Rennie warns All Blacks have more to give before Springboks Tests

All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie says New Zealand can improve significantly after their 54-0 victory over the Sharks, as they build towards a four-Test series against the Springboks.

New Zealand produced a dominant second-half performance at Kings Park in Durban on Tuesday night to complete their second win on the Greatest Rivalry Tour. The All Blacks led 14-0 at half-time before taking control after the interval and scoring eight tries in total.

Despite the emphatic result, Rennie believes his side still have plenty to work on, particularly in the opening stages of matches. New Zealand will have one final warm-up against the Bulls in Pretoria on Saturday before facing the Springboks in Johannesburg on 22 August.

“Look, we’ve got a lot more in us, and we can’t afford to start games like we have in the last two here, so that’ll be a focus for us. But a really positive last 40,” Rennie told reporters after the match.

“We’ve got a lot more players who have had good game time.

“There’s good competition for spots, and that’s really important heading into the [first] Test.”

The All Blacks had been held to a relatively modest advantage during the opening 40 minutes, with the Sharks frustrating New Zealand and limiting their opportunities to build sustained pressure.

Rennie said his players had made life more difficult for themselves by conceding too many penalties and struggling to maintain possession early in the match.

“We’re probably a bit frustrated; in the first 40 we gave away a lot of penalties early and struggled to get our hands on the ball. When we did, we looked good, but we didn’t build enough pressure for long enough,” he said.

Conditions in Durban were difficult, with persistent rain creating a challenging playing surface. However, New Zealand adapted impressively after the break and found greater fluency in attack.

Rennie was also pleased with the way his team dealt with the Sharks’ kicking strategy. The hosts frequently put the ball into the air, although several of their contestable kicks lacked either sufficient distance or effective support from chasing players.

“The second half was excellent,” said Rennie.

“We kicked really well, were a lot more clinical and continued to defend well. They kicked a lot of ball, which we generally dealt with well.”

The result continued the All Blacks’ strong start to their tour and gave Rennie an opportunity to assess more players before the Test series. He said the increased competition for selection would be valuable as New Zealand prepare for their first meeting with the Springboks.

Before that contest, the All Blacks will return to action against the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday. Kick-off is scheduled for 19:00.