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international
All black people Head coach Dave Rennie has redoubled his commitment to playing high-tempo attacking rugby at the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
After sweeping the Wallabies by a cumulative score of 93-40 over two weeks, the All Blacks’ intent is clear.
With both sides committed to playing an expansive game in Sydney, it took until the 31st minute to pack up for the first runner.
A record-high 59 minutes of ball time beat the previous record of 46 by a full 13 minutes, a contrasting approach to the RGR series with South Africa where the battle for the set proved integral.
Following the win over the Wallabies in Sydney, Rennie continued his commitment to play this way at the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
“I believe in that. I mean, there’s no point playing like this and then going to the World Cup and trying to play risk-free,” Rennie said.
“So we’re well aware. You know, you can put yourself under pressure the way we try to play, but we also back ourselves to profit more than we’re going to suffer in those situations.
“So I don’t think you want every team in the world to play the same game. So I think if you look at the Wallabies, they’re quite similar to us.”
“I think they will want to play, and that is the point of difference, part of the DNA of both sides.”
Rennie’s commitment is brave, even the All Blacks’ history with World Cups shows that a full attack rarely comes with a title.
The All Blacks scored the only try of 2023 Rugby World Cup he played a man down in the final but ultimately fell short 12-11 as South Africa missed out on four penalty goals.
The All Blacks’ back-to-back wins in 2011 and 2015 featured a balanced approach with the ability to tie the game if necessary. The famous 8-7 final in 2011 vs France was a poor result, decided by a penalty goal, while 2015 saw a close semi-final over the Springboks based on penalty goals and the sending off of Dan Carter.
Carter used relegation again in the final against the Wallabies, a rarity for the All Blacks.
The All Blacks coach has backed his side to build on the foundations laid in 2026 and improve their game until 2027.
“If you’re just going to be wrestling with a few big sides in the world, you know, it’s going to be a struggle,” he said.
“So we’re trying to improve our game, we’ve got a long way to go, but you know the brutality of carrying clean and chasing shots is a huge part of everybody’s game, I guess.
“We just want to be able to play at a pace that will test the other sides.”
Rennie always knew he would be up against perfecting his game with just three Tests ahead of the South Africa series, but he has been impressed with where the group is now following the tour and the Bledisloe series.
They had to go deep into the roster to cover injuries, but still managed to pull off dominant wins over Australia.
“We anticipated when we left South Africa, you know, that we would know a lot more about this group, that I would have a better understanding of the game we’re trying to play and the skills and fitness required,” he said.
“It’s been fantastic. We’ve used 50-odd players this year, creating depth and creating competition for places. So that’s the great thing about this group as well. That we’re missing a few impact players but all the other guys are stepping up.”
