World Cup hero urges Dave Rennie to ‘play everyone’ in All Blacks’ ‘easiest game of the season’
Ardie Savea during the All Blacks' Haka and an inset of head coach Dave Rennie (Rob Blunden, Nations Championship)
Former All Blacks fly-half Stephen Donald has urged Dave Rennie to rotate his team for what he believes to be New Zealand’s “easiest game” of the year.
After defeating France 34-32 in Christchurch, focus now shifts to the second Nations Championship fixture against Italy in Wellington. The Azzurri head to the capital city off the back of a shock defeat to Eddie Jones’ Japan, their second successive defeat after a loss to Wales in the final round of the Six Nations.
Italy finished fourth overall in the Championship, beating Scotland and England while running Ireland close. However, Donald isn’t overly worried about the clash against the Azzurri this weekend.
This despite the All Blacks‘ underwhelming results in Wellington, with the Cake Tin playing host to several poor performances for the men in black. The side went six years without a win before the Scott Robertson-coached side beat Australia in 2024 and were soundly beaten by the Springboks at the venue last year.
All Blacks’ easiest game of 2026
Donald isn’t concerned about the threat Gonzalo Quesada’s charges pose and wants Rennie to give the remainder of his squad an opportunity against the Azzurri. The new head coach issued Test debuts to Xavier Numia, Jamie Hannah and Fehi Fineanganofo while Ruben Love was given his first start at fly-half against France last weekend. Josh Moorby and Anton Segner are the two remaining uncapped players in the squad and Donald wants the duo to start against Italy.
Asked whether Love starts at fly-half again, Donald’s response was emphatic.
“Absolutely does,” he said on Sky Sports NZ’s Breakdown show.
“First of all, he bounced back from a start that he probably wasn’t thinking was going to happen during the week and I don’t think you can underestimate that would have rocked him or rocked someone more mentally weak, but it certainly didn’t. He came back strong.
“You saw what a threat he was with the ball in hand. You saw the impact that he had in the counter-attack when he was in the backfield, and he controlled things. You’ve got to realise that there were times during that second half where it was like this (up and down) and even with two or three minutes to go, they scored that try – it was a two-point game. So there was a lot of pressure for a man in his first start.”
Looking ahead to Italy, Donald wants Hurricanes star Moorby in the starting line-up after he matched Fineanganofo’s record-breaking 17 tries in a single Super Rugby Pacific season.
“I’ve got Moorby at full-back this week; respectably, Italy is going to be the easiest game of the season. So, we’ve got to play everyone in the squad this week,” he said.
“Anton Segner is starting for me; Luke Jacobson has a big workload – he doesn’t need to go out against Italy or prove anything there. So, Segner gets a crack.”
Beauden Barrett off the bench
A viewer messaged in to tell Donald not to ‘underestimate Italy, they beat England this year’. But the 2011 Rugby World Cup-winning fly-half wasn’t having it, simply responding: “They just lost to Japan.”
After the clash with Italy, the All Blacks will face off against Ireland at Eden Park before embarking on their tour of South Africa, where they will face the four United Rugby Championship teams and the Springboks on three occasions before the series finale in Baltimore.
Donald therefore believes that there is no other game that Rennie can test the uncapped players in and give opportunities to others.
“I just think if you don’t play these boys now, when over Ireland at Eden Park and then South Africa, when do you play them apart from a midweek game in South Africa?” he said.
“Beaudy [Barrett] is going to get about 35 minutes at 10 this week for me.”
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Legendary All Blacks full-back Mils Muliaina also wants to see Barrett get a run out against the Azzurri and is confident that Rennie will give opportunities to the inexperienced players.
“I would have Beauden in my team. He comes back in off the bench,” he said.
“I’m with Beaver; you give guys this opportunity. If I was in Ren’s shoes, which I’m not, I’d give them opportunities. But the thing that gives me confidence is, look what he did with Jamie Hannah: 11 minutes to go, four points up, and he’s going to play guys.
“He wants to give those guys experience. He’s building a really nice squad, and now is the time for him to play guys. You have got to give these guys opportunities.”
