Following the All Blacks’ 29-11 victory over Italy in Autumn Nations Series, here are our five takeaways from the clash in Turin.
The top line
Italy were not given a chance to beat New Zealand today but the Azzurri made a good fist of it after they were hammered 96-17 by the same opposition just over a year ago in the Rugby World Cup.
But ultimately there was no fairytale ending for Italy as Cam Rogiard, Will Jordan, Mark Tele’a and Beauden Barrett crossed for the All Blacks‘ four tries, with Jordan’s score taking him past the late great Jonah Lomu’s try-scoring record.
With the help of a feverish football crowd, Italy’s sensational centre Tommaso Menoncello grabbed his side’s only try while Paolo Garbisi added two penalties in a stunning entertaining match at the home of the old lady.
Brave Italian effort
In fairness to the Azzurri, the 18-point difference is not really a fair reflection of the result with 12 of those points coming from the sheer individual brilliance of All Blacks superstars Barrett and Roigard.
Unfortunately, when you play New Zealand you have to account for that happening, even when they are not at their best, they can do precisely that to any team. Still, this was a passionate, brave and for the most part, tactically astute Italian performance that shows the improvement under Gonzalo Quesada much more than the clunky win over Georgia a week ago.
The Italians, led by the efforts of the sensational Menoncello, fought bloody hard for everything they got and they didn’t get much at all. They were relentless in defence, holding on for dear life at times as the crowd roared at the slightest error from the men in black and every small win their warriors could muster.
Unfortunately, there were just too many holes and inaccuracies in their game to hold out Razor’s men but there were more positives that Italy can take from this performance and hopefully replicate in the Six Nations next year and that will be their goal. Their breakdown work was excellent, their defence relentless, their counter and turnover attack at times was lethal but the finishing touches just weren’t there.
All Blacks overcome brave Italy as Will Jordan surpasses Jonah Lomu feat
All Blacks flex their scrummaging prowess
New Zealand’s fiercest rivals, South Africa, are constantly and rightfully praised for their brilliance in the scrums but the All Blacks scrum never really gets the flowers it deserves. If the Springboks have the best and second-best scrum in international rugby, then the All Blacks are comfortably third at the very least.
It’s nothing new either, the All Blacks have shifted their outlook on the set-piece as a manner of restarting the game back to it being a weapon since Jason Ryan joined the coaching team in 2022. Frankly, it was sacrilege that a nation that produced world-class front-rowers like Carl Hayman, Olo Brown, Owen Franks, Tony Woodcock and so many other greats didn’t always view it that way.
We got a great example of how effective the All Blacks scrum is as they hammered the excellent Marco Riccioni and Danilo Fischetti in the set-piece. In fairness, the Azzurri scrum is not among the strongest in the Northern Hemisphere but they are no pushover, but New Zealand certainly made them look second tier.
This was even without the services of in-form loosehead Tamaiti Williams who has been sublime this year, but in his place, Ethan de Groot returned to lay down a marker after missing the last three games in the black jersey. What makes the Springboks pack so dominant is that it is a full eight-man effort and that principle applies to the All Blacks while both teams also look to dominate from minute one to 80.
In recent matches, New Zealand have become a full-game threat at the set-pieces with Ofa Tu’ungafasi finding arguably career-best form, Pasilio Tosi enjoying a breakout year and Fletcher Newell providing a good impact from the bench too. Depth is an important part of powerful scrum and Ryan has built that depth on both sides of the hooker and next year when Samisoni Taukei’aho returns, they have even more depth in the number two jumper.
The difference between good teams and the best teams often has to do with their ability in the set-pieces and Ryan certainly understands that, which has helped the All Blacks get back to being one the best teams again. Seeing the scenes of Codie Taylor calling for the scrum from the sidelines in the latter stages also shows the shift in the mindset of the team and today it played a major role in getting the men in black over the line as they decimated the Azzurri.
The end of two glorious careers
It was far from a vintage performance in Turin but the game did see two legends of the iconic black jersey bow out and represent their country for probably the last time.
Sam Cane has spent his career being compared to Richie McCaw which was always going to be the case and while he never reached the heights of New Zealand’s greatest ever player – sorry DC – he was a warrior and a great in his own right. The fact that Cane bows out in an unconvincing victory over Italy as McCaw signed out as a double World Cup champion sums up the difference between the two players. Cane got a rousing sending-off as he exited proceedings and handed over the mantle and pressure of being an All Blacks number seven to Peter Lakai.
It’s no mean feat to play 100 Test matches for any country but to do in the All Blacks back row and be selected by three different head coaches is a testament to the man’s quality while his internal resolve to fight back from a horrific neck injury and play international rugby at a world-class level is an inspiration to anyone. As he bows out in what looks to be his final appearance for the All Blacks at the age of just 32, one cannot help but think that New Zealand Rugby are naive with their overseas policy as Cane certainly still has much to offer the team. Head coach Scott Robertson admitted this week that experience matters at the highest level but should it matter if that experience is playing Super Rugby or extending his career and earnings in Japan?
Cane is a true warrior, an inspiration, a great, a legend and should be remembered as such.
He is not the only man who bows out as Cane will be joined in Japan by TJ Perenara who fittingly led the haka in his final appearance for the All Blacks. The mouthy half-back spent much of his career providing an impact off the bench behind New Zealand’s greatest scrum-half Aaron Smith but should be hailed for perseverance too after he spent nearly two years out of the black jersey through injury. His career was also threatened but he worked tirelessly to return to the highest level where he belongs. Like Cane, he was selected by three different head coaches who backed him not only to close games or inspire the All Blacks to victory but also keep the other halfbacks honest.
He now heads off to Japan to earn a bit of coin and rightly so after realising the horror of how quickly his career could come to an end. A player bursting with energy, passion and pride, Perenara is the kind of All Black that many of his countrymen should aspire to be like.
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B+ for Scott Robertson’s first year in charge
Robertson had a lot to learn as he made the step up to international rugby but one thing he knew going in as that as the All Blacks coach the only thing that really matters is winning. His success rate in doing just that in 2024 is 71% after winning 10/14 losing twice to their old rivals the Springboks as well as to France and Argentina.
There was a lot to learn from Robertson as head coach too, he is extremely loyal to players and willing to give players a real go at cementing their place and there is no better example of that than Damian McKenzie who was given a long run of games to settle at fly-half before parachuting Barrett in.
The All Blacks now have two big voids to fill and we really saw more of a Crusaders-esque feel to the team as the year went on and we are bound to see more of it next year.
B+ is a passing mark but the New Zealand public will be screaming for better in 2025 and that just comes with the territory.
READ MORE: World rankings: Springboks finish the year on top of the standings
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