Former All Blacks fly-half Stephen Donald has urged Dave Rennie to rotate his team for what he believes to be New Zealand\u2019s \u201ceasiest game\u201d of the year.<\/p>\n
After defeating France 34-32 in Christchurch, focus now shifts to the second Nations Championship fixture against Italy in Wellington. The Azzurri head to the capital city off the back of a shock defeat to Eddie Jones\u2019 Japan, their second successive defeat after a loss to Wales in the final round of the Six Nations.<\/p>\n
Italy finished fourth overall in the Championship, beating Scotland and England while running Ireland close. However, Donald isn\u2019t overly worried about the clash against the Azzurri this weekend.<\/p>\n
This despite the All Blacks<\/a>\u2018 underwhelming results in Wellington, with the Cake Tin playing host to several poor performances for the men in black. The side went six years without a win before the Scott Robertson-coached side beat Australia in 2024 and were soundly beaten by the Springboks at the venue last year.<\/p>\n All Blacks\u2019 easiest game of 2026<\/p>\n Donald isn\u2019t concerned about the threat Gonzalo Quesada\u2019s charges pose and wants Rennie to give the remainder of his squad an opportunity against the Azzurri<\/a>. The new head coach issued Test debuts to Xavier Numia, Jamie Hannah and Fehi Fineanganofo while Ruben Love was given his first start at fly-half against France last weekend. Josh Moorby and Anton Segner are the two remaining uncapped players in the squad and Donald wants the duo to start against Italy.<\/p>\n Asked whether Love starts at fly-half again, Donald\u2019s<\/a> response was emphatic.<\/p>\n \u201cAbsolutely does,\u201d he said on Sky Sports NZ\u2019s Breakdown show.<\/p>\n \u201cFirst of all, he bounced back from a start that he probably wasn\u2019t thinking was going to happen during the week and I don\u2019t think you can underestimate that would have rocked him or rocked someone more mentally weak, but it certainly didn\u2019t. He came back strong.<\/p>\n \u201cYou saw what a threat he was with the ball in hand. You saw the impact that he had in the counter-attack when he was in the backfield, and he controlled things. You\u2019ve got to realise that there were times during that second half where it was like this (up and down) and even with two or three minutes to go, they scored that try \u2013 it was a two-point game. So there was a lot of pressure for a man in his first start.\u201d<\/p>\n All Blacks legend: Dave Rennie has clearly \u2018established and defined the roles\u2019 of the loose forwards as \u2018tough\u2019 Sam Cane-esque flanker stars<\/a><\/p>\n Looking ahead to Italy, Donald wants Hurricanes star Moorby in the starting line-up after he matched Fineanganofo\u2019s record-breaking 17 tries in a single Super Rugby Pacific season.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got Moorby at full-back this week; respectably, Italy is going to be the easiest game of the season. So, we\u2019ve got to play everyone in the squad this week,\u201d he said<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cAnton Segner is starting for me; Luke Jacobson has a big workload \u2013 he doesn\u2019t need to go out against Italy or prove anything there. So, Segner gets a crack.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018We will not win big events with the current way of playing\u2019 \u2013 Sir Graham Henry\u2019s honest admission after All Blacks\u2019 victory over France<\/a><\/p>\n Beauden Barrett off the bench<\/p>\n A viewer messaged in to tell Donald not to \u2018underestimate Italy, they beat England this year\u2019. But the 2011 Rugby World Cup-winning fly-half wasn\u2019t having it, simply responding: \u201cThey just lost to Japan.\u201d<\/p>\n After the clash with Italy, the All Blacks will face off against Ireland at Eden Park before embarking on their tour of South Africa, where they will face the four United Rugby Championship teams and the Springboks on three occasions before the series finale in Baltimore.<\/p>\n Donald therefore believes that there is no other game that Rennie can test the uncapped players in and give opportunities to others.<\/p>\n \u201cI just think if you don\u2019t play these boys now, when over Ireland at Eden Park and then South Africa, when do you play them apart from a midweek game in South Africa?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cBeaudy [Barrett] is going to get about 35 minutes at 10 this week for me.\u201d<\/p>\n