Italy coach Kieran Crowley says he is expecting an intimidatory game plan from the All Blacks in their crucial World Cup pool match in Lyon on Saturday morning.
Both sides need to win in order to progress to the quarter-finals, and the All Blacks, who have never lost to Italy in 15 Tests, will be desperate for victory after losing their first ever World Cup pool match earlier in the tournament.
"We know what's coming — they're going to come pretty direct, pretty hard at us and try to intimidate us and bully us and that sort of thing. We've talked about that," Crowley told 1News this morning.
The 62-year-old Crowley, a former All Blacks fullback who has coached overseas for the last 15 years and has led Italy since 2021, added that his side would not play conservatively to keep the score down, stating they will go all out for victory, a strategy he admitted might backfire.
Italy, ranked 11th in the world (behind 10th-placed Australia), failed to win a match in this year's Six Nations. The All Blacks are ranked No.4 behind Ireland, France and South Africa.
"We've got to play with courage and no fear," he said. "We've just got to back ourselves. We're not going out there to keep the score down, we're going out there to win. The score might blow out because of that but we'll see what happens.
"If you look at history, it's 15 games I think that New Zealand has beaten Italy in, with an average points differential of 51. There is that mental block I suppose of not being able to beat the All Blacks but all you can do is prepare as well as you can prepare. We've done that and we'll see what happens."
Crowley, in the All Blacks squads for the 1987 and 1991 World Cups, said he didn't accept that this was a "weak" All Blacks team.
Former New Zealand player Keiran Crowley will lead the Azzurri against his old side this weekend. (Source: Breakfast)
Ian Foster's men have lost two of their last three Tests and have been hampered by inconsistency and discipline issues.
"No, not at all," Crowley said. "You look at the top four teams in the world now — there's hardly anything between them. Years ago, New Zealand was No.1 by a long way but now players are exposed to the same sort of coaching and the same sort of strength and conditioning. The top teams are a hell of a lot closer. There's no weak All Black team — well, I've never seen one."
He said he was excited about the match and had no internal conflicts. "No, when you're with a team you're 100 per cent with them. You live every moment with them."
New Zealand-born Italy hooker Hame Faiva feels the same way.
Faiva, 29, was born in Auckland and attended Wesley College before representing New Zealand at under-20 level. After playing six matches for the Blues in 2017 he left to play for Benetton in Italy and spent six years there.
He told 1News he was "really excited and a little bit nervous as well" at the prospect of playing the country of his birth.
"This is not new for the All Blacks, being in this position. The intensity for us — we need to match fire with fire as they say," he said.
"Obviously New Zealand gave me everything as a rugby player. I started playing rugby in New Zealand and a grew up watching the All Blacks.
"I was the kid who used to rush home after rugby games and get the fish and chips and watch them on TV. I support the All blacks in that way even though I play for Italy because I have a lot of friends there as well. It's an experience I'm looking forward to but in terms of conflict, no, I've got a job to do."
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