Match Facts

New Zealand have won each of their previous 16 Test matches against Italy, by an average margin of 50 points, the most matches the All Blacks have played against a single opponent while maintaining a 100% win rate.

Italy have won five of their last seven matches (L2), including their most recent (v Georgia) despite trailing by 11 points at the break, the biggest halftime deficit Italy have ever overturned in a Test; the Azzurri have won five games this year, only in 1993 (W8) and 2007 (W6) have they won more often in a calendar year.

Italy have won four of their last six home games (L2), as many as in their previous 23 combined (L19), however, each of their last two wins have come by margins of three points or fewer, after the previous two had come by margins of over 20 points.

New Zealand lost their most recent Test match (29-30 v France) after winning five in a row previously; they suffered defeat despite leading by seven points at halftime, the first time they’d lost a match after leading by 7+ points at the break since the 2007 Rugby World Cup quarter-final against Les Bleus.

New Zealand have won seven of their last nine Test matches in Europe (L2), with their only losses during that period each coming by a single point; they lost to France last weekend but only once in the last 80 years have the All Blacks lost consecutive matches away to European nations, doing so in 2021 (v Ireland and France).

New Zealand have made more line breaks (9.0) and beaten more defenders (31.1) per game than any other Tier 1 men’s side in 2024, while Italy have missed the most tackles per game of any such team this year (27.8).

Italy (6.6) and New Zealand (6.3) rank first and second respectively for turnovers won per game among men’s Tier 1 sides in 2024 – the Azzurri have made the most turnover-winning tackles per game (3.2), while the All Blacks have averaged the most jackal turnovers (3.6).

Italy’s Michele Lamaro has made the most tackles of any player in men’s Tier 1 rugby in 2024 (155), while teammate Tommaso Menoncello ranks first for dominant tackles (20) and is one of just two backs to have made 5+ turnover-winning tackles this year (6), alongside teammate Monty Ioane (5).

No player has completed more offloads in men’s Tier 1 rugby in 2024 than New Zealand trio Sevu Reece (16), Wallace Sititi (15) and Damien McKenzie (14) – McKenzie has also assisted over twice as many line breaks as any other player this year (29).

New Zealand’s Mark Tele’a has beaten more defenders than any other player in men’s Tier 1 rugby in 2024 (41) and also ranks joint-first for line breaks this year, alongside teammate Sevu Reece, as well as South Africa duo Kurt-Lee Arendse and Jesse Kriel (13 each).