State of the Nation: ‘Aesthetically pleasing’ All Blacks find their ‘identity’ under Dave Rennie but are they really better?

Following the conclusion of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, we update you on the state of the two participating nations. Second up, it’s Dave Rennie’s All Blacks.

New head coach Rennie enjoyed a positive start to life in the hotseat, claiming wins over France, Italy and Ireland in the Nations Championship, but everyone knew that their tour to South Africa would be the acid test.

What the July series showed was that a clear identity was developing under the 62-year-old, but could they continue in the same vein and bring the same plan at the home of the back-to-back world champions?

They knew