Hawke’s Bay Magpies and Hurricanes rugby star Devan Flanders has been called into the All Blacks back-up squad, the All Blacks XV, to prepare for games in Ireland and France, despite missing most of the NPC because of injury.
Touted as a potential All Black since his days in the Hastings Boys’ High School First XV, as a New Zealand Secondary Schools representative, and as a New Zealand Under-20 World Cup representative in 2018-2019, the 25-year-old No 8/flanker is one of four players added to the party ahead of the games against Munster on Sunday and Georgia on November 11.
While there are no Hawke’s Bay players in the full All Blacks squad, who beat Japan at the weekend and now face tests on successive weekends against England, Ireland, France and Italy, Flanders will in the All Blacks XV join Magpies and Hurricanes lock Isaia Walker-Leawere.
Flanders has played 65 matches for Hawke’s Bay and 53 in Super Rugby for the Hurricanes since his Magpies debut in 2018.