During a northern hemisphere tour which has been full of promise, the All Blacks will hope that their good work does not go to waste against Italy.
Where the game will be won
What they said
Players to watch
Thankfully for the Italians, one of their top-class players, Ange Capuozzo, has returned and will be crucial if they are to punch any holes in the All Blacks defence. Capuozzo is a genuine game-breaker who has been in fine form for Toulouse, so it is vital he takes that into Saturday’s contest. If the visitors kick badly then he and back three partner Monty Ioane have the ability to hurt Robertson’s side.
In the midfield, they must also watch out for Tommaso Menoncello, who is an exceptionally gifted young player, but ultimately the platform will be set up front and that is where the concern lies. Both props, Danilo Fischetti and Marco Riccioni, are talented but need huge games, while hooker Gianmarco Lucchesi has to connect well with lock Dino Lamb, who had a fine game against Georgia.
For the All Blacks, it is a significant match for Sam Cane and TJ Perenara as two great servants to New Zealand bow out. They are playing their final Tests as they prepare to go overseas having signed deals in Japan. Cane starts at flanker having recovered from a head injury, while Perenara is on the bench, in what will be a huge occasion for both. They have performed admirably in their final season and will want to go out on a high.
No doubt their team-mates will be doing all they can to give them the perfect send-off. That includes Anton Lienert-Brown, who gets an opportunity alongside Rieko Ioane in the midfield following Jordie Barrett’s injury.
Elsewhere, Ethan de Groot is back after initially being dropped for not meeting ‘internal standards’ and he is joined in the pack by Patrick Tuipulotu, who starts ahead of Vaa’i. De Groot will certainly be helped in the set-piece by having the extra weight of Tuipulotu in the front five as he seeks to get back in the good books of the head coach.
Main head-to-head
Wallace Sititi was quite rightly nominated for the men’s XVs Breakthrough Player of the Year award and the Chiefs star will hope that what he produces in Turin on Saturday helps his case. Sititi comes up against Sebastian Negri in what will be another interesting battle.
Prediction
We can’t see anything other than a dominant New Zealand win. Italy have been poor in the Autumn Nations Series so far and while the visitors are at the end of a long season, the hosts simply don’t have the quality to capitalise. All Blacks by 35 points.
Previous results
2023: New Zealand won 96-17 in Lyon
2021: New Zealand won 49-7 in Rome
2019: Match cancelled in Toyota
2018: New Zealand won 66-3 in Rome
2016: New Zealand won 68-10 in Rome
2012: New Zealand won 42-10 in Rome
2009: New Zealand won 20-6 in Milan
2009: New Zealand won 27-6 in Christchurch
2007: New Zealand won 76-14 in Marseille
2004: New Zealand won 59-10 in Rome
The teams
Italy: 15 Ange Capuozzo, 14 Jacopo Trulla, 13 Juan Ignacio Brex (c), 12 Tommaso Menoncello, 11 Monty Ioane, 10 Paolo Garbisi, 9 Martin Page-Relo, 8 Ross Vintcent, 7 Manuel Zuliani, 6 Sebastian Negri, 5 Dino Lamb, 4 Federico Ruzza, 3 Marco Riccioni, 2 Gianmarco Lucchesi, 1 Danilo Fischetti
Replacements: 16 Giacomo Nicotera, 17 Mirco Spagnolo 18 Simone Ferrari, 19 Niccolò Cannone, 20 Alessandro Izekor, 21 Alessandro Garbisi, 22 Leonardo Marin 23 Marco Zanon
New Zealand: 15 Will Jordan, 14 Mark Tele’a, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Anton Lienert-Brown, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 Cam Roigard, 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Sam Cane, 6 Wallace Sititi, 5 Patrick Tuipulotu, 4 Scott Barrett (c), 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Ethan de Groot
Replacements: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Tupou Vaa’i, 20 Peter Lakai, 21 TJ Perenara, 22 David Havili, 23 Damian McKenzie
Date: Saturday, November 23
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Turin
Kick-off: 21:10 local (20:10 GMT, 09:10 NZDT)
Referee: Pierre Brousset (France)
Assistant Referees: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia), Ludovic Cayre (France)
TMO: Tual Trainini (France)
