“We Knew It Was Coming”: Rennie Reacts To Nonu’s Haka And Issues McKenzie Injury Status

All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie praised his side’s second-half performance after New Zealand produced a clinical display to defeat the Hollywoodbets Sharks 54-0 at Kings Park on Tuesday night.

In difficult conditions, with rain making handling and the playing surface challenging, the All Blacks eventually pulled away after a relatively frustrating opening 40 minutes.

Rennie admitted his side was not entirely satisfied with its first-half performance, particularly after conceding a number of early penalties and struggling to build sustained pressure.

“It was an excellent second half. We were probably a bit frustrated in the first 40,” Rennie said.

“We gave away lots of early penalties and struggled to get our hands on the ball. When we did get the ball, we looked good, but we didn’t build enough pressure for long enough.”

The All Blacks found another gear after the interval, improving their kicking game, becoming more clinical in possession and producing a strong defensive effort to keep the Sharks scoreless throughout.

“In the second half, we kicked really well, were a lot more clinical and defended well,” Rennie said.

“They kicked a lot, and we dealt with it generally well.”

The victory also gave Rennie exactly the preparation he wanted, with just 10 days remaining before the first Test against the Springboks.

New Zealand had already faced the DHL Stormers before travelling to Durban, and Rennie was satisfied that the two matches had provided valuable game time for the majority of his squad.

“Yeah, I felt we did,” he said when asked whether the All Blacks had achieved their objectives from the two opening fixtures.

“We got the majority of the side out playing, so lots of the guys got good minutes. The conditions made it challenging, but I felt we did a good job there, on the back of a very solid defensive effort,” he explained.

The All Blacks have now played five matches together this season, including three in the inaugural Nations Championship, something Rennie believes has helped establish a strong understanding of their systems ahead of the Tests.

“We’ve had five games together this season, so there is a good understanding of the way we want to play.”

There was some concern early in the match when Damian McKenzie was forced to deal with an ankle issue after coming down from a high ball in the opening minute.

Rennie, however, moved to ease fears surrounding the influential playmaker, saying the injury is not expected to prevent him from featuring in the first Test.

“Damian twisted his ankle when he came down from a high ball in the first minute,” Rennie explained.

“We had it strapped, and we expect him to be fine for the first Test.”

Rennie also confirmed that the All Blacks would wait until after the Sharks fixture before deciding on a replacement for Billy Proctor, with the coaching staff wanting to assess the squad’s injury situation before making a final call.

“We decided that we would not make a decision on Billy’s replacement until after this Sharks game because we might have to go a certain direction if we pick up more injuries.”

One of the night’s most memorable moments came before kick-off when former All Blacks centre Ma’a Nonu performed an individual haka in response to the All Blacks’ traditional challenge.

Rennie revealed that the All Blacks were aware Nonu was planning to respond and that the veteran centre had sought guidance from former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga on the appropriate way to approach the moment.

“We knew it was coming,” Rennie said.

“He caught up with Tana Umaga last night. He wanted to be respectful, so he was enquiring about what the best way was to respond to that, so they encouraged him,” he explained.

For Rennie, the gesture was ultimately viewed in the spirit in which it was intended – as a mark of respect for the All Blacks and their traditions.

“I thought it was excellent,” Rennie said.

The All Blacks will now turn their attention to their final warm-up match against the Vodacom Bulls at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday before shifting their focus to the first Test against the Springboks, buoyed by two victories over South African opposition and a growing understanding of how they want to play.