Rennie hails Peter Lakai as 'unbelievable' after 18-carry Bledisloe masterclass

Peter Lakai delivered the standout individual performance of the Bledisloe Cup second Test at Sydney’s Accor Stadium, finishing with a game-high 18 carries and 16 tackles as the All Blacks secured the win over the Wallabies — prompting head coach Dave Rennie to call the Hurricanes loose-forward simply “unbelievable”.

Rennie had named the same back-row trio that started the first Test in Auckland — Tupou Vaa’i, Lakai, and Wallace Sititi — despite the absences of Ardie Savea, Luke Jacobson, Anton Segner, and Ethan Blackadder from the 23-man squad. Far from being weakened, the loose-forward unit rose to the occasion, with Lakai missing only four tackles from his 20 defensive attempts.

“Oh, I thought he was phenomenal in South Africa as well,” Rennie told media at his post-match press conference. “I think he’s just an unbelievable athlete, isn’t he? Like, he runs like a back, and he’s got a great skill set. But he hits hard, and he’s got post-tackle presence. So yeah, he’s pretty special. Pete had another big say today.”

Sititi also impressed, crossing for a first-half try and contributing 15 carries and 11 tackles of his own. Both players had shown glimpses of their potential during the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour in South Africa, but their performances in Sydney represented a significant step forward.

Lakai’s evening extended beyond his usual loose-forward role. With the All Blacks reduced to 13 men during the second half, he was shifted into midfield to help shore up a depleted backline — a testament to the versatility Rennie highlighted in his praise.

The head coach acknowledged the character his side showed in difficult circumstances, while expressing frustration at their lack of clinical edge after a dominant first forty minutes. “I’m proud of the character and the courage,” Rennie said. “But yeah, disappointed that we weren’t as clinical, and I think if we scored a couple early, we could have really put the foot on the throat.”

Stand-in captain Codie Taylor echoed that sense of measured satisfaction, pointing to the squad’s honest self-assessment following a Springboks series in which New Zealand were second best. “We probably walked away from that pretty gutted,” Taylor said. “But also knowing that we were playing a brand of rugby that we could be really proud of and really grow on — and to go and get the Bledisloe, and then face a real mental challenge this week around owning the standards that we want to live in this team, I thought we did that.”

Rennie confirmed that Lakai has been impressing the coaching staff throughout the entire 2026 campaign, suggesting the 23-year-old is cementing his place as one of the All Blacks’ most important forward options heading into the months ahead.