New Zeland perform the Haka prior the Autumn Nations Series match between Italy and All Blacks at Olimpico Stadium on November 06, 2021 in Rome. Photo / Getty Images.
New Zeland perform the Haka prior the Autumn Nations Series match between Italy and All Blacks at Olimpico Stadium on November 06, 2021 in Rome. Photo / Getty Images.
Rather than be overly critical of an underwhelming and at times ugly victory against Italy, All Blacks coach Ian Foster opted to frame the disjointed display as a steep learning curve for the inexperienced members of his wider squad.
Foster, as he did for the USA and Argentina tests earlierthis year, revamped the All Blacks from the side that dispatched Wales last week to the one which ran out in Rome on Sunday morning (NZT).
A raft of fringe prospects were given starting jerseys – that selection strategy highlighted by 21-year-old Tupou Vaa'i and 20-year-old locking partner Josh Lord now boasting 12 tests between them.
Rattled by Italy's defensive pressure, unsettled by English referee Karl Dickson's policing of the breakdown, the All Blacks delivered their worst performance of the year with frequent errors and penalties compromising their flow.
While they finished with seven tries the All Blacks were held scoreless for the first 28 minutes and led 21-9 midway through the second half before blowing the margin out in the final quarter.
Four tries from lineout drives, two claimed by Dane Coles, and a dominant scrum added a splice of composure to an otherwise impatient and erratic performance.
"We've had to make sure we grow depth on this tour because we've got players here for a long time and we're delighted with the progress out of that. Tonight is another really good learning curve for a number of newer players," Foster said after the 47-9 win.
"We got put under a lot of pressure in that first 25 minutes and they found ways to slow the ball down. We tried to force our game a little bit and a lot of that was the pressure they put us under. They deserve a lot of credit for the way they started. I was pleased with the way we started to tighten our game up after a few errors and applied a lot of pressure on them, mainly through our set piece.
New Zeland teams line up prior during the Autumn Nations Series match between Italy and All Blacks at Olimpico Stadium. Photo / Getty Images.
"They stayed in the game right until the end and for this particular All Black team, this was a great test match for us to have. We didn't get it all our own way and we had to find a way."
Returning All Blacks captain Sam Cane got through his first 80-minute shift in six months. He and Coles' experience in a green pack proved vital but Cane sensed the nervous tension when the All Blacks prepared for the haka.
"There were some testing times out there in terms of the frustration levels when we couldn't get the game going how we would normally like to but it was a pretty good learning experience for a lot of the young guys," Cane said.
"It probably highlighted the lack of experience when we were trying to set up for the haka and a lot of guys wanted to be in the back row. I was proud of the way we didn't allow frustrations to creep in and affect our game too much."
Foster admitted the extensive changes between the Welsh and Italian tests caused disruption yet he believes the exercise, however scrappy, will be valuable in shaping future prospects.
"It always has an impact," Foster said. "It's up to us whether it's a good or bad impact. This group has been training together. We always knew this was going to be a massive step up in terms of what Italy were going to do compared to USA and that's exactly what it was. The fact it took us a while to settle down is not unusual for a test match.
"Were we frustrated after 27 minutes? Clearly we were but we didn't allow ourselves to get too loose. We found some solutions and still scored three tries and added a few more in the second half so overall delighted with the result but we got a good workout."
As is a common theme when the All Blacks fail to gain front foot ascendancy and quick ruck ball they became flustered by Italy's defensive line speed, with the midfield combination of Quinn Tupaea and Braydon Ennor given something of a reality check after running riot against the USA.
The All Blacks eventually made headway by being more direct with their pick and go through the middle but they were slow to make adjustments and could have varied their attack more by employing different kicking options to create space.
New Zealand players perform the Haka before a rugby union international match between Italy and All Blacks New Zealand at Rome's Olympic Stadium. Photo / AP
Giving up 15 turnovers and conceding 16 penalties also applied a handbrake to their ability to build rhythm.
"When we moved the ball to spaces it wasn't on we got put under pressure," Foster said of the rush defence. "We knew that was coming and we tried a few options but we ended up making a whole lot of handling errors particularly in that area and at the contact area where we got a bit loose with our carry and ambitious with offloads. It culminated in us being a bit messy early on.
"In the second half we got some reward for spreading them out a bit more but not all the time. There's no one strategy here and we've got to be good enough to see it all the time."
Brad Weber is an injury concern after leaving the field with a badly damaged nose in the ninth minute and failing his HIA. In his place, Blues halfback Finlay Christie was one of few to seize his chance to impress.
As the All Blacks continue to progress his comeback Cane appears unlikely to back up against Ireland next week but a full match will have him in contention for the final test of the year in Paris.
After six months on the sideline following chest and shoulder injuries Cane is savouring game time wherever it comes.
"It was awesome to get back out there. It tested the frustration from the captaincy point of view but having the opportunity to pull on the All Blacks jersey and dig a wee bit deep to go the full 80 was an awesome feeling," Cane said.
"One of the things I love about rugby is being able to sit in the sheds and know you emptied the tank. That's the feeling today. It's a nice feeling for a lot of hard work over the last six or so months so I'm pretty satisfied."
