World Cup superstar has been dropped from the new All Blacks squad

The All Blacks squad for the Rugby Championship sees the returns of Chiefs and Counties Manukau tighthead prop Nepo Laulala and Hurricanes and Manawatu outside back Nehe Milner-Skudder, while Julian Savea has been dropped.

Damian McKenzie has been named as a replacement for All Blacks Vice-Captain Ben Smith, who will take an extended break from the game following the first two Bledisloe Cup matches.

The 33-man squad will again be captained by number eight Kieran Read, and sees 18 forwards selected (three hookers, five props, four locks and six loose forwards) and 15 backs (three halfbacks, two first five-eighths, four midfielders and six outside backs) and has a total of 1,109 Test caps experience.

The squad is made up of four Blues players, six Chiefs, eight Hurricanes, 10 Crusaders and five Highlanders, with 11 of New Zealand's Mitre 10 Cup provinces represented.

All Blacks Head Coach Steve Hansen said: "Firstly, we congratulate all players selected for the Investec Rugby Championship, particularly Nepo and Nehe, who we welcome back. Conversely, we commiserate with those who have missed out, particularly Julian Savea and the unlucky Matt Todd, both of whom have made great contributions to the All Blacks jersey and will do so again in the future, I'm sure."

Hansen said the All Blacks were again looking forward to the first two Bledisloe Cup matches and the Investec Rugby Championship.

Forwards
Hookers
Dane Coles (Wellington/Hurricanes, 49)
Nathan Harris (Bay of Plenty/Chiefs, 8)
Codie Taylor (Canterbury/Crusaders, 19)
Props
Wyatt Crockett (Canterbury/Crusaders, 62)
Owen Franks (Canterbury/Crusaders, 94)
Nepo Laulala (Counties Manukau/Chiefs, 4)
Joe Moody (Canterbury/Crusaders, 28)
Ofa Tu'ungafasi (Auckland/Blues, 4)
Locks
Scott Barrett (Taranaki/Crusaders, 8)
Brodie Retallick (Hawke's Bay/Chiefs, 64)
Luke Romano (Canterbury/Crusaders, 26)
Samuel Whitelock (Canterbury/Crusaders, 88)
Loose forwards
Sam Cane (Bay of Plenty/Chiefs, 44)
Vaea Fifita (Wellington/Hurricanes, 1)
Jerome Kaino (Auckland/Blues, 74)
Kieran Read, captain (Counties Manukau/ Crusaders, 100)
Ardie Savea (Wellington/Hurricanes, 16)
Liam Squire (Tasman/Highlanders, 8)

Backs
Halfbacks
Tawera Kerr-Barlow (Waikato/Chiefs, 25)
TJ Perenara (Wellington/Hurricanes, 33)
Aaron Smith (Manawatu/Highlanders, 62)
First five-eighths
Beauden Barrett (Taranaki/Hurricanes, 53)
Lima Sopoaga (Southland/Highlanders, 7)
Midfielders
Ryan Crotty (Canterbury/Crusaders, 27)
Ngani Laumape (Manawatu/Hurricanes, 2)
Anton Lienert-Brown (Waikato/Chiefs, 13)
Sonny Bill Williams (Counties Manukau/Blues, 36)
Outside backs
Jordie Barrett (Taranaki/Hurricanes, 2)
Israel Dagg (Hawke's Bay/Crusaders, 65)
Rieko Ioane (Auckland/Blues, 4)
Nehe Milner-Skudder (Manawatu/Hurricanes, 8)
Waisake Naholo (Taranaki/Highlanders, 13)
Ben Smith (Otago/Highlanders, 62)
Utility back / Replacement 
Damian McKenzie (Waikato/Chiefs, 2)