All Blacks Coach Warns Springboks After Sharks Demolition: ’A Lot More in Us
- All Blacks coach Dave Rennie has cautioned that his team is still far from reaching their peak performance levels despite the dominant victory
- New Zealand secured a commanding 54-0 win against the Sharks in Durban on Tuesday night, running in eight tries at rain-soaked Kings Park
- The team is now shifting their full focus towards the opening Test against the Springboks on 22 August at Ellis Park in Johannesburg
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All Blacks coach Dave Rennie has issued an ominous warning to the Springboks after New Zealand demolished the Sharks 54-0 at Kings Park on Tuesday, 11 August 2026, saying his team still have “a lot more in us”. The result followed a less convincing 38-21 win over the Stormers.
New Zealand scored eight unanswered tries in Durban, including two from Fehi Fineanganofo, despite difficult wet conditions. Rennie was pleased with the response after half-time but admitted the opening period needed work.
“Look, we got a lot more in us. We can’t afford to start games like we have in the two games here and so that’ll be a focus for us,” Rennie said, as reported by KickOff.
Dave Rennie Wants More From All Blacks
Rennie admitted the All Blacks made life harder for themselves during the opening 40 minutes, with a string of penalties preventing them from building sustained pressure.
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The New Zealand coach said his side struggled to get enough possession and maintain momentum, despite creating promising opportunities when they had the ball.
“We gave away a lot of penalties early and just didn’t build enough pressure for long enough,” Rennie said.
The All Blacks were a different side after the break. They improved their kicking, became more clinical with their chances and maintained their defensive intensity as the Sharks began to tire.
Rennie was particularly pleased with the response, describing the second-half performance as “excellent” while praising the team’s improved execution.
The dramatic improvement helped New Zealand turn a 14-0 half-time lead into a commanding 54-0 victory. Eight tries followed as the All Blacks took complete control of the contest.
Bulls Test Before Springboks Clash
The All Blacks will face the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, 15 August, before opening their four-Test series against the Springboks in Johannesburg on 22 August.
Rennie also highlighted growing competition for places.
“We’ve got a lot more people who have got good time and so we shared the load a bit, but there’s a really good competition for spots,” he said.
The Sharks defeat therefore leaves New Zealand with momentum, but Rennie insists there is still another level available before the Tests.
Bulls underprepared for All Blacks showdown
Briefly News previously reported that Bulls coach Johan Ackermann admitted his side will head into Saturday’s All Blacks clash at Loftus Versfeld with less preparation time than planned.
The Bulls cut their scheduled break short to prepare for the fixture, while New Zealand arrive in Pretoria after another dominant performance against South African opposition.
Ackermann has opened up about the challenge facing his squad as they prepare to take on an All Blacks side gaining confidence ahead of their Springboks Tests.
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Source: Briefly News
