Meet Pasilio Tosi, the 140kg All Blacks bolt from the blue

Pasilio Tosi, the 25-year-old tighthead prop who was flying under most radars in terms of All Blacks selection, was walking around in his underpants at home early this morning when he got a phone call.

“Normally I’m not one to answer unknown numbers but we got told we’d be getting a call on Monday if we made it or not so I was on edge all weekend,” the biggest All Blacks bolter in years told Sky Sport after the squad announcement in Christchurch tonight.

“I know I shouldn’t have stressed that much. As soon as I saw that number I quickly answered it.”

He settled his children at home before picking up and the message from new head coach Scott Robertson was to the point. “Congratulations mate, you’ve made the team.”

And so the Hurricanes player, who has excelled this season with assistance from incumbent No.3 Tyrel Lomax and scrum coach Jamie Mackintosh, quickly inserted himself into All Blacks folklore.

Now with Bay of Plenty, Tosi’s journey truly began when he played for Southland in the NPC, and, more to the point Invercargill Marist. It was while wearing the green and black hoops that he was encouraged to move from No.8 into the front row.

As he said: “I will just say that moving to prop was probably the best thing I could have done. The hardest thing about it was checking my ego when I was thinking ‘I can make it at 8’, when realistically no No.8 is running around at 140kg.”

Tosi joins another converted No.8, Tamaiti Williams, in the All Blacks front row and said he was looking forward to developing at the top level.

He said he had heard “little whispers throughout the season. 'You’re close, keep chipping away, you’re almost there'.

But, “I didn’t really want it let it get to my head. I just wanted to keep playing because I enjoy it, that’s why I started – I didn’t keep playing for the other stuff, I play it because I love running with the ball.”

Tosi added: “I don’t want it to be given to me, I want to earn it. Hopefully throughout the season I can earn that jersey and do it proud.”

Asked about Tosi, Robertson said his forwards specialist Jason Ryan “fell in love pretty quickly – like MAFs (Married at First Sight),” he quipped.

“He’s an incredible athlete and he took his opportunity when Tyrel was out… he can start, he can come off the bench and he’s a big man. That’s what Test football is about. He’s a great kid and he’s going to do well in the black jersey.

Tosi’s selection must be considered a shock, while the appointment of Jordie Barrett as a vice-captain alongside Ardie Savea under big brother Scott will be considered a surprise.

Other intriguing elements to Robertson’s 32-man squad is the fact he has named only three locks. Another is the fact that Beauden Barrett, ostensibly a first-five alongside Damian McKenzie, is the only specialist fullback among the outside backs.

Yet another is the non-selection of Blues No.8 Hoskins Sotutu, outstanding this season and the joint Super Rugby Pacific top try scorer alongside Crusaders wing Sevu Reece.

Asked about the loose forward selections, Robertson said: “It was the one that took us the longest time. My big thing for our loose forwards in all our teams is to be great on both sides of the ball – mentally tough and physically tough, and you can see that’s why we’ve selected the players we have.”

Hurricanes loosies Brayden Iose and Peter Lakai would also have been in the mix but will presumably be selected in the All Blacks XV, alongside Sotutu. The latter has effectively been leapfrogged by 21-year-old Wallace Sititi, another new cap.

Blues skipper Patrick Tuipulotu is one of only three second-rowers along with Barrett and Tupou Vaa’i, Robertson said of Tuipulotu’s grand final performance on Saturday: “He rose from the ashes. If you can play with a knee like that and go down and get an ankle strap and keep going you know he’s mentally tough.”

Props: Tyrel Lomax, Ethan de Groot, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Fletcher Newell, Tamaiti Williams, Pasilio Tosi (uncapped).

Hookers: Codie Taylor, Asafo Aumua, George Bell (uncapped).

Locks: Scott Barrett (c), Tupou Vaa’i, Patrick Tuipulotu.

Loose forwards: Ardie Savea (vc), Dalton Papali’i, Luke Jacobson, Ethan Blackadder, Samipeni Finau, Wallace Sititi (uncapped).

Halfback: TJ Perenara, Cortez Ratima (uncapped), Finlay Christie.

First-fives: Damian McKenzie, Beauden Barrett.

Midfielders: Jordie Barrett (vc), Anton Lienert-Brown, Rieko Ioane, Billy Proctor (uncapped).

Outside backs: Stephen Perofeta, Caleb Clarke, Emoni Narawa, Sevu Reece, Mark Tele’a.

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