Will Jordan grabbed a hat-trick of tries including a record 50th for New Zealand as the All Blacks thrashed Italy 47-17 in the Nations Championship Test at Wellington Regional Stadium. The fullback touched down once in the first half and twice in three minutes after half-time to eclipse Doug Howlett’s previous record of 49 tries for the All Blacks.
Dominant performance from new-look All Blacks
New All Blacks coach Dave Rennie now has back-to-back wins in his first matches in charge, having guided them to a 34-32 win over France a week ago in Christchurch. The victory over Italy was far more convincing, with the All Blacks scoring seven tries to two in a comprehensive display.
Italy's struggles continue
The Italians have started the Nations Championship with a 0-2 record, after being beaten 27-10 by Japan last week. The visitors’ cause was not helped on Saturday by a dismissal for Niccolo Cannone for head-butting Cameron Roigard at a ruck in the 52nd minute. The referee gave Cannone a yellow card but it was upgraded to red by the Television Match Official, leaving Italy undermanned for much of the half.
Other try-scorers
Sam Darry, Roigard, Ethan de Groot and Tupou Vaa’i also crossed for the All Blacks in the seven tries-to-two rout. Tommaso Menoncello and Leonardo Marin were the try-scorers for Italy. The win solidifies New Zealand's position in the Nations Championship as they look ahead to future fixtures.
