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international
All black people assistant and ex Taranaki Head coach Neil Barnes is keeping his feet firmly on the floor despite back-to-back convincing wins over the Wallabies, admitting it’s “what our people expect of us”.
In the end, Dave Rennie’s All Blacks cruised to a 43-21 triumph over Les Kiss’ Wallabies in Sydney, even after a near-perfect opening forty minutes that saw the visitors run in six tries to one heading into the break.
The Kiwis were reduced to 13 men at one stage, with debutant wing Chay Fihaki booked for direct contact with Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i and Timoci Tavatavanawai forced off the field as the All Blacks used their full complement of substitutes.
Barnes, who spoke to the media in Sydney after the match, admitted that regardless of who the All Blacks play, the basics of their game plan will remain the same.
“That’s our DNA, to be honest, and we try to play the game that suits us, and obviously you still have to play the tough parts of the game,” Barnes said.
“And just like the South Africans, the people over there (Europe) are going to challenge us as well. But I’d like to think I’m in a better place in some ways to wear them now and impose ourselves on them.”
The All Blacks had a clear focus on approaching their breakdown with efficiency and power, especially against Fraser McReight and Rob Valetini, who are constantly in the hunt.
Barnes said the coaching staff had put a lot of emphasis on the All Blacks’ physicality around the edge of trouble, expecting their players to be the first to clear.
“That’s our DNA, that’s who we are, and that’s what our people expect from us, and how we expect ourselves to play. So around our breakup work, we expect people to win races out there and put people on the ground, and you put bullets in people.”
“It’s just like a fight. You throw little punches at them, and it takes its toll. They have to get off the ground afterwards and you can push them out of the way and secure the ball, and to me it’s not brutality. But everything about us has to be physical. That’s who we are, the way we’re built.
Not only did the All Blacks learn a lot about themselves during the 2026 Test matches, they used over 50 players, creating depth in numbers up front Rugby World Cup in Australia next year.
“Yes, 100%. And at the end of the day, we create depth all the time. We trust the next cab out of the ranks, and people step up.”
“Look at the team we came out with today. There’s a lot of changes inside and then at the end, people are all over the place. But yeah, I know people could say we’ve made a lot of changes there, but there are positions where I don’t think there’s a lot between the players.
“People need to be given the jersey to improve him and if he hasn’t moved forward I’ll put someone else in there and see how he goes.
“And I think if you look at Fabian (Holland) tonight, I thought he was outrageously good. Good for him, he stepped up. So he made a statement, didn’t he?”
