Tana’s Tough Words Spark All Blacks’ Bledisloe Response
Watch: All Blacks React to Wallabies Result | Press Conference (Auckland)
Post-Match Interview Transcript
Dave, Codie. Well done. Pretty emphatic. Could you sense that was coming during this week?
Dave Rennie: "Oh, I thought I thought a quality performance was coming. But, you know, also playing a really good side. So you know the arm wrestle in the first half I thought we probably left a couple of opportunities out there and then they scored late. And, so yeah, look, we did a good job, looking after the ball. We played at the right end of the field, you know, created good momentum and pressure and benefited from that. So yeah. Look, we're happy. We talked about a number of areas that needed to be better coming out of Africa. And we saw good shifts tonight."
The speed of ball was impressive. How happy with the work at the breakdown and also the high ball retrieval and kick distance. How happy with that?
Dave Rennie: "I thought Cam's kicking was excellent and allowed us to put a lot of pressure on. We kicked a bit more off nine than we have been. I think as all you guys know, receiving or retrieving those kicks are difficult. I think, you know, teams are catching one out of four, the receiving team. It's the nature of the game at the moment. So I thought our guys did an excellent job of either winning it in the air or picking up scraps, so yeah, that was a good shift. I thought you mentioned about the carry clean area. I thought we were a bit ropey first half, much better second half, the quality of the carry, winning races and brutality allowed us to play on top, our run, catch-run, and it brought us rewards."
Coach, how would you sum up Scott Barrett's return to test rugby?
Dave Rennie: "Yeah, geez, impressive. It's been great to have him in the group because, you know, he's an older head. It just felt like we had a bit more experience walk in the door, demanding, and I don't know if you saw the warm up, but he's out smacking anyone who had a ball in their hand. And so, you know, we saw that sort of physicality and work ethic on display again tonight. So yeah, it's awesome to have him back."
Injury wise you copped a few in the last 20 minutes. Have you got an update on on those players?
Dave Rennie: "Yeah. Scott failed his test (HIA). He he's pretty good we think. So he's still an option for this week assuming that he passes all the protocols. And Anton (Segner) was keen to play on but got told he had to go. So those guys will have to get through a few tests. It's niggly, because we've got a limited amount of guys travelling. So we'll know a bit more by tomorrow."
And Leroy?
Dave Rennie: "Yeah, it didn't look good. Um, sort of like, you know, what you call a hip-drop type tackle, landed on the back of his ankle. I haven't had a chance to talk to the doc yet, but look, reasonably serious."
Given World Rugby came out around those rules?
Dave Rennie: "Oh, look, I'll leave that for the officials. I'm sure it's not intentional, but yeah, that's the way the game's going."
Note: World Rugby confirmed on 7 October that "The 'hip drop' tackle, where a tackler uses their bodyweight to pull a player to ground and drops onto the legs of a ball carrier from behind, will be explicitly added to foul play law and will be sanctioned with at least a penalty kick." - Read more here.
Watch: MINI MATCH | All Blacks v Australia | Auckland, 2026 (Bledisloe Cup)
He's had plenty of good ones over his career, but is that one of the better tests you've seen Jordie Barrett play?
Dave Rennie: "Oh, he's been phenomenal all year. He was outstanding in South Africa. I just think he's taken his game to another level, it's not just the skill set, he's got a massive engine, and then his physicality, you know, his defence, and yeah, I thought he was excellent again tonight. He had a little bit of a haematoma and we uh, we weren't sure how long he would last after half time, but he was able to run that off and it was nice to sub him off with about ten to go."
And how happy with how Dmac stepped up at ten?
Dave Rennie: "Yeah. You know, he's such a good player, isn't he? And as I mentioned earlier in the week, we've lost Ruben and Richie, but, we've got the two guys who played ten last year mostly, the last few years. So, yeah, we're fortunate. We've got really good depth there. And you know, I thought Damian and Baz were really strong tonight."
Why was Scott wearing white boots?
Dave Rennie: "I don't know. I didn't notice that. Was he just trying to stand out maybe? I didn't pick that up. Maybe he missed out on the the orange boots when they were handed out earlier in the year, and maybe that's all that's left."
Dave, obviously you were on the wrong side of a couple of those Bledisloe's a few years back, but how nice now to be on this side of it?
Dave Rennie: "Yeah. Look, it's a tough end for them, but it was nice to catch up with a number of those guys post game. They'll be hurting, they've had a really good year, and I'm confident they'll bounce back next week, so yeah, look, I'm very, very happy with the mindset and the work ethic and brutality tonight, it was spot on."
How big was this in terms of confidence for the team to bounce back from what you'd had in South Africa?
Dave Rennie: "Yeah. Look, we're confident in our ability, we failed in Africa, we just lost key moments, we won a lot of those tonight. So yeah, look we had really good edge around training. We were well aware of the importance of winning here and also the Bledisloe Cup. Nice to nail that tonight. And I mean, there's a lot of big performers I thought."
Watch: HIGHLIGHTS | All Blacks v Australia | Auckland, 2026 (Bledisloe Cup)
Codie, can you just talk about what, what you liked about the performance tonight, because clearly, there was a little bit of pressure on you guys off off the back of RGR, and with all the things that come with playing at Eden Park, but the guys obviously responded well, what did you like about it?
Codie Taylor: "I think we, we started the week really well. You know, we come in on Sunday, we had real good honest conversations with each other as a team. And we set sort of the precedent for where we want this team to go. We talked a lot about bringing the appropriate edge, knowing that Australia will be really confident. And, um, I sit out there on the field, like when Tana Umaga, who's experienced both sides of the Bledisloe, gives you a bit of a spray, you sort of you feel that as a player you've got a responsibility as an All Black to make sure you respond, and I feel like we did that tonight through our physicality, and just proud of the lads."
You obviously know scooter pretty well. How good is it to have, Dave touched on, you know, the qualities he brings, but how good is it, I guess, as a teammate and a guy in the engine room, and it's a hell of a competitive position, the second row in this group, how good is it to have a guy, I guess that brings all the qualities that he does and can help out in other areas, as well as just what he does on the field?
Codie Taylor: "Yeah, he's a great man. And like I say, we've got a great stock when it comes to locks, but to have someone like him to step in, you know, someone to lean on as a leader in this group, you know, he was just able to go out there this week and focus on his game. But he certainly asked questions where he thought was needed, which is what we want as a tight five. We sort of got a few steps we want to make on the back of the RGR. So to have someone like him back in the room, with his physicality, his presence and his game smarts is awesome."
Cody, can you just tell us more about the spray from Tana (Umaga)?
Codie Taylor: "Oh, it was something along the lines of, um, I won't repeat it, but respectfully, he knows what it's like not to win it and how hard it is to win back. And, you know, there's an appropriate fear when someone like that says that, you know, past All Black Captain, massive All Black legend, so, you know, you've got a responsibility. So there was a bit of fear there this week, which is what you need when you're playing at Eden Park, and you're playing for the Bled."
And Dave, you mentioned earlier, you know, tough selection conversations, does, getting the win here, locking the Bledisloe away give you some flexibility to look at some guys next weekend?
Dave Rennie: "Yeah. Potentially. There are a number of tough decisions and we, we did think if we nailed tonight then there might be some little tweaks to create competition for places heading into Europe."
Codie, did you sense early in the second half, if you were able to keep up that momentum they would run out of gas?
Codie Taylor: "We talked about that at half time, you know, that we felt like we were building some ascendancy and maybe that they were fatiguing a little bit. And on the back of a strong kicking game, we were able to get out of our half really well, win some turnovers and then, you know, play on top. So, I think all around the game was awesome tonight you know, from up front to what our backs did and created for us."
Codie, can you give us an insight into what it's like as a forward seeing Jordie Barrett making, I don't know, 100 tackles per half and getting up for high balls, and you know, sparking an attack. I mean, what's it like for you guys?
Codie Taylor: "Oh mate! You could probably have a 6, 7, 8 on his back and he wouldn't look out of place, he's one of those men, he's physical. You know, of late he hasn't been saying too much, but his actions on the field are world class. You know, he's definitely earned the right to be called probably one of the best, if not the best 12 in the world at the moment, not just through his attack, his brutality, everything that he does, he's physical, which is what you want to see as a forward when your 12 is prepared to throw his body onto everything."
Bledisloe Cup Game 2 Match Details
Wallabies v All Blacks | Bledisloe Cup | Game 2, 2026
Saturday 17 October 2026
Kickoff: 6:00pm NZT
Accor Stadium, Sydney
