Rennie hails McReight as world's best after All Blacks nullify him across Bledisloe sweep

Dave Rennie called Fraser McReight “probably the best in the world” at the breakdown, yet the All Blacks head coach was equally satisfied that his side had rendered the Wallabies flanker largely ineffective as New Zealand sealed a clean Bledisloe Cup sweep with victory at Sydney’s Accor Stadium.

The result completed a 2-0 series for the All Blacks against Australia in 2026, coming just over a week after their win at Eden Park. It represented a pointed response from Rennie’s squad following a 3-1 series defeat to South Africa, in which Malcolm Marx had caused problems at the breakdown.

“Yeah, look, he’s probably the best in the world, and as I mentioned the other day, they got a great loose-forward trio, and probably as good as any country in the world,” Rennie said post-match in Sydney. “So, yeah, we’re well aware of Fraser’s threat. He’s not the only one. So, yeah, that’s why the emphasis on the quality of our carry, our ability to fight to stay up a little bit longer and win races. We had to target him, and I thought boys were excellent. You know, he’s often in there digging, but he came up with nothing in key moments.”

McReight, 27, had offered genuine breakdown threat throughout the series, but the All Blacks consistently denied him the turnover opportunities that make him so dangerous. Rennie’s side produced a near-perfect first half in Sydney before navigating a testing final ten minutes with only 13 men on the field.

The All Blacks were stretched by a series of misfortunes: Quinn Tupaea failed a head injury assessment early in the match, while Samisoni Taukei’aho and Shannon Frizell were both forced off with leg injuries. Having exhausted their replacements, captain Codie Taylor was restricted to scrummaging duties only, and when Chay Fihaki received a yellow card, New Zealand were reduced to 13 players — yet they held firm.

Taylor, who made 12 carries in an impressive personal display, was generous in his assessment of the Wallabies’ set-piece, singling out their lineout as a genuine world-class threat.

“They’ve got a great lineout, I think they’re the best in the world at disrupting opposition ball. We found that out at the start of the last game, and then lost a couple tonight,” Taylor told media. “I thought we were a lot better in that area, though. But you know, again, they’ve also got a great maul, one of the best in the world, also. So they’ve really taken a step up there. We probably thought we could have a crack at times, but I thought they stood up. You know, they’ve got some good young talent coming through in the front row and stuff, so they’re in a good spot.”

The Bledisloe Cup sweep will provide significant momentum for New Zealand, while Australia’s coaching staff will look to find ways to free McReight from the kind of disciplined team defence Rennie’s side produced across both fixtures.