The All Blacks and yellow cards is becoming a talking point. But is it a real issue? Photo / Photosport
The All Blacks’ discipline has been the hot topic after Scott Robertson’s side received three yellow cards in Sunday’s defeat to Argentina. But is the criticism warranted? Cameron McMillan takes a look at the card count.
The total of cards since Scott Robertson took over as All Blacks coach has now totalled 17 in 19 matches. A worrying statistic compared with the number of times their opposition have been down a player – seven cards.
And more importantly, it’s hurting them on the scoreboard.
The scoreline while the All Blacks are down a player or more under Scott Robertson.
The scoreline while the All Blacks are up a player or more under Scott Robertson.
My colleague Gregor Paul has gone as far as saying “The All Blacks have become rugby’s equivalent of an organised crime syndicate“. Maybe one that keeps getting caught.
An odd trend has been occurring though, where they are being penalised less than their opponents, but are having more players sent from the field.
To be fair, it’s not just an issue under Razor. In Ian Foster’s final season as All Blacks coach in 2023, the card count was 9-6, including three red cards. And it’s not how they are being sent from the field - but who is.
Look at the names who were sent to the bin during the knockout stage at the last World Cup – Aaron Smith, Codie Taylor, Scott Barrett, Shannon Frizell and Sam Cane. Four of those players were part of the key leadership group.
And the issue continues under Robertson.
Anton Lienert-Brown, one of the most experienced All Blacks in the current squad, has been yellow-carded four times in his last nine tests. Beauden Barrett is the most-capped player in the squad but in three of the last four seasons, he has recorded at least one card. Both players now sit tied with Kieran Read with the most yellow cards in All Blacks history (five). More tellingly, captain Scott Barrett also has five yellow cards, but two of those combined to make up the second red card of his career.
Experienced players leaving the field didn’t seem to stop the World Cup-winning Springboks in 2023. South Africa also had their captain Siya Kolisi and veteran Eben Etzebeth spend time in the bin during their final and quarter-final victories, respectively. But you can’t make a habit of it, which the All Blacks obviously are.
If you’re looking for the Goody Two Shoes of world rugby, England are world leaders in card discipline. They had just one yellow card during this year’s Six Nations and none during the knockout stage and bronze-medal match at the World Cup. But that hasn’t resulted in any trophies – in their case it’s a lack of crime that pays.
It’s also interesting to note the trend in the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season doesn’t match the Rugby Championship. The Australian franchises recorded the most cards with the Western Force (12), the Queensland Reds (10) and the New South Wales Waratahs (9) all leading the list along with the Blues (9), while the Chiefs (6), Hurricanes (7) and Highlanders (7) were the most disciplined with the Fijian Drua (7).
But the Wallabies have yet to have a yellow or red card in six tests this year, while the All Blacks have had six in five tests.
What hasn’t helped the All Blacks is the timing of the cards. The All Blacks had seven yellow cards in the 2024 Rugby Championship – six of which came after the 60th minute.
In the first Rugby Championship test this year against Argentina, Billy Proctor was yellow-carded in the 58th minute, just bucking the trend by two minutes, while Lienert-Brown left for an early shower with three minutes to play. He did the same thing against England at Twickenham last year in a 24-22 win – when thankfully the possible match-winning penalty by George Ford hit the post.
Sevu Reece also ended the Buenos Aires test in the bin, meaning in back-to-back tests in Argentina, the All Blacks finished with 14 men on the field. It happened five times last year.
The number of times under Scott Robertson that the All Blacks have ended the match with 14 players on the field, due to a late card.
The number of times they’ve played against 14 men in the last 10 minutes of a test since 2024.
Of the six cards this year, three have been for deliberate knock-downs AKA trying to intercept the ball with one hand. Caleb Clarke was also pinged last year against Australia. It’s an issue that should be possible to stamp out at training – 100 press-ups and a run around the field a few times should do it.
The good news for Razor is the team have yet to earn a red card since he’s been coach, something that happened seven times under his predecessor, when there had only been four in the 116 years before Foster took the reins in 2020.
But put discipline and cards aside for a moment, as it’s probably not the biggest issue for Robertson and his coaching staff, heading into the final four tests that will decide their Rugby Championship.
It’s safe to say the tackle bags will be taking a pounding in the lead-up to the Eden Park test next Saturday.
The All Blacks missed a staggering 40 tackles in Buenos Aires, to go with the 25 they missed the week before in Cordoba, a tally of 65 in two tests.
According to RugbyPass stats, the All Blacks missed 72 tackles in total across the Northern Hemisphere tour’s five tests last year.
The side started this season strong, making 120 of 129 tackles against France in Dunedin and forcing the French to attempt 250, of which they missed 30. In the third test, France attempted 314 tackles.
That flipped in Argentina. The Pumas forced the All Blacks to attempt 336 tackles in two tests, while the hosts attempted 270, missing 32.
The All Blacks really just need to work on keeping the ball, the first loss of the season was also the first time in 2025 they didn’t lead the possession statistic. It’s also harder to get cards when you have the ball.
All Blacks cards under Scott Robertson:
2024
Asafo Aumua (head-on-head contact) – 76th minute v Argentina, Eden Park
Ofa Tu’ungafasi (collapsing the maul) – 68th minute v South Africa, Johannesburg
Sevu Reece (tackling player in the air) – 16th minute v South Africa, Cape Town
Tyrel Lomax (taking out player off the ball) – 73rd minute v South Africa, Cape Town
Anton Lienert-Brown (offside after team warning) – 65th minute v Australia
Caleb Clarke (deliberate knock-on) – 72nd minute v Australia
Clarke (offside) – 77th minute v Australia, Sky Stadium
Lienert-Brown (no-arms tackle) – 78th minute v England, London
Jordie Barrett (head contact) – 39th minute v Ireland, Dublin
Scott Barrett (illegal cleanout) – 19th minute v Italy, Rome
Lienert-Brown (penalty after team warning) – 49th minute v Italy, Rome
2025
Beauden Barrett (deliberate knock-on) – 19th minute v France, Eden Park
Billy Proctor (not rolling away) – 58th minute v Argentina, Cordoba
Lienert-Brown (contact with head) – 77th v Argentina, Cordoba
Will Jordan (taking out player off the ball) – 30th minute v Argentina, Buenos Aires
Tupou Va’ai (deliberate knock-on) – 32nd minute v Argentina, Buenos Aires
Reece (deliberate knock-on) – 73rd minute v Argentina, Buenos Aires