All Blacks player ratings vs Lions: Rugby's Greatest Rivalry

Tuesday, 25 August 2026 at 19:48

byCharlie Elliott

All Blacks player ratings from their hard-fought win over the Lions in the final club fixture before three more Tests against the Springboks on the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour.

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A much-changed All Blacks side were pushed all the way by the Lions at Ellis Park, the same venue where they claimed a 33-16 victory over the Springboks on Saturday.

The Lions raced into an early lead through tries from Nico Steyn and Siba Mahashe, but the All Blacks hit back quickly. Scores from Noah Hotham and Emoni Narawa kept them in touch, while Kelly Mpeku extended the hosts’ advantage.

Ethan Blackadder then narrowed the gap before half-time. The hosts maintained a narrow lead going into the break, helped by a Fehi Fineanganofo disallowed try.

The Lions struck twice early in the second half, with Erich Cronje finishing a rapid attack before a powerful scrum try opened up an 18-point lead.

Rieko Ioane then sparked the All Blacks’ comeback, making a superb line break before intercepting a pass and racing over for his second try.

Blackadder then got his second to give the visitors their first lead of the game with just under 20 minutes to go, and a late Narawa try consolidated the win.

Scroll down for All Blacks player ratings.

All Blacks: 41

Tries: Noah Hotham (11'), Emoni Narawa (25', 80'), Ethan Blackadder (36', 62'), Rieko Ioane (49', 56')
Conversions: Beauden Barrett (11', 51', 57')

Lions: 35

Tries: Nico Steyn (5'), Siba Mahashe (7'), Kelly Mpeku (33'), Erich Cronje (41'), Francke Horn (47')
Conversions: Chris Smith (5', 8', 34', 42', 48')

All Blacks player ratings vs Lions

15 Beauden Barrett — 6

A mixed performance from the experienced Barrett, who showed flashes of the class and composure that have defined his career but was also guilty of some costly mistakes.

Several missed conversions allowed the Lions to retain control on the scoreboard, while he occasionally appeared too eager and short of his usual composure.

He also missed a first half opportunity in the corner that a player of his calibre would normally be expected to finish.

14 Fehi Fineanganofo — 8

Performances like this will only make Fineanganofo’s potential move to Newcastle Red Bulls seem increasingly unlikely.

The winger looks a serious talent and was among the All Blacks’ most consistently dangerous players, causing problems with his direct running and pace.

Every time he got the ball, Fineanganofo looked capable of creating something. A sharp burst down the wing and a perfectly timed pass also played a key role in setting up his side’s third try.

Was unlucky that his try was disallowed for a forward pass in the build-up.

13 Rieko Ioane — 8

Ioane was a constant threat with ball in hand, producing several strong carries before scoring twice, including an interception try.

With 135 metres carried, he was second in the rankings for this game, behind his centre partner.

His defensive display was less convincing, with four missed tackles in the first half, but he also made seven and showed plenty of quality throughout.

12 Timoci Tavatavanawai — 8

Tavatavanawai was consistently effective with ball in hand, producing a series of strong carries and making valuable metres for his side.

All-in-all, the Highlanders centre made an impressive 138 metres with the ball in-hand.

His supporting play was impressive, and he provided a tidy assist for Ethan Blackadder before being replaced after 65 minutes.

11 Emoni Narawa — 8

Narawa was a shining light in the side, alongside fellow winger Fineanganofo. His impressive break around the fringes and smart pass inside assisted the first try for the visitors, and he kept the Lions defence guessing with his dangerous and direct running.

Capped off his display with a well-earned second try of the match, showing his strong finishing ability.

10 Richie Mo'unga — 6

Returning to the black jersey for the first time since the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Mo'unga did not quite live up to the hype but still put in a decent display.

He showed flashes of his experience and quality, including a well-timed pass for a Blackadder try, although a couple of handling errors prevented him from making a bigger impact.

Towards the end of the match he really took the game by the scruff of the neck, helping his side to victory. While his overall impact was good, it was not what many fans would have expected from the 32-year-old.

9 Noah Hotham — 5

It was not a good shift from the 23-year-old in his first All Blacks appearance of 2026.

An early pass was intercepted by Mahashe for the second Lions try of the game, and while he ran over for a score of his own in simple fashion, it didn't make up for that moment of madness.

His speed of play wasn't great and he failed to dictate the game effectively.

1 Siale Lauaki — 6

Solid enough for the most part, although never really marked the game with any sort of physical authority. Played for 70 minutes, which is an impressive shift from a prop.

2 Samisoni Taukei'aho — 6

Was solid from the lineout and got decently involved with a few offloads and carries. Not the best performer, but far from the worst.

3 Pasilio Tosi — 5

Tosi held his own at scrum time without gaining much of an edge and made one notable carry. His overall display was solid rather than spectacular, although he conceded the penalty advantage that eventually led to the Lions scoring a try.

4 Sam Darry — 6

A hard-working display overall, although there were a few costly errors. Darry did well to win a penalty at the ruck, but conceded two breakdown penalties and threw a poor offload that was intercepted just five metres from the line.

5 Patrick Tuipulotu — 5

His age and experience counted for very little today, as he was subbed after just 48 points with his side 18 points down. It was an incredibly quiet performance from him, Tuipulotu's main contribution was a simple assist for Narawa.

6 Wallace Sititi — 5

Sititi was very quiet and while he got involved with a handful of carries, he was mostly anonymous.

7 Ethan Blackadder — 7

Two tries were the clear highlight of a hard-working performance, but there was little else to get excited about. He carried strongly and helped his side take the lead, although an early knock-on close to his own line also contributed to a Lions try.