By Henry Lee, AUT Journalism student
OPINION
In a positive start to Scott Robertson’s tenure, The All Blacks claimed a shaky but gritty 16-15 win over England at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin.
It wasn’t pretty for most of the game, but the job got done.
Onto Eden Park next week!
Here’s how I rated the All Blacks players from tonight’s game:
Ethan De Groot 7
A solid overall game from the Loosehead prop, part of the strong All Blacks scrum towards the end of the first half. He carried the ball well, and most memorably won a massive scrum penalty in the 10th minute and kept his discipline in front of his home crowd. Off at 49 minutes.
Codie Taylor 6
Stole the ball from a breakdown in the 6th minute, but missed two important lineout throws in the second half before being replaced. Solid carrying throughout, but ill-discipline and accuracy hurt him in the second half.
Tyrel Lomax 6
A decent performance from the Hurricanes tighthead as part of a solid All Blacks scrum Defended accurately and won a scrum penalty in the 45th minute cementing his jersey for next week.
Scott Barrett (C) 8
Led the troops magnificently in an ideal start to his stewardship.Carried hard and was ever-present at the breakdown. Did his best to quieten murmurs about his discipline in the international area with a composed captain’s knock.
Patrick Tuipulotu 6
Turned in a solid performance in the black jersey just a couple of weeks after his heroic comeback from injury for the Super Rugby final. “Patty” was a constant lineout option throughout and produced front-foot ball for his team.
Samipeni Finau 6 Had a solid shift and battled hard but might miss out next week due to his failed HIA in the second half. Just whether Finau is the answer to the enforcer role popularised by Jerome Kaino and continued by Shannon Frizzell remains to be seen.
Dalton Papalii 6
Made his tackles and was reliable all around the park without standing out. There could be some questions about his starting spot next week with Ethan Blackadder breathing down his neck. You can read Papalii’s pre-match interview with the Times here
Ardie Savea (VC) 8
The world rugby player of the year in 2023 hasn’t played a professional rugby game since April, but you wouldn’t have noticed. Aggressive in the contact area, on a night where defence was key in stopping England’s momentum. Got through a mountain of work and scored the second try in the 25th minute.
TJ Perenara 6
Quick and effective ball distribution resulted in a solid first 40. The test veteran showed his experience all around the park and can be happy with his minutes. Injury is a worry. off at half-time
Damian McKenzie 7
The Chiefs pivot had a strong start in his first test of the year. Unbelievable under the highball and kick-started multiple counterattacks. Kicking off the tee was shaky early, but accurate in the second half. Would have been stoked to hear the final whistle after a tied-out kicking blunder late on.
Mark Telea 8 A superb night out under the roof for 2023’s World Rugby breakthrough player of the year. Playing slightly out of position on his less-favoured left wing, Telea went looking for work to get going and was at his tackle-breaking best.
Jordie Barrett 7
The newly appointed vice-captain enjoyed a powerful night on both sides of the ball. One of the All Black’s more solid players during an arm wrestle of a test match. In play kicking on both feet was impressive.
Rieko Ioane 4
Absent for long periods of the game, struggled to contain England’s potent attack.
Missed multiple tackles and produced a couple of errors in the first half. One to forget.
Sevu Reece 9
The AB’s best player on the night, a try in the 17th minute settled the nerves. An outstanding 50/22 under pressure. Chased hard, and executed a thumping tackle late on in the piece. Picked his moments at the breakdown brilliantly. Will be one of the first names on the team sheet next week.
Stephen Perofeta 8
Exceptional start in arguably the biggest game in his career. Broke the line twice in the first half, which led to Ardie Savea’s try in the 17th minute. Positioned himself well to contain the kicking game of England’s game drivers.
Substitutes
Finlay Christie 5
Entered the game at half-time, but perhaps not his best half in a Black jersey, but will likely get the nod next week with Perenara potentially out of action. Unlucky not to get a penalty in the final few minutes.
Asafo Aumua 6
Slight hiccup with a balked throw early in his second-half stint. Destructive with the ball in hand, which will excite the fans.
Ofa Tu’ungafasi 6
Came on in the 49th minute, defensively solid. Should be there next week at Eden Park
Fletcher Newell 6
A stress-free stint in the second half. Impact at scrum time evident.
Tupou Vaai 7
Another decent shift from an impact player, was a crucial part of the final turnover to win the game.
Beauden Barrett. 7
Razor’s injection of Beauden’s experience and impact was timed to perfection. Some nice moments during the second half, including a smart grubber kick that eventually resulted in an All Blacks lineout.
Not reviewed due to limited minutes: Luke Jacobson, Anton Lienert Brown
