New Zealand pull clear after Cannone red as Italy pay for fast start
New Zealand made it two wins from two in the Nations Championship with a 47-17 win over Italy at Sky Stadium, but the scoreline only really blew out after the break. A second-half red card for Niccolo Cannone was the moment the contest slipped away from the visitors, and from there the All Blacks ran in the tries that keep them level on points with South Africa at the top of the southern pool.
For Italy, this was a second straight defeat and it leaves them bottom of the northern pool without a point. The margin hurts, but so will the shape of it, because for long stretches they were firmly in the contest.
A bright Italian start
Italy could hardly have begun better. Tommaso Menoncello crossed inside the opening two minutes, Tommaso Allan converted, and the visitors led 7-0 before New Zealand had settled. When Allan added a penalty on 17 minutes, Italy were 10-7 in front and asking real questions.
Sam Darry had already dragged the hosts level with a try on seven minutes, but the early pattern was not what the crowd expected. Italy carried with intent through Menoncello, who finished with 42 metres, two clean breaks and four defenders beaten, while Allan was a threat from the back and made 60 metres himself.
The turning point
The first real shift came just before the half-hour. Will Jordan scored the first of his three tries on 29 minutes, and Ruben Love's conversion sent New Zealand into the break 14-10 ahead. It was a slim lead given the hosts' control of possession, and Italy were still right in it.
The match changed for good early in the second half. Cam Roigard scored just after the restart and Ethan de Groot followed soon after to stretch the lead to 26-10. Then came the decisive blow. On 50 minutes Cannone was shown a red card, and with Italy down to 14 the game tilted quickly. Jordan crossed twice more, on 50 and 53 minutes, and the contest was effectively over.
To Italy's credit, they did not fold. Leonardo Marin, on from the bench, finished a try on 56 minutes that Paolo Garbisi converted, and the visitors still looked to move the ball. But by then they had left themselves too much to do.
Standout performers
Jordan's hat-trick was the obvious headline, but the numbers behind it tell the story of a wing who kept finding space: 92 metres from 16 carries and five defenders beaten. When New Zealand needed someone to make the extra man count, he was the one who did it.
- Ardie Savea was the engine, with 16 carries for 59 metres and 10 tackles before being replaced on 65 minutes.
- Wallace Sititi matched him for work rate, topping New Zealand's carry count with 17 for 47 metres, four offloads and 12 tackles.
- Billy Proctor was busy in midfield, making 58 metres and beating four defenders.
- Josh Moorby, on early for the injured Leroy Carter, made the most of his run with 86 metres and four clean breaks.
The pattern was clear in the key stats. New Zealand made 182 carries to Italy's 98 and beat 37 defenders to 14, which goes a long way to explaining the eventual gap on the scoreboard.
Where it went wrong for Italy
Italy's problem was not effort. They made 214 tackles to New Zealand's 119, a figure that underlines how much time they spent defending rather than any lack of commitment. Ross Vintcent put in a huge shift with 29 tackles, while Lorenzo Cannone (17), Andrea Zambonin (16) and Michele Lamaro (14) all worked tirelessly.
But the missed tackle count of 36 points to the strain of that defensive load, and once Cannone went, the numbers game became impossible. Italy also lost Allan to the bench on 57 minutes, and some of the early control they had shown faded from there.
There were positives to take. The set-piece held up well: Italy won all seven of their scrums and all seven of their lineouts, a cleaner return than the hosts managed. Menoncello and Marin showed there is a cutting edge in this backline. Without the card, this would likely have stayed much tighter.
What it means
New Zealand stay level with South Africa on 10 points at the top of the southern pool, both unbeaten after two rounds. Italy remain bottom of the northern pool without a point, their points difference now at minus 47.
Italy face Australia next, a fixture that offers a genuine chance to get points on the board. On this evidence, there is enough in their game to be competitive, but discipline and accuracy will need to hold together for longer.