All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie has thrown his support behind the newly minted Nations Championship, a concept that has stirred mixed feelings among the rugby community. Launched with much fanfare, the championship pits top teams from the northern and southern hemispheres against each other, transforming what were once informal July and November internationals into fiercely contested battles with real stakes.
Despite the lack of promotion or relegation until 2030, which has sparked criticism for excluding tier two nations, Rennie sees the format as a significant addition to the rugby calendar. "It’s interesting isn’t it? You probably wouldn’t take much notice of Ireland playing Australia last week and the result of that would be probably irrelevant [previously] – you tend to just focus on the three Tests we play normally against the same countries," he observed.
"It’s got a bit more interest now because the southern hemisphere are scrapping against each other, even though we won’t play each other."
Rennie appreciates the structure the competition brings to the international scene. "I quite like the concept, it’s a focus for three weeks and you put it to bed for a few months, and then come back in November," he added.
"I think it’s got a bit of merit."
Turning to the immediate challenges, the All Blacks are set to face Italy in Wellington, a match where despite Italy's lower ranking, Rennie is not taking any chances. He has made just five changes to the lineup that triumphed over France. Among these, the return of key lock Tupou Vaa’i from injury is notable.
Regarding the Italian challenge, Rennie highlighted their strengths and the need for his team to be on guard. "They’ve got a good set-piece, they’ve had a very good scrum, so it’s important that we bar up there – we can’t give them an in into the game from a set-piece point of view," he explained. "They can play, they’ve got quality backs. Their ability to sweep and get big numbers on one side of the field and they’re really innovative, they’ve got a lot of really good strikes."
He also acknowledged the defensive prowess of the Italians, which could disrupt the All Blacks' game plan. "Then they’ll come hard defensively, so that can create a bit of havoc for us, but it can also create opportunity too if we’re good enough to hold our feet and pick them off," Rennie concluded, optimistic about leveraging Italy’s aggressive play to his team’s advantage.