A statement and a spectacle. With one foot on Italy’s throat and another in the World Cup quarter-finals, the All Blacks reminded everyone they remain a ruthless beast in full flight with their 96-17 demolition job of Italy in Lyon.
In the words of The Telegraph’s Gavin Mairs “The All Blacks have reinstated their World Cup credentials with this stunning mismatch against a Six Nations side.
“It had been presented as something of a judgement day for New Zealand, given that defeat against Italy would have resulted in a pool-stage exit for the first time in their history, yet the only record on the line was their previous best scoreline against Italy, their 101-3 victory in the 1999 tournament.”
Perhaps reflective of the mood of the nation after their thumping of Italy - the Herald’s readers have given their ratings and dished out near-perfect performances for every All Black.
