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Player Ratings: New Zealand – Player Ratings New Zealand 13

OPINION: The All Blacks have made it three wins from as many Tests under coach Scott Robertson after beating Fiji 47-5 in San Diego. Playing in the US of A, the New Zealanders put on an attacking clinic, as the scoreboard suggests.

All six debutants had nights to be proud of, including outside centre Billy Proctor who was the standout for those in black shirts. There will certainly be some selection talks ahead of The Rugby Championship.

This is how they were rated.

1 Tamaiti Williams – 7.5
Back in black for the first time since last year’s Rugby World Cup Final, Tamaiti Williams struggled to get into the Test. The loosehead prop carried the ball just once and failed to make a single in the opening 16 minutes, but made up for it later.

Williams appeared to be the key factor in the All Blacks’ improving scrum throughout the first term, which was dominant towards the end of the half. The New Zealanders won a penalty advantage from a scrum with just under 15 minutes left in the first half, winning a penalty in the 31st minute on Fiji’s feed. Williams deserves both credit and praise for this.

2 Asafo Aumua – 8
It’s been a while since Asafo Aumua has had a drink. The hooker last started an All Blacks Test against the USA at FedEx Field on October 24, 2021, before being handed the No. 2 jersey to take on the Flying Fijians.

Aumua was largely accurate from the set-piece, except for one lineout that was not clearly won by Scott Barrett who failed to get the ball into the hands of another All Black. The 27-year-old from Wellington was unable to get the ball into space but still worked hard to make an impact, carrying the ball nine times and making more than a few tackles.

3 Fletcher Newell – 6.5
Fletcher Newell is not normally the type of player to do things that make it into the highlight reel. The workhorse tighthead prop has a much greater impact in the darker parts of the rugby pitch, and that was proven again in San Diego.

Newell put in a solid shift, making six tackles and a couple of runs. Although the front rower nearly scored a try with the line almost within reach in the 30th minute, he unfortunately dropped the ball. Otherwise it was a fairly quiet evening for Newell.

4 Scott Barrett (c) – 7.5
Scott Barrett did exactly what the All Blacks needed from the No. 5 lock. The New Zealand captain was heavily involved in the lineout and also had some decent carries in the general game. There was one mistake to speak of, when Barrett dropped the ball in the 15th minute from kick-off. But let’s not dwell on that too long – it was a fine performance overall.

5 Tupou Vaa’I – 6.5
Tupou Vaa’i was good but not great against the Flying Fijians. The lock took one lineout but had a much greater impact on the game generally around the park with a staggering number of carries (nine) and a tackle completion of 100 per cent. There were signs of promise from Vaa’i before The Rugby Championship and since.

6 Lucas Jacobson – 7.5
Luke Jacobson started this week at blindside flanker and was a bit inconsistent. There were times when the loose forward had a strong influence on the set-piece, including a steal on Fiji’s delivery in the 11th minute, but then Jacobson went quiet. Jacobson was fairly solid in defence but lacked a bit in attack.

7 Ethan Blackadder – 7.5
Ethan Bladder took to the field for the first time since the Crusaders’ round 15 win over Moana Pasifika on May 31. It’s been a while, but there were certainly moments to enjoy in what the backrower was able to do against the Fijians.

Blackadder was active in defence but missed almost as many tackles as he made. The openside flanker was considerably better on the other side of the ball, running 38 metres from six carries and beating six defenders.

8 Ardie Savea (vc) – 9
Ardie Savea was without doubt the All Blacks’ best forward. The reigning World Rugby Player of the Year was once again an enforcer in the No. 8 jumper, which included 11 carries for a staggering 38 metres, beating seven defenders and completing a 100 per cent tackle on the defensive side of the ball. He also secured one lineout.

If there was one moment to talk about, apart from Savea’s try late in the first half, it was an incredible carry that has become practically a trademark of the loose forward’s game. Savea ran from around the 40 to well inside the 22 with Fijian players hanging on to him – his leg drive and determination spurring him on.

9 Cortez Ratima – 8
Cortez Ratima made his first start in the All Blacks’ No. 9 jumper and certainly didn’t look out of place. The scrumhalf was both quick and accurate with his passing game early on, with Ratima also causing headaches with the odd carry.

Ratima scored the All Blacks’ first try of the Test, and his first score in international rugby, after rounding the breakdown close to the try line. Almost instinctively, the 23-year-old dove over for the score as the All Blacks took control. Unfortunately, he left the field in the 36th minute and did not return.

10 Damian McKenzie – 8
This was Damian McKenzie’s best performance of the year so far in the No. 10 jumper. McKenzie didn’t register a try assist, but was heavily involved in at least a couple of attempts, including Caleb Clarke’s first five-pointer in the first 10 minutes. But overall, the first five-ighted looked dangerous in broken play.

But it wasn’t all roses and sunshine. McKenzie had a free kick that hit the left bumper and onto the post in the opening few minutes, and there were a number of wasteful kicks to follow. Commentator Justin Marshall explained that McKenzie “looks a bit lost… McKenzie just hacked him 50 yards forward” in the seventh minute.

Overall, it’s a positive performance from McKenzie, but there’s still plenty to work on. Eight is the rating, but it could have been as low as 7.5.

11 Caleb Clarke – 8.5
Caleb Clarke played his first game since the Blues’ triumphant night in the Super Rugby Pacific Grand Final and was brilliant at times for the national team. Clarke was effective with the ball, with the left winger running almost 90 metres, making two linebreaks and beating five defenders.

Clarke scored the All Blacks’ first try of the night in the ninth minute, after coming in untouched on the back of some magic from Damian McKenzie. The powerful winger was a bit quiet at times, until early in the second term when he made a decent carry.

The 25-year-old added five more points to New Zealand’s dominant lead around 15 minutes into the second half. Commentator Jeff Wilson later heaped praise on Sky Sport NZ for Clarke, and with good reason.

12 Anton Lienert-Brown – 8.5
Spoiler alert for those reading below, but Billy Proctor was arguably the best on the ground, and midfield partner Anton Lienert-Brown wasn’t far behind. With strong carries and generally solid play, the No.12 has certainly put his hand up for starting duties in the upcoming Tests against Argentina, South Africa and Australia.

Lienert-Brown seemed to beat defenders every time he touched the ball. The inside centre had the most carries of any All Black before half-time and it was more of the same in the Test veteran’s second term.

13 Billy Proctor – 9
On his debut, Billy Proctor was certainly in the mix for Player of the Match. Every time the outside centre touched the ball, it seemed like something amazing was about to happen. Proctor had some very strong carries in the first quarter of the Test and he seemed to thrive on them.

There was one carry blast in the 20th minute, which was particularly impressive when the midfielder carried the ball past Fiji’s 22-metre line. That was just one moment to talk about, but with almost 100 carries on the night, with 10 runs, eight defenders beaten and three linebreaks, it’s safe to say there are plenty more highlights to come from the new All Black.

Proctor became the second All Black of the night to score their first Try with an effort in the 26th minute. The New Zealander benefited from some skillful work from the backline, including quick hands from fullback Beauden Barrett.

14 Sevu Reece – 7.5

The most important attribute for a wing is the ability to score tries. Even when things aren’t going their way, players need to finish with 11 or 14 attacking moves, as Sevu Reece showed time and time again during Super Rugby Pacific.

When you compare the ball Reece received to that of left winger Caleb Clarke, the man on the right didn’t have as many chances to score. But still, the Crusaders’ flyer still beat two defenders, made a couple of linebreaks and scored a try just after half-time.

15 Beauden-Barrett – 8
Beauden Barrett was the star of the show in the All Blacks’ hard-fought win over England a week ago and while the fullback wasn’t quite as effective against Fiji, there were glimpses of greatness again. The two-time World Rugby Player of the Year registered two try assists on the night and was generally a solid playmaker with a strong kicking game.

Barrett had a notable carry in the 30th minute that was somewhat reminiscent of Barrett’s performance at Eden Park. In the end, the playmaker ran more than 30 metres, beat two defenders, had two offloads and finished with a 100 per cent tackle completion.

Replacements

16 George Bell – 7
17 Ethan de Groot – 7.5
18 Pasilio Tosi – 7.5
19 Sam Darry – 7
20 Wallace Sititi – 8
21 Noah Hotham – 8 – Came on as a first-half substitute for Cortez Ratima and held his own. A promising debut from the former New Zealand U20 captain.
22 Jordie Barrett (vc) – 7
23 Emoni Narawa – N/A

By Finn Morton

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