Beauden Barrett available for Taranaki in NPC round 10

The Playmaker Squeeze and Squad Selection Stakes

Heading into the final regular-season round of the Hilux NPC competition, national coach Dave Rennie faces a severe selection crunch for his 34-man Bledisloe Cup squad named on Tuesday. Barrett finds himself in direct competition with Ruben Love, Damian McKenzie, Richie Mo’unga, and Josh Jacomb for the squad’s playmaker positions. Barrett’s return to Taranaki sees him slated for Sunday’s clash against Wellington at Stadium Taranaki, where he could potentially start alongside his brother, Scott Barrett, who played his first competitive match of 2026 last weekend against Hawke’s Bay.

Round 10 Fixtures and All Black Deployments

The final round-robin block kicks off on Thursday, October 1, and stretches across the weekend, injecting Test-calibre talent into provincial line-ups. Otago and Auckland open the action at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin, featuring Highlanders prop Saula Ma’u in the blue-and-gold hoops. Friday night brings fixtures to Invercargill’s Rugby Park, where loose forwards Semisi Ta’eiloa and Simon Parker line up for Southland and Northland respectively.

Saturday afternoon features Canterbury traveling to face Manawatu at Central Energy Trust Arena, bolstered by lock Sam Darry making his first appearance of the season alongside hooker George Bell, who plays his third straight game after returning from a calf injury sustained during the recent Test window. Later on Saturday, Waikato hosts Tasman at FMG Stadium Waikato in a contest featuring opposing Test halfbacks: Cortez Ratima for Waikato, following his recent return from a minor knee injury against Wellington, and Noah Hotham for Tasman alongside backline threat Timoci Tavatavanawai.

Sunday Finales and Regional Squad Lists

Sunday afternoon features Taranaki welcoming Wellington, with Barrett joined in the provincial squad by fellow first-five and fullback Josh Jacomb and hooker Bradley Slater. Wellington travels north with prop Siale Lauaki in their ranks. The round-robin stage concludes at Tauranga Domain, where Bay of Plenty hosts North Harbour with Emoni Narawa and Fehi Fineanganofo named to the squad.

For players returning from injury layoffs or limited Test minutes, provincial release windows offer vital load management and game-day volume.

Full Round 10 All Black Release Schedule

Thursday, October 1
Otago v Auckland at Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin (7:10 pm)
Otago: Saula Ma’u
Friday, October 2
Southland v Northland at Invercargill Rugby Park (7:10 pm)
Southland: Semisi Ta’eiloa
Northland: Simon Parker
Saturday, October 3
Manawatu v Canterbury at Central Energy Trust Arena, Palmerston North (2:05 pm)
Canterbury: Sam Darry, George Bell
Counties Manukau v Hawke’s Bay at Navigation Homes Stadium, Pukekohe (5:05 pm)
Waikato v Tasman at FMG Stadium Waikato (7:10 pm)
Waikato: Cortez Ratima
Tasman: Noah Hotham, Timoci Tavatavanawai
Sunday, October 4
Taranaki v Wellington at Stadium Taranaki (2:05 pm)
Taranaki: Beauden Barrett, Bradley Slater, Josh Jacomb
Wellington: Siale Lauaki
Bay of Plenty v North Harbour at Tauranga Domain (4:35 pm)
Bay of Plenty: Emoni Narawa, Fehi Fineanganofo

Disclaimer: The insights provided in this article are for informational and entertainment purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or sports betting recommendations.