the world press denigrates the All Blacks after their victory in Italy

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From an accounting perspective, the All Blacks had a successful autumn tour. They beat Japan (19-64), then won in England (22-24), Ireland (13-23) and Italy (11-29), only losing the flag by the smallest of margins against in the XV of France (30-29).

However, the final performance against Italy in Turin was far from successful, and the press from around the world was scathing towards the All Blacks who, despite 4 tries scored (Roigard, Jordan, Telea and B. Barrett), “saved the worst for the end” of their tour.

The All Blacks stripped by the press

“A flop for the last match of the season”. Liam Napier of New Zealand Herald took out the billhook to sum up what he describes as “the worst performance of the year, on the same level as the defeat against Argentina in Wellington”. “The All Blacks did not live up to their expectations, despite having one of the best possible teams fielded”

“When it comes time to take stock, the All Blacks will realize that they were one point short of finishing the tour undefeated. Such a result could have been a reflection of progress and positivity. But ultimately, Robertson's first season will be difficult to evaluate. Their 14^e and final match of the year leaves a lasting impression of uncertainty about their position.”

“A very flattering score”

18 forwards, 11 penalties conceded, 2 yellow cards: yes, the All Blacks did not deliver the performance of the century, a year after having crushed these same Italians during the 2023 World Cup (96-17). “The All Blacks ruthlessly exploited the numerical advantage at the end of the game (Ferrari yellow) to make the scoreline look flattering,” writes PA Sports.

“The All Blacks really struggled, their victory is unimpressive and far from the expected test festival”, we can read on Reuters. The Roarhe lets go completely: “It was a lousy performance. From the kick-off, the All Blacks were out of contention. This team leaves a lot of people skeptical about its real level.” “It really wasn't pretty,” continues Ned Lester of RugbyPass.

For his first season at the head of the All Blacks, Scott Robertson has a record of 10 wins and 4 defeats. “This team is still far from South Africa (who beat the New Zealanders twice, Editor’s note). This year has not necessarily been convincing,” said former New Zealand winger Jeff Wilson.

Next meeting: the arrival of the XV of France in July 2025…

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