The fuck is with this French ref? Italian loosehead drives in right in front of him, 7 then changes bind and swims up to join the front row. Penalises Black.
NC: All Blacks
Match thread
Italy
@Landers92 said in 2026 Nations Championship: All Blacks v Italy:
Can we make sure we don’t play in Wellington for very very long time. This place is cursed
Unless you're the Hurricanes. 
@sparky said in 2026 Nations Championship: All Blacks v Italy:
@Landers92 said in 2026 Nations Championship: All Blacks v Italy:
Can we make sure we don’t play in Wellington for very very long time. This place is cursed
Unless you're the Hurricanes.
Which we aren’t…
It would have helped if Wallace decided to not detach - the next shove with him looking to break did for us.
@Landers92 said in 2026 Nations Championship: All Blacks v Italy:
Can we make sure we don’t play in Wellington for very very long time. This place is cursed
We say this every year and they still get at least one a year.
@Bones said in 2026 Nations Championship: All Blacks v Italy:
Jacobson has been doing a great imitation of DP last week and so far this week
Poor bugger has to do all the work in the loose not much help from the other 2.
@Canes4life said in 2026 Nations Championship: All Blacks v Italy:
@sparky said in 2026 Nations Championship: All Blacks v Italy:
@Canes4life said in 2026 Nations Championship: All Blacks v Italy:
The quality of this game versus the Super final is night and day.
It's an entirely different game when you have a northern hemisphere ref looking to slow it down as much as he can.
And no punch up front. De Groot, Taylor and Lomax etc aren’t the types to bend a defensive line if we want to play optimistic rugby.
Grooter just carried pretty bloody well then.
He is quality link guy as well. Throws some really nice passes.
@Chris said in 2026 Nations Championship: All Blacks v Italy:
@Bones said in 2026 Nations Championship: All Blacks v Italy:
Jacobson has been doing a great imitation of DP last week and so far this week
Poor bugger has to do all the work in the loose not much help from the other 2.
Are you sure? Ardie has most tackles and 2nd most carries.
Sititi has second most tackles.
Jacobson has 2 tackles
@sparky said in 2026 Nations Championship: All Blacks v Italy:
You can't play Sititi and Savea in the same backrow. And neither screams All Blacks quality to me.
Certainly can't. Way too similar.