Rennie says All Blacks will try to nullify Wales flanker Jac Morgan in Cardiff
New Zealand head coach Dave Rennie said the All Blacks have discussed plans to eliminate Wales flanker Jac Morgan's breakdown threat ahead of Saturday's Nations Championship Test in Cardiff. Rennie singled out Morgan's contact-area work as a primary focus for New Zealand in the build-up to the match.
Morgan was the only Welsh player involved in the British and Irish Lions Test-winning side against Australia in 2025, a point Rennie referenced when assessing Wales' strengths. New Zealand enter the fixture as firm favourites to extend their 73-year winning run against Wales, with the All Blacks having won the past 34 Tests between the sides and scored more than 50 points on each of their three previous visits to Cardiff over the last five years.
On Morgan, Rennie said: "When [Wales] chop tackle, you've got guys like Morgan who are excellent on the ball." He added: "So we're well aware of that and we'll have a focus on eliminating him before he can cause us stress, because that is a big part of their game." Rennie described targeting Morgan's work at the breakdown as a tactical priority for New Zealand this week.
Rennie also drew attention to Wales' set-piece and back-play. He noted their successful line-out form over the last year despite "six of their throws" going astray last weekend and said: "Maybe it was not quite as accurate against Japan but up until then, it's been top-notch." On Tomos Williams he warned: "We've got to make sure we don't let him have too much space, because he's got such a high-quality kicking game and kicks off both feet." He also said: "They've got a number of players that if we give them time and space, they'll be a handful. They have a big midfield and absolute jets on the wing, so we know a fair bit about the enemy."
Rennie made eight starting changes from the team that beat Scotland 43-21 and rejected suggestions in parts of the New Zealand media that the selection reflected Wales being a limited threat. "Wales will be pretty fired up to put in a quality performance," he said. "So we've picked a strong side we think will show the respect for them." The matchday announcements also included: "Basham starts for Wales as Wainwright ruled out" and "Full-back Barrett leads New Zealand for first time."
Rennie outlined his familiarity with the Welsh coaching group, referencing his time at Glasgow between 2017 and 2020 when Steve Tandy and Danny Wilson worked on Gregor Townsend's Scotland staff. He also noted the link with Wales defence coach Peter Murchie, who was part of Rennie's backroom at Kobelco Kobe Steelers in Japan. "I know them well and they are very good, smart coaches," said Rennie. "Pete did a phenomenal job defensively with us at Kobe, and I can see the impact he's having already. And likewise with Steve. It's going to take time to turn things around, but I can definitely see the impact they're having."
Rennie recalled an earlier Principality Stadium Test from December 2022 when he was Australia coach, describing the comeback from 34-13 down to win 39-34 — his final match in charge of the Wallabies — and the emotional setting of the Cardiff ground. "It is one of the great grounds in world rugby, with the roof on, the national anthems you've got to soak it up and enjoy it," he said. "It can be pretty daunting, but it's special. We'll definitely embrace that and all the boys are excited to be here." The match is scheduled for Saturday, 14 November (14:10 GMT) with live coverage on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 5Live.
New Zealand and South Africa sit unbeaten in the southern hemisphere table and are vying for top spot ahead of the Nations Championship play-off weekend at the end of the month, but Rennie said his side's focus remains on the Cardiff Test. "It's just a Test match and our focus is this week," he said, adding: "I think South Africa are about 70 points clear, so if we end up on the same amount of points, it's unlikely we'd catch them." He warned against overplaying in pursuit of a points target: "There's a real danger to go out and think you need to score X amount of points, you end up overplaying and getting embarrassed. We've got a clear plan around how we want to play and whatever happens, happens."