All Blacks player ratings vs Italy: Nations Championship

Saturday, 11 July 2026 at 08:13

new zealand v italy nations championship 2

bySteven Smith

All Blacks player ratings vs Italy as Dave Rennie's made it back-to-back Nations Championship victories with a bonus-point win against Italy.

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New Zealand pulled away in the second half to beat Italy 47-17 in Wellington, but the scoreline failed to reflect a contest that was fiercely competitive for long periods.

Italy stunned the home crowd by taking an early lead through Malik Faissal and matched the All Blacks physically throughout the first half. However, Sam Darry and Will Jordan crossed before the break to give New Zealand a narrow advantage.

The hosts found another gear after halftime as Cam Roigard, Ethan de Groot and Jordan's second and third tries blew the game open. Jordan's hat-trick was a historic one, taking him to 50 Test tries and making him the All Blacks' outright leading try scorer.

Italy's hopes faded further when Niccolò Cannone was sent off after his yellow card was upgraded to a red for headbutting Roigard. Leonardo Marin grabbed a late consolation, but Tupou Vaa'i's try after the final siren sealed an emphatic All Blacks victory.

Scroll down for All Blacks player ratings vs Italy.

New Zealand 47-17 Italy (Half-time: 14-10)

Scorers

New Zealand:

Tries: Damian McKenzie Darry (7), Will Jordan (29, 51, 54), Cam Roigard (41), Ethan de Groot (47), Tupou Vaa'i (80)
Conversions: Ruben Love 6/7 (8, 30, 42, 52, 55, 80)

Italy:

Tries: Tommaso Menoncello (2), Giacomo Marin (56)
Conversions: Tommaso Allan (3), Paolo Garbisi (57)
Penalties: Tommaso Allan (17)

Half-time: New Zealand 14-10 Italy

Venue: Hnry Stadium

All Blacks player ratings vs Italy

15. Damian McKenzie – 6.5/10

Not at his electric best but grew into the game after a shaky opening. Linked well in attack without ever fully taking over.

14. Will Jordan – 10/10 ⭐⭐⭐

A night for the history books. His hat-trick took him to 50 Test tries, making him the All Blacks' outright leading Test try scorer. Captained the side after Ardie Savea went off and was a constant threat throughout.

13. Billy Proctor – 7.5/10

Recovered well after being exposed for Italy's opening try. Carried strongly all evening and was heavily involved in New Zealand's final attacking passage.

12. Jordie Barrett – 8/10

Controlled the midfield superbly before being replaced. His kicking game repeatedly put Italy under pressure.

11. Leroy Carter - 7/10

Carter enjoyed a lively outing before being forced off with injury. He showed excellent awareness to keep the ball alive for Will Jordan's first try and looked dangerous whenever he found space.

10. Ruben Love – 8/10

Excellent from the kicking tee, including the final conversion, and managed territory well throughout. Also produced a superb 50:22, while his yellow card was controversially overturned by the TMO.

9. Cam Roigard – 9/10

Outstanding. Controlled the game brilliantly, scored a try and his quick tap penalty created Jordan's record-breaking 50th. Also won the incident that ultimately saw Niccolò Cannone sent off.

1. Ethan de Groot – 7.5/10

Powerful carrying and deserved his try before making way.

2. Codie Taylor – 6.5/10

A couple of penalties against him but busy in both attack and defence.

3. Tyrel Lomax – 6.5/10

Solid at the set-piece and got through plenty of work before being replaced.

4. Sam Darry – 8/10

Opened the scoring for New Zealand and was excellent at the lineout.

5. Tupou Vaa'i – 8/10

Another tireless performance, capped by the final try after an outstanding 17-phase attack.

6. Luke Jacobson – 7.5/10

Made a crucial try-saving tackle in the first half and put in another industrious shift.

7. Ardie Savea (captain) – 8/10

Led from the front with typical aggression before handing the captaincy to Jordan late on.

8. Wallace Sititi – 6.5/10

Mixed afternoon. Carried hard but too many handling errors prevented a higher score.

Replacements – 8/10

The bench made a real impact, particularly during the decisive spell early in the second half. Josh Moorby injected pace into the attack, debutant Anton Segner looked immediately at home at Test level, Codie Taukei'aho carried with real venom and helped finish the game strongly, Anton Lienert-Brown added experience in midfield, while Cortez Ratima and Josh Lord both contributed to New Zealand's dominant finish. The replacements capped their efforts with a relentless 17-phase move that ended in Vaa'i's try.