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All Blacks send off Cane and Perenara with a solid win
AAP • November 24th, 2024 12:48 pm
New Zealand were made to work hard for a tour-ending 29-11 rugby Test win over Italy.
New Zealand dominated Italy everywhere except the scoreboard in their tour-ending 29-11 rugby Test win in Turin.
The All Blacks wanted to sign off 2024 with a flourish and send off departing stalwarts Sam Cane and TJ Perenara with a flourish after five weeks in Yokohama, London, Dublin, Paris and Turin, which yielded four wins and a loss to France.
But Italy, humiliated by the All Blacks 96-17 last year at the Rugby World Cup, gave a passionate, committed display to restrict New Zealand to their lowest score in this matchup in 15 years.
"We talked a lot during the week about how important it would be not to give up even for a second," Italy stand-in captain Juan Ignacio Brex said.
"At the World Cup, every little mental switchoff brought the All Blacks under our posts, we couldn't allow that."
New Zealand were held to 17-6 until the last 10 minutes when they conjured tries for backs Mark Tele'a and Beauden Barrett while Italy were down to 14 men.
But those tries were split by Italy's one and only try, to Tommaso Menoncello served up by his centre partner Brex.
New Zealand carried for more than twice as many metres as Italy, beat 31 defenders, but suffered from 18 handling errors, only one more than Italy, 11 penalties and two yellow cards.
The Italians, privileged to play the first non-football match in a sold-out Juventus Stadium, were on it from the outset, and Paolo Garbisi and Beauden Barrett traded penalties.
Moments after All Blacks captain Scott Barrett was sin-binned for a dangerous clearout, scrumhalf Cam Roigard snuck through the middle of Italy's ruck defence for the first try in the 24th minute.
Wing Monty Ioane typified Italy's defence when he made a try-saving tackle on Will Jordan from behind, got up, and made another try-saver on Wallace Sititi, forcing a forward pass.
But fullback Will Jordan typified the All Blacks' class, as Italy ran out of defenders and his 38th try in 41 Tests passed Jonah Lomu on their all-time try-scoring list.
After the All Blacks survived Italy's siege of their try-line after halftime - though repeated fouls saw centre Anton Lienert-Brown sin-binned - Italy then repelled 16 phases by New Zealand at the expense of replacement prop Simone Ferrari, also yellow-carded for too many fouls.
Ferrari's absence helped the All Blacks, who also got a lift from their bench, notably from Perenara, who had led his last All Blacks haka.
As he came on for Roigard, former captain Cane departed to wide applause after his 104th and last Test.
Italy's defense led by No. 8 Ross Vintcent with 21 tackles and Menoncello's 14 continued to swarm while a man down, but the All Blacks ruthlessly exploited the man advantage to give the scoreline a flattering look.
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