Italy 6 All Blacks 20
It was the All Blacks who won at the San Siro but the Italians who were smiling. They admitted on Friday they weren't a chance of a win. They should have had more faith.
Maybe their plan was to stay deliberately low key to conceal the fact they were capable
of giving the All Black pack a beasting at the scrum.
Wyatt Crockett had a big fork stuck in him by Martin Castrogiovani. The big Italian prop, looking more like a base player from a grunge band, educated young Crockett in the ways of the dark arts.
It was man versus boy. It was car meeting truck. It was really quite hard to watch at times. In the last five minutes the Italians were toying with the All Blacks. Down they'd slam and the All Blacks would crumple. On it would go until Neemia Tialata was sent to the bin. The Italians could only wonder why they weren't awarded a penalty try. They deserved one. They deserved something more for the control they were exerting.
From the scrum, the Italians drew inspiration. It gave them the confidence to attack the All Black forwards at the collision. It gave them the confidence to work the rolling maul and they were effective. It's a different game in these parts and the All Blacks will face more of the same against England and France. They just love the maul as a weapon and done well, as the Italians proved, it's a difficult ploy to defend.
Up against such an effective unit the All Blacks struggled to build any momentum. They always had enough to sit comfortably ahead - just not enough to ever cut loose.
Much of their platform came from the quality of the lineout which opens the theory that the All Blacks can only ever handle one set-piece at a time. It was if they had to concentrate so hard on the lineout, they didn't have enough energy left to push in the scrums.
It wouldn't be fair to be too tough on the All Black forwards - they defended magnificently throughout the game and there will have been some confidence drawn from the way Tanera Latimer scavenged and supported the ball carrier. There was one break in the first half where Tamati Ellison was through the half gap and had his hands free looking fore the inside flip. Latimer was a couple of yards short of where Richie McCaw would have been, but that's the point of him playing games like these.
Latimer was there to learn his craft at this level and he'll be all the better for the experience. His strength over the ball and tackling were good - the two things the coaches were looking for.
There will also be some ticks put in the boxes of the three debutants. Mike Delany grew into the game and was starting to look assured just as he was taken off on 65 minutes for Stephen Donald. Ben Smith spilled his first touch when he took his eye off a high ball in the opening minute. There was a feeling of dread that he was going to freeze in an atmosphere that was emotionally charged. The Italians were quick to sense his nerves so banged another one Smith's way a few minutes later.
This time the Otago wing caught it and took off. It settled him and he was looking sharp and alive to opportunity the longer he was out there.
Ellison had fewer opportunities. It was his defensive effort that will have been noticed.
Ultimately this was about winning a test and finding whether some of the fringe members of the squad have what it takes to play at this level. Those goals were achieved but the scrum is a worry - England and France will not be scared by what they saw.
