Got his opportunity at fullback and while he caused plenty of problems with ball in hand, he had some forgettable moments. He made his mark, but perhaps not asbig a mark as anticipated.
14. Shaun Stevenson 6/10
Saw his side of the field targeted early and the Wallabies scored two tries down his wing within 10 minutes. He had some shaky moments, but shook those off to show glimpses of his abilities and work rate, and found his feet as the game progressed.
Looked every part the cool-headed veteran in an inexperienced backline. He defended well, and was happy to straighten the play. Found more involvement in the second half as he shifted to centre following Ennor’s exit.
Anton Lienert-Brown had a solid outing in the All Blacks midfield. Photo / Photosport
11. Leicester Fainga’anuku 6/10
Looked dangerous when he got his hands on the ball, showing his strength to beat defenders and running good support lines when teammates made breaks. He did, however, bomb a try with all the hard work already done.
10. Damian McKenzie 4/10
Tried to ignite the side’s attacking potential with little success. Was targeted defensively at times and fell off a tackle that led to the Wallabies’ second try, while his kicking in open play left a lot to be desired. He was a bit all over the place.
9. Finlay Christie 5/10
Missed the opportunity to shine in a rare test start, as he never really found a way to make his mark on the game before being part of a mass substitution with about 30 minutes left.
Finlay Christie in action against Australia. Photo / Photosport
A man of big moments, Savea came to his side’s rescue on several occasions to either keep the Wallabies out or turn the ball over, and even showed that he has a deft touch with the boot.
7. Sam Cane 7/10
Guilty of falling off a couple of tackles early, but atoned to lead the way with his tackle count. He put pressure on the breakdown and was strong in support, be it providing options or being on hand to clean out the ruck. A solid return from injury.
6. Samipeni Finau 8/10
Finau put his shoulders to work with a massive tackle count and showed his power with ball in hand. Bulldozing his way over the line for the game’s last try capped off an impressive debut.
5. Sam Whitelock 9/10
A lacklustre first half from the team really emphasised Whitelock’s importance defensively and at the breakdown. He worked tirelessly throughout the contest in a massive 80-minute shift.
4. Brodie Retallick 5/10
Stood up defensively with the All Blacks under heavy pressure early but was put on ice just 26 minutes in after copping a suspected knee injury.
Brodie Retallick exited the game early with a suspected knee injury. Photo / Photosport
3. Nepo Laulala 4/10
Was pulled up for a scrum penalty as Wallabie loosehead Angus Bell got the better of him, and he didn’t make much of an impact in other areas during his time on the park.
2. Samisoni Taukei’aho 5/10
Had some issues around his core roles as attacking lineouts often fizzled out, which overshadowed the good work he did with some strong carries and efficient defence.
1. Tamaiti Williams 4/10
Struggled against the referee’s whistle, accounting for several first-half penalties as he struggled in his first test start against the rolling Wallabies pack in the early exchanges. Replaced 49 minutes in.
