All Blacks player ratings: ‘Special talent’ Wallace Sititi produces another stunner as bench ‘fails’ in Bledisloe Cup blockbuster
Our All Blacks player ratings after the 28-31 victory over Australia in the Bledisloe Cup.
Following the All Blacks’ 28-31 victory over Australia in the Bledisloe Cup, here is how we rated Scott Robertson’s charges in Sydney.
All Blacks player ratings
15 Will Jordan: Brilliantly hid on the attack before injecting himself into the line late to scathe through the defence and score the opening try. He had flashes of brilliance, almost setting up the Ratima disallowed score. No real blunders but far from box-office as he shifted to fullback after Beauden Barrett’s withdrawal. 6
14 Sevu Reece: Pounced on the loose ball – an absolute gift – to set up the first-half try for Ardie Savea. He was brought into the starting XV just before kick-off and despite wasting possession on occasion, he had a strong outing. 7
13 Rieko Ioane: Kept his width wonderfully to score the second try of the match and shot up well in defence to force the error resulting in Savea’s try. He continues to be wasteful with the ball in hand though throwing a skip pass that was simply not on while many of his other passes lacked pace and accuracy. Still, one of his better performances this year. 7
12 Jordie Barrett: Forced off at the break through injury but put in another solid performance in the midfield. He got hammered backwards in the opening exchanges of the game but recovered well as he spread the ball well in attack and defended strongly. 6
11 Caleb Clarke: Went in search of work and was rewarded for doing so. Robertson clearly wants his wingers roaming about the pitch and his big frame is effective in doing so. His stocks continue to rise as he continually impresses but he made a silly error and went for an early shower. 6
Halfbacks
10 Damian McKenzie: Played more of a conductor’s role in what was an assured and confident performance from the All Blacks pivot as he thrived with the responsibility of running the attack without the assistance of Beauden Barrett at fullback. Kicked well off the tee and made good decisions overall. Really should have done better on defence for Wright’s late score. 7
9 Cortez Ratima: Unfortunate to have his try whipped off as it would have been just reward for a standout performance as he got the All Blacks attack seething at full throttle. He brilliantly delayed his pass for Ioane’s score and landed some good shots on defence. 8
Loose forwards
8 Ardie Savea: Another dynamite showing from the brilliant back-rower who rounded off an early try and was crucially denied a second. For much of the match, the All Blacks dominated the breakdown and much of that had to do with the excellent back-row’s in that facet of the game. He would have wanted to do better with his tackle on Hunter Paisami but he was left with too much to do. 7
🇳🇿👏 One of the All Blacks greats. Ardie Savea adds yet another accolade to his name!#AUSvNZL #RugbyChampionship #BledisloeCup pic.twitter.com/bFTVsBXZXS
— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) September 21, 2024
7 Sam Cane: Got stuck into the nitty, gritty that often gets overlooked but it was a fine performance from the All Blacks back-rower as he edged toward 100 Test caps. He was excellent at the breakdown and made his shots on defence before making way on 64 minutes. 6
6 Wallace Sititi: Repaid Robertson’s faith in him backing up his strong showing against the Springboks with another powerhouse shift in the number six jumper. He got his hands on the ball plenty hammering into the Wallabies’ defence but shifted on the ball well too. He was excellent at the breakdown too and abrasive in all exchanges. He also showed off the kind of threat he poses at the lineout pinching a key steal in the second half with his side on the ropes and did so again with a breakdown steal, clutch. He is a special talent. 9
Tight five
5 Tupou Vaa’i: It’s been a breakout Rugby Championship campaign for the second rower and he put in another tidy shift today. He was on the pitch for 66 minutes and during that time, he was a sharp lineout operator, led the charge on defence and made good carries and passes. 7
4 Scott Barrett (c): Never dissapoints. Good in all facets of the game, won a turnover and was extremely busy at the breakdown and on defence. 7
3 Tyrel Lomax: Responded to the disappointment in South Africa well as he once again showed why he is one of the best tighthead props in the game. He held his own and got the upper hand at times in the scrums, made some hefty hits on defence and got stuck into the rucks. 7
2 Codie Taylor: Another livewire performance by the veteran hooker who on the whole was accurate with his lineout throws – on occasion, the Wallabies simply got their contesting right. Superb with ball in hand again. 8
1 Ethan de Groot: A bit fortunate at times in the scrum but on the whole, he kept Taniela Tupou at bay at the set-piece. It was a sturdy shift back from a neck injury but not to his usual high standard which can be expected. 5
Replacements: TJ Perenara was the real standout off the bench landing two great hits and slamming a wonderful clearance out of his 22. But again, Robertson’s charges did not score a single point in the final quarter as the bench fails to land a punch. Tamaiti Williams was also solid as was Sam Darry and Asafo Aumua but ultimately the All Blacks still aren’t getting enough from the eight off the bench. 4
