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‘Loving what I’m seeing’: Dagg and Stevenson praise levelled-up All Blacks
Savannah Lendich Jonkers • July 20th, 2026 10:38 am
Patrick Tuipulotu scores for the All Blacks | Photo Brett Phibbs/Photosport
After three Tests under Dave Rennie, Sport Nation's Scotty & Izzy have full faith the All Blacks are once again a genuine threat.
The All Blacks have beaten France and Italy in recent weeks, before blowing away Ireland 40-21 at Eden Park on Saturday.
Scotty Stevenson said, “in the space of three short weeks, you've seen a team go out there with a basic game plan, augment in a certain way for one set of opposition, augment in another for the Irish.”
All Blacks hooker Asafo Aumua scores a try | Photo: Brett Phibbs/Photosport
The team now has a well-earned three-week break before heading to South Africa for an eight-match series including four Tests against the top-ranked Springboks.
Former 66-Test All Black Israel Dagg said, “after these three tests, I feel like I'm in a position where I'm feeling rather optimistic about this group going to South Africa.
“I'm loving what I'm hearing, but now I'm loving what I'm seeing, everything is so good,” Dagg explained.
“The attack is fast, it is expansive, it has high level skill level, everything about it, they just play at a pace that if they're able to continue it, they will put teams under extreme pressure.”
Stevenson agreed, saying the All Blacks’ pace of play could become a major weapon if they continue to build on their early progress.
“I think if they can continue to apply the blow torch when it comes to pace of play, they look like they're going to be a hard team to manage.”
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The pair also agreed that with no player guaranteed a position in the squad, every game is becoming an opportunity to prove themselves.
Dagg said, “every time they put that jersey no one is guaranteed a position in that group and they're all playing with it.”
Stevenson expressed, “you've got to create that desire to go out there and say, every time I get this opportunity, I need to take it with both hands.
“So there is genuine competition for spots, well there has to be because you've got 142-Test All Black (Beauden Barrett) who hasn't suited up for three straight weeks, that's competition and you go out there and you nail your job.”
Listen to the full segment below:
