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All Blacks player ratings vs Italy | Autumn Nations Series
By Ben Smith
After a scrappy first half the All Blacks held a 17-6 lead after tries to halfback Cam Roigard and fullback Will Jordan in Turin.
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The Italians made life difficult at the breakdown and at the lineout to restrict the All Blacks for most the game.
After a tight second half the All Blacks finally put the game out of reach at 24-6 with 10 minutes remaining before a late Italian try.
Here’s how the All Blacks rated vs Italy:
1. Ethan de Groot – 7
Back in for his first start of the tour. First scrum very dominant, winning a penalty. Again on the second. But the scrum started to turn midway through the first half with free kicks going Italy’s way before a full penalty. Second half the scrum dominance returned with a penalty from the first shove. Off at 50.
2. Codie Taylor – 5
The lineout had issues in the first half with targets dropping throws and Italy successfully bringing pressure. Taylor’s first throw was stolen and he finished with a 67 per cent success rate, below par for New Zealand. The All Black hooker was big in defence with six tackles. Off at 50.
3. Tyrel Lomax – 7
Lomax anchored a successful scrum that came up with four penalties with the tighthead on the pitch. Jumped the gun when defending own line, conceding one offside penalty. Overall a strong performance. Off at 54.
4. Scott Barrett – 5
Got done for a croc roll with the All Blacks’ losing a scrum in front of Italy’s posts. The captain was yellow carded as a result. When he came back on he straightened the attack well, setting the shape in motion and throwing good passes out the back or tip on. Dropped an uncontested throw inside Italy’s 22 which was a blemish.
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5. Patrick Tuipulotu – 7
A strong performance from Tuipulotu in the carry and in defence. Forced into touch from the first kick-off, but immediately pinched the throw from the next lineout. Was the main carry option off 9 and got through his work. Had a key lineout dropped midway through the first. Defended strongly in close channels and topped the team’s tackle count with eight when he went off.
6. Wallace Sititi – 7
Another faultless display from Sititi without being flashy. Had key lineout steal in the first half. Had a line break running hard off Beauden Barrett late in the first half, put Jordan away on the outside but the All Blacks couldn’t finish. Defensively was all over Italy and smart around the park. Charged their halfback once and pressured the breakdown constantly without getting penalised.
7. Sam Cane – 6
Led the effort in defence with a high tackle count in his final Test. Had six carries as well. The attacking breakdown was a mess in the first 15 minutes with the All Blacks struggling to get ruck speed and clean ball, but that was a team issue. Kept a clean sheet. Off at 66.
8. Ardie Savea – 6
Gambled for a big steal with Italy hot on attack but penalised in the first half. Won two turnovers but also conceded two pens. A toiling game from Savea with plenty of carries and work load in defence.
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9. Cam Roigard – 7
A jittery start from Roigard but he came good to produce some key moments. His first box kick exit went out on the full. Charged on his next exit attempt. Took a quick tap from inside his own half that led to a ruck turnover when play broke down. But he found his way back, forcing a ruck penalty drawing an illegal clean out. Two probing runs back-to-back opened up Italy up the middle and he scored another solo try. His kicking got better as the game went on. Off at 57.
10. Beauden Barrett – 9.5
Not much space to operate in early with Italy’s strong defence dictating terms. Went to the air to try and break Italy down. Late in the first half started to impact the game with ball-in-hand. Probed the line and put Sititi through for a big line break. Put Jordan through for another line break and then finished with an assist for the fullback. Didn’t overplay his hand but made big plays pulling the strings. Threatened in the second half. Finally made Italy pay from a scrum play with his second assist, this time to Tele’a. Scored his 45th Test try with a classic Barrett try returning a kick down the left touchline.
11. Caleb Clarke – 6
A steady hand from Clarke in the first half. Sparked the side with a momentum change with a restart catch after Italy’s first three. Carried hard in attack. Spilt a high bomb in the second half.
12. Anton Lienert-Brown – 6
Won a penalty from a good counter-ruck push in combination with Jordan and Tele’a. Had some nice link touches, finding an offload for Sititi after the Jordan break. Copped a yellow for stripping the ball out as the carrier went to ground with Italy deep on attack. Unlucky as the release call was made. Eight carries in the midfield.
13. Rieko Ioane – 5
Another up and down game for Ioane. First carry outside Jordan resulted in a turnover with lost possession. Second carry off a kick restart resulted in a huge line break, Ioane busting a sideline tackle and escaping upfield. Ran a key support line to draw in two defenders on Jordan’s try. Penalised for access on the first Italian kick in the second half. Isn’t getting the game plan to suit all of his skills.
14. Mark Tele’a – 6
Looked slippery with broken tackles on his first few touches. Busted up the middle for a clean break early in the second half but it became another missed opportunity. Had a tough chance from a bullet pass from Ioane but the ball went down. Scored shortly after from a wide pass from Barrett from a scrum play after moving to the left wing. Unlucky to be beaten in the air on the late Italian try.
15. Will Jordan – 7
A couple of good high ball takes early balanced out by a couple of turnovers. Had a chance in open space and tried to take Monty Ioane on the outside to no avail. Split open Italy for another line break shortly after and finished the passage a few phases later by diving over for his 38th Test try. Came up with a chip regather in combination with Barrett and worked hard for opportunities in the second. A few swing plays looked dangerously but Italy’s defence scrambled well. Moved to the right wing for final quarter. Named the official man-of-the-match.
Reserves
16. Asafo Aumua – 6 – On at 50. Forced a turnover shortly after coming on with a huge hit. Scrum was fantastic.
17. Ofa Tu’ungafasi – 6 – On at 50. Kept the scrum dominance going and added a couple of tackle.
18. Fletcher Newell – 6 – On at 54. Reserve front row won another pen on their first scrum and again on the second, winning a yellow card.
19. Tupou Vaa’i – 5 – On at 51. Pressured a few Italian throws, nearly coming up a steal first up.
20. Peter Lakai – N/A – On at 66. A couple of carries for Lakai and forced a turnover on the final play.
21. TJ Perenara – 7 – On at 57. Had nice blind side run from the scrum, feeding Tele’a and forcing Italy into the corner. Ran the attack well thr0ugh 14 phases at one point. A strong cameo from Perenara.
22. David Havili – 6 – On at 61. Looked good at No 12 running tough in that channel.
23. Damian McKenzie – 5 – On at 61. Came on at fullback and looked lively. Had one smart long kick from a turnover to pin Italy deep.
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9.5 for BB? Show some respect to Italy & one would have to go back a decade to even consider such a BB performance.
DMac should be 10 with Roigard who gets to the ruck & plays with speed. For me, when those two are paired, we look threatening. Cortez should be dropped out of ABs & we blood others.
The 12 & 13 is very lost. Caleb certainly grew as a player this year showing a different dimensions in play & wiser decisions. I'd say he has a better ability to adjust to Centre. Reiko is lost & non-effective.
9.5 for BB 🤣🫢🤣 - the ABs need to move past him. He is & always will be at most a bench player. When he had the reins at 10 for RWC & more, he did nothing. This includes Super as well. Mo'unga had his measure all the time. I get tired of constant loyalty. Give those performing a go, as you have in various forwards & see them shine.
We need to use the squads of ABs & ABs XV in tandem to build nice depth is the Boks do
It's not Dmacs size that's the problem, he's just not good enough for the ABS like Reiko Tj and Cane,feels like Foster 2.0 we could have dropped them and blooded new hungry young ones.
Good grief
Beauden was his usual industrious self mixing deft touches with mindless kicks
6 or 7 max!!
Come on, RugbyPass. You let a notorious homer grade his own beloved team?
Anyway. I rate Barrett, and I’m one of those who think no one else but him and Mo’unga should have ever dressed the ABs’ 10 jersey as long as both are still active, but he wasn’t a 9.5. Barrett is the best game controller of all contemporary ABs’ first fives. Kiwi fans are obsessed with ball running 10s and many don’t realize, that there are other boxes a “first five” needs to tick, than instinctive genius attacking rugby. The DMac lovers don’t seem to notice, that his poor tactical decisions costed ABs some games this year, granting tries to both Pumas and Springboks. As for BB, just review the miniseries against England earlier this year. In one of the games, Barrett came on the field, and literally turned the tables by putting immense pressure on the English through clever kicking. It’s not sexy, but it wins games and championships. Ask Handré Pollard, who started his international career as a ball running 10/12, and then turned himself into a game controller.
Anyway x2. 10 is a perfect performance, that couldn’t have been better. 10 is Dusautoir in the 2011 RWC finals. Barrett wasn’t next door to a performance, that couldn’t have been better as much as I rate him.
BB is terrible, can't pass and can't clear.
How on earth you think he's a 10 I don't know!
That was a nice kick into the 22 of his brothers pass though.
Cant agree with the glowing mark for BB. Far too much aimless kicking. The nadir was the free kick which he just lamely hoofed to the Italian winger Ioane...shortly after which the Italians put up yet another excellent contestible bomb, theABs made a total hash of it and the Azzuri got their try. When ...oh wgen will we put the efgort into having accurate tactical kicking coached? It seems as crappy an AB skill as drop goals.
Bb a 9.5 you got to be joking he was straight trash he wasn't even a 5 the attack was so bad so bad we score almost the same amount if points with dmac on that we did with barret
NZ were not great and allowed themselves to be bustled by the opposition. Some traditional forward drives and grubbers behind the advancing rush defenders may well have paid dividends in creating more space for the fancy moves. Our midfield backs rarely made an impression once again
Yeah hope they have plans to give Roigard more game license in that sense. There were a few times when the tight work was really good rolling down the field but the endeavor of the Italians did beat it a lot too didn't it. No dominant class midfielder is there, almost prefer to have the Italian midfield!
BB a 9'5 you have to be kidding. No way was he that good you seem to have the same hero worship of BB that the coaches have with him. Rieko to the wing or out altogether he is actually a real hand brake to this team.
Smith loves BB and doesn't try to hide it. Takes any credibility he may have away. BB gets a free ride by the NZ media and I just don't know why.
Watching the game now I get a sense of things to come. Ref puts his flag up when Patricks legs go over the line ages after he has released the ball. That is not out in touch.
Then Tele'a has a brain fade and tries to jump into touch, slapping the ball back, when he should know and be trained in running from outside touch and jumping into the field of play with it. If he had of done that simple fix of altering his approach angle there's noway anyone is getting to him to stop the try.
Addon; Full time, more deserving 7 scores in the backline I think, can't blame them for the high contact game. BB was 8.5 in first half for me, and OK in the second so 8 overall. Definitely a MOM where you give it to your favourite player, or a forward, but Sititi is probably the only choice there as one of three not to get subbed.
All in all I think I was right to suggest picking players other than SB, Ardie, even Vaa'i, would have been the 'best selection' for this match. Then I'd also have loved so see a few changes looking to move forward (but I'm a sucker if Razor is thinking to himself, Havili, this is prolly your last game, then OK), like dropping Beauden, Putting Aumua back in, and maybe Lam over Havili (or Reiko) but there's no way that can happen.
What on earth is Tele'a doing passing the ball away so quickly on his line break, like a fatty making a bust and trying to find a winger to give the ball to lol
The amount of inconsistency with the head contact law coming into the game. No red yesterday and no yellow today, but then another player gets a suspension for a side on headonhead (as apposed to these two sweet shoulders) contact last week. Happy if there is a referee change to having a bit more commensense.
Actually pretty happy with the 1st half performance, quality contest imo.
Roigard very good, lots of jobs being done well. Only real opinion is that the game changed when BB stopped kicking and when he ran, after about the 30min mark, he started passing at the line instead of two steps before it. This gave the runners (this team doesn't really have other playmakers outside him) just that tiny bit more space and I think they must have made 3 late breaks solely because (compared to all the previous good ball) Barrett drew a defender or two.
So wondering about the send given they must only add another try or two when you'd normally expect them to push out further?
5min - I'm getting sick of the on field ref being overruled. He clearly sees the drop and rules no knock on but changes his call when the touchie pipes up from miles away. get out of here!
No way Beauden gets a 9.5. He gave up possession too easily by kicking the ball away. Either too long or just aimless. One of those kicks lead directly to the Italians only try. He also missed the last tackle too, so he couldn't even clean up his mistake.
Apart from scrum a pretty poor performance I thought. Again more aimless kicking away possession from BB. We badly need new 10, 12 & 13.
Dmac 10 alb 12 and tupea in 13 or proctor in 13 it's a combination that works and worked well against Fiji and Fiji are better than Italy
Hoping Riley Higgins kicks on. Proctor must be 13 moving forward.
Agree we need a 10, 12, 13 refresh. ASAP. Well, next season now lol. Reiko should be put back on the wing. He'll be an absolute menace there. Imagine 11 Reiko 14 Clarke 15 Jordan as the backfield unit.
Earned a 9.5 with top game overall though Tk while Italians were allowed to crowd breakdown without penalty often. We do have Love with two tries in 4 Test 😎minutes on field!
There was no 9.5 player out there, on either side. Jordan probably a 7.5/8. BB maybe a 7.5 but definitely didn't stand out to deserve even an 8 let alone 9.5.
Crikey that game was a mess.
Italians defended well. Luckily the scrums went well for the ABs.
Ok, BB did NOT deserve a 9.5. I found his performance to be extremely lacklustre, especially considering the platform the forwards were giving him. His kicking was exceptional as usual, but his running rugby has been poor compared to DMac. Would've preferred to see a bit of DMac against Italy here.
Will Jordan only a 7??? He had a wonderful performance.
BB and exceptional kicking do not belong in the same sentence.
"exceptional as usual" haha I'll take that to mean he kicked how he 'usually' kicked?
Why was Dmac rated a 6, did he not actually do any better or did he come on at fb or something?
Reiko... Does one key handling error per game. He should go wing
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