, the 26-Test All Black expressed his enthusiasm about collaborating with the new coaching team. He shared his thoughts on the positive atmosphere within the All Blacks’ setup, noting, “It’s very exciting times for New Zealand rugby. We’ve got great coaches, and the squad reflects that. There are lots of questions being asked of individuals, and I think they’ve established an exciting game plan.”
Reece, now competing for a spot among four wingers in the squad alongside Mark Tele’a, Caleb Clarke, and Emoni Narawa, acknowledged the fierce competition among the players, saying, “This is going to be a good battling camp.” He humorously pondered potential alternate positions, joking about possibly playing half-back.