Following a 43-21 victory over the Wallabies in the second Bledisloe Cup clash at Accor Stadium in Sydney on Saturday, here are the player ratings for the All Blacks.
15 Beauden Barrett: After a promising outing at Eden Park, his partnership with Damian McKenzie is really starting to fire. That axis was superb as they ripped the Wallabies apart in the first half with the experienced playmaker getting an intercept try for his efforts. 8
14 Will Jordan: When the All Blacks score 36 points in one half, Jordan is usually a standout, but he perhaps wasn’t quite as influential as some of his team-mates. He still injected himself superbly when needed, which included providing the assist for Rieko Ioane’s score, and kept them moving forward. 7
13 Quinn Tupaea: His game was unfortunately ended in the first minute after suffering a head injury. N/A
12 Timoci Tavatavanawai: A late replacement for Jordie Barrett as the gargantuan Highlander finally got his opportunity. Did most things right and was solid on both sides of the ball, with the odd moment of brilliance, but probably not the standout performance he needed. 7
11 Josh Moorby: Was excellent under the high ball, having struggled against in that area against the Springboks. Also grabbed himself a couple of tries with the second a lovely finish after toying with the Australia defence. 8
Classy once again
10 Damian McKenzie: So, so good yet again. We’ll excuse the poor goal-kicking early on, which could have made it even more embarrassing for the hosts, as he was sublime in everything else. The times McKenzie drifts onto the ball and tempts the defender to rush out, like he’s baiting a bull with a red cape, before stepping that player and opening the space out wide have been a feature of the past two games. 9
9 Cam Roigard: There was one shocking moment when the superstar playmaker made a decision-making error towards the end of the opening period but he was pretty much faultless otherwise. Another masterclass in scrum-half play. 8
8 Wallace Sititi: It has been a tough 2026 Test season but the Bledisloe Cup clashes have provided a reminder of what Sititi can do. The number eight was brutal in the carry but also skilful and dovetailed excellently with Lakai in the back-row. 8
7 Peter Lakai: Plenty of what the All Blacks did well earlier in the season was based around Ardie Savea’s and Luke Jacobson’s work. With Sititi and Lakai, they have slightly different jobs in tandem, but it’s worked superbly and the openside was absolutely magnificent. In fact, it was Savea-esque. 9
6 Tupou Vaa’i: Slightly quiet from the blindside, who did his job well enough but he couldn’t quite get himself into the game like last weekend with his loose forward team-mates the dominant forces in that combination. 6
Huge shift
5 Fabian Holland: Dave Rennie explained that he wanted to see a slight ‘shift’ in his game before recalling him for this clash. We’re not sure exactly sure what it was as he was damn good before being dropped and equally as good in this encounter. Holland was physical around the field, showed outstanding hands in the loose and did his job in the lineout. 8
4 Scott Barrett: Some would say it was a slightly understated performance but it’s probably not a coincidence that the All Blacks have arguably been more efficient around the breakdown since his arrival. Barrett is always brutal in contact and that has led to a free-flowing New Zealand outfit. 7
3 Fletcher Newell: The scrum was not a factor in the game but Newell did his other core roles incredibly well, including putting in a mammoth defensive shift, while his dextrous handling set up plenty of attacking opportunities. 7
2 Codie Taylor (c): Much more efficient in the lineout and, like Newell, he was excellent around the field. A couple of moments which rolled back the years, including one searing break, as Taylor showed he is still a top-class hooker. 7
1 George Bower: Solid in all facets without being quite as destructive or effective as most of his forward team-mates. Bower put in a good effort for 50 minutes before making way for Xavier Numia. 6
Replacements: Unlike the first Bledisloe Cup clash where they provided an injection of pace and physicality, this time they interrupted their momentum. The earlier replacements, Rieko Ioane – who effectively played a full 80 minutes – and Chay Fihaki, came away with credit, but it was a bit too loose from the others. It also didn’t help that Shannon Frizell picked up an unfortunate injury just a few minutes after coming on. 5