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NZ hit Italy 'with a sledgehammer' in 'glorified training run'
Italy face the task of picking themselves up off the floor after one of the biggest drubbings in their history, and maybe the widest margin between two Tier 1 sides at a Rugby World Cup ever.
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Azzurri head coach Kieran Crowley, captain Michele Lamaro, flanker Sebastian Negri, full-back Tommaso Allan and second-row Federico Ruzza all struck sombre notes as they recoiled from a 96-17 thrashing at the hands of the All Blacks in Lyon.
New Zealand ran riot in what Crowley described as a ‘glorified training run’ for the victors.
“They scored more points than us,” said Crowley. “Look, what can you say, it turned into a bit of a glorified training run for them, didn’t it?
“They beat us up at the breakdown. What happened? We weren’t good enough, they were too good. I thought they were pretty outstanding tonight in their carrying and their cleanout work.
“We gave up those three tries in five minutes that really put us on the back foot and it was all gone from there. We’ve got to pick up the pieces, which we will. It was just not a very good day at the office.
Attack 
190
Passes
166
135
Ball Carries
98
492m
Post Contact Metres
248m
20
Line Breaks
6
“There was nothing new around that [his prediction that New Zealand would try to bully Italy]. We were trying to do the same to them to be fair, that’s the physical aspect of the game of rugby but they were just too good at it.
“We got a couple of good periods of play in that first half, got to phase four or five and we turned the ball over. They were just too good at the breakdown.
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“They’ll be pretty pleased with that performance I think, that was a bit of a statement for them.
“We are not worried about them, we are worried about us, we’ll pick ourselves back up.”
Teak-tough flanker Sebastian Negri likened the game to being hit with a sledgehammer.
Set Plays
6
Scrums
8
83%
Scrum Win %
25%
15
Lineout
11
100%
Lineout Win %
55%
14
Restarts Received
3
86%
Restarts Received Win %
100%
“They hit us with a sledgehammer. There’s not much else to say… We’ve got to learn from it and bounce back quickly because it’s not long until we’ve got an important game against France.
“We’ve got to look at ourselves in the mirror and dust ourselves off quickly.”
Tommaso Allen, playing out of position at fullback, described the mood inside the Italian camp: “It is never easy getting so many points against you, but the beauty of this tournament is you get another chance next week. It is important we scrap this, don’t think about it too much and just focus on France. Everybody is pretty down at the moment but we just have to forget about it and stick together.”
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“It was quiet [in the changing room]. Kieran [Crowley] spoke well. He just told us to stick together and that is what we are going to do. We will go back to the hotel, have a good rest, recover tomorrow and get back on the horse on Sunday. We can’t really dwell on this. There’s not much we can take from this.”
While the aura around the men in black may have faded for some, for Italy second-row Ruzza the mystic around the All Blacks is still something that the Italians continue to struggle to deal with.
“The All Blacks has a legacy. They have their own myth and legend and they bring it to the field every time. That is not surprising. We knew what they were bringing. We simply were not good enough today.
“The result says it was the best a team has played against us. They came not to stop for 80 minutes, to make a big statement. We weren’t surprised because we knew they would come like that, aggressive, but we couldn’t stop them.
“It will be painful and it has to be,” said Ruzzo around the need to rewatch the match next week. “We have to re-watch it and try to focus where we could be better to go on to the next match.
“Of course we had a great opponent today, but it’s a moment like this a team has to try to grow, has to try to learn lessons.
“We have to bounce back, we have to focus on the next match. It’s easy to be frustrated, it’s easy to be down, but we have to be focused on the rugby and what we could do better technically and tactically.”
“Going to sleep would be nice now.”
Comments on RugbyPass
There's a log jam at the moment of quality number sevens competing for an All Black jersey. I think Du Plessis Kirifi is certainly one of them and has now developed an accurate sharp and energetic game as compared to when he was first picked. Would love to see Billy Harmon get first dibs at the jersey (been outstanding in a struggling side for a few seasons now), as I believe we've seen enough of Papali'i to understand what he brings to the role. Lakai is young and will get his shot. Du Plessis would be a bolt off the bench but his lack of versatility may hinder his chances.
1 Go to commentsGood Luck Sam, enjoy Japan.
1 Go to commentsWhen Sth Africa had Joost and Honiball at 9 and 10 they were almost impenetrable in and around the ruck. Even Jonah couldn't make headway in those channels so they were very hard to get in behind. They had a fantastic side who played a fast, rugged style which won them the Tri Nations during that period. That side would beat their current mob of which I have no doubt.
2 Go to commentsAwesome win by the NZ U20s. They were excellent in the 2nd half with some very patient and accurate phase play, a dominant scrum and decent lineout. Simpson controlled things very well at 10 and it was amazing to see the team maintain their composure and score points when he was in the sin bin for a very harsh yellow card.
2 Go to commentscome on Toulouse
1 Go to commentsNot unless the cartels get interested in rugby like they did w football
1 Go to commentsYes Dobbo, you were absolute crap. Start respecting the ball and possession. If you played rugby instead of basketball against the Ospreys, you would have been n the top two now, not fifth! If you attractively and entertainingly throw the ball around for 80 minutes and lose, WE DON’T FKN ENJOY IT!
1 Go to commentsWe need a system of transfer fees. A club shouldn’t just get to sign Will Harrison when he’s been funded in NSW his entire rugby life because they have more money.
89 Go to commentsThat the pain experienced by SH clubs poached mercilessly by NH friends being now felt by the non-elite NH clubs delivers me an element of schadenfreude but if it expands the amount of poachees and opens the eyes of those new to the group then it serves a purpose. In my pessimistic (realistic?) moments I see Oz clubs in the future acting solely as feeders for France and Japan. It’s a real possibility without change
89 Go to commentswhy is this garbage rival sport that’s poaching rugby talents being promoted on a rugby website backed by world rugby again?
5 Go to comments“Ou Lem” leading that ‘98 team to a 13-3 victory was the stuff of legend! Especially since we hadn’t beaten them for many years. 10/12/13 combo of Honiball, Pieter Muller & Andre Snyman were tough as nails! I remember screaming my head off in the early hours of the morning & my brother hitting a hole through one of the bedroom doors🤭😂
2 Go to commentsWhatever about 2017 - it's seven years ago and irrelevant now. In 2021 New Zealand needed a numerical advantage for 75% of the game and what was then the largest home advantage crowd in the history of the sport in order to just _barely_ beat England.
3 Go to commentsBoth cards were harsh. Yet again highlighting rugby's inconsistencies and the absurd effect of cards
3 Go to commentsExcellent game management in the last 15 or so minutes to close it out. Aussie got a bit panicky.
3 Go to commentsWhile all this is going on… I’ve been thinking more about the NFL draft system and how to make the commercial elements of the game more sustainable for SA teams who precariously live on the fringe of these developments. SA teams play in Europe now, and are welcome, because there’s a novelty to it. SA certainly doesn’t bring the bucks (like a Japan would to SR) but they bring eyes to it. But if they don’t perform (because they don’t have the money like the big clubs) - it’s easy come easy go… I think there is an element of strategic drafting going on in SA. Where the best players (assets) are sort of distributed amongst the major teams. It’s why we’re seeing Moodie at the Bulls for example and not at his homegrown Western Province. 20-30 years ago, it was all about playing for your province of birth. That has clearly changed in the modern era. Maybe Moodie couldn’t stay in the cape because at the time the Stormers were broke? Or had too many good players to fit him in? Kistchoff’s sabbatical to Ireland and back had financial benefits. Now they can afford him again (I would guess). What I am getting at is - I think SA Rugby needs to have a very strong strategy around how teams equitably share good youth players out of the youth structures. That is SA’s strong point - a good supply of good players out of our schools and varsities. It doesn’t need to be the spectacle we see out of the states, but a system where SA teams and SA rugby decide on where to draft youth, how to fund this and how to make it that it were possible for a team like the Cheetahs (for example) to end up with a team of young stars and win! This is the investment and thinking that needs to be happening at grassroots to sustain the monster meanwhile being created at the top.
89 Go to commentsGreat win - but very poor officiating yet again. Even the Aussie commentators slammed the YC decisions.
2 Go to commentsThe game where it felt like RSA was going to lose the most was the England game in my view. Heart in throat after the Farrell drop-goal…Amazing that the boks overcame 3 times in a row…not likely to be repeated ever in my view Also the boys looked emotionally spent in the England game in the 1st half That said, why was World Rugby and Beaumont allowed to stack the pools in England’s favour? Toughest opponents on that side of the draw were Fiji, Argentina (implode central) and Auckland Girls 2nd team
58 Go to commentsOnline trolls - the only ppl who the Crusaders can beat
2 Go to commentsDefinitely some greater nous by the Walleroos and it will take a bit of time for Jo Yapp to have a lasting affect. Canada are a forward dominated physical team and only the top 3 teams can match them, though not so sure about BF’s forwards. Many of Canada’s forwards earn their living in the English PWR, the breeding ground for the Red Roses amazing strength in depth. The next PAC4 matches will be interesting.
1 Go to commentsIs the Club World Cup and the World League, in combination, going to make or break world Rugby? I personally think it’s too much. Established tournaments and competitions’s significance is going to be drowned out by “the new shiney Mall built just down the street”.
89 Go to comments