MILAN (AP) - New Zealand won as expected, but in accounting for Italy in a dour display of rugby at football citadel San Siro, the All Blacks’ scrum was embarrassed.

No more acutely than at the end, when the All Blacks had the 20-6 result in hand but were desperately defending their tryline to prevent the Italians from scoring in front of more than 77,000, the biggest ever crowd for a test match in Italy.

The All Blacks accomplished their goal on Saturday but at what cost to the second half of their tour, and the game of rugby?

For the last eight minutes, the teams set 13 scrums, most of which castled or collapsed.

New Zealand coach Graham Henry defended his team’s frailty, calling the end "a farce."

Italy tighthead prop Martin Castrogiovanni schooled opposite Wyatt Crockett so badly that he was replaced by John Afoa and more experienced All Blacks tighthead Neemia Tialata swapped to the loosehead to try and hold up the frontrows.

But after a warning from Australian referee Stuart Dickinson, yet another scrum collapse sent Tialata to the sinbin.

Italy coach Nick Mallett said his side should have received a penalty try, and believed they would have if the ref was from the Northern Hemisphere.

"Maybe the Southern Hemisphere countries have to look at the scrum," Mallett said. "In the Northern Hemisphere there is more respect and attention for the set scrum."

Just this week, a conference of test referees in London was reminded by the International Rugby Board to strictly enforce the scrum laws because reset scrums were occupying up to 20 minutes of some tests recently.

Henry said "a gray area" in the scrum laws was ruining the game for spectators.

"I think there needs to be total clarity over what is required in the scrum. There’s a gray area," Henry said. "It’s getting worse rather than better. It is spoiling the game as a spectacle.

"The last five minutes were a farce. For the good of the game we need clarity. At the moment I don’t think there is. It’s causing frustration for the guys who play the game and the people watching."

The Italians will also have made Henry rethink his future frontrows with matches to come against England, France - which beat South Africa, something the All Blacks didn’t do this year - and the Barbarians.

No. 1 prop Tony Woodcock wasn’t considered for the Italy test because of a niggling back injury since the Tokyo match against Australia two weeks ago, and Henry hoped he’ll be fit to play England next Saturday at Twickenham.

Italy’s pack bossed New Zealand’s from the start, with two mighty shoves at the first scrum.

Fortunately for the All Blacks, Italy’s attacking options were limited to its forwards, and their indiscipline helped Luke McAlister kick five penalties.

Hooker Corey Flynn scored the game’s only try in the 24th minute when New Zealand attacked both wings from a scrum and Flynn was near the sideline to score in the corner.

The All Blacks, though frustrated, never looked like losing to Italy for the first time in 11 tests, and restricted the hosts to just two penalties to flyhalf Craig Gower.

The All Blacks made 12 changes from the 19-12 win over Wales and debuted flyhalf Mike Delany, center Tamati Ellison and winger Ben Smith, and the lack of familiarity was evident from the number of errors and lack of fluency.