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All Blacks talk late-game adjustments after clutch England win

Cam Roigard of the All Blacks. Photo by Craig Mercer/MB Media/Getty Images)

After a Rugby Championship campaign plagued by late-game inaccuracy, the All Blacks produced a final quarter 10-point swing to steal a win at Allianz Stadium over the weekend. Assistant coach Scott Hansen analysed his side’s improvement following the result.

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Hansen, former assistant to head coach Scott Robertson at the Crusaders, put the late-game execution down to a few factors including “composure” and impact from the bench.

It’s been a challenge for the All Blacks coaches to find the winning recipe in regard to bench selection, but with the return from injury of Cam Roigard and the decision to shift Damian McKenzie to the No. 23 jersey, the team has started to look dangerous with an injection of pace.

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Wallabies scrumhalf Tate McDermott on facing England and Grand Slam

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Wallabies scrumhalf Tate McDermott on facing England and Grand Slam

“We had our scrum that gave us some penalties and it gave us field advantage. As we came down, we adjusted our attack to be a wee bit shorter around the ruck, which caused a bit of stress and then in the end we were able to get to the edge with Mark (Tele’a),” the assistant coach told Newstalk ZB’s Weekend Sport with Jason Pine.

“I just thought from that 60-70 minute mark we showed some really good composure and growth. The impact that came on, (Cam) Roigard as an example, he put us in the right areas of the field and we were really able to put a lot of pressure on England.

“And then, when we came down to the end of the game, you see the effort when George Ford went for the drop-goal, I think there were five All Blacks off their feet showing courage and care to get to the foot and apply that pressure.

“So, really proud of the boys and some good learnings from the Test also.”

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Much is made of winning moments in the game of rugby, but recognising said moments is often the challenge for players in-game. Hansen outlined how he and the coaching staff had prepared the squad for such moments, but also highlighted how it’s down to the players to make it happen.

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“The thing there is you’ve always got to adjust to what those moments are, so sometimes you’re in front, other times you’ve got to dig in and earn the right to apply pressure and get into the right area of the field and get in front.

“There’s always moments around it. Yes, we sit down with the group, we go through scenarios around that but at the end of the day, what we saw today was a lot of courage.

“I thought right through our game, we didn’t always get it right, our short-pass game at times gave us a really good advantage, but what I was proud of in particular was our ability to play. We were brave. We didn’t always get it right, but we were brave and in the end, it gave us the result we were after.”

Penalties

7
Penalties Conceded
11
0
Yellow Cards
1
0
Red Cards
0

It wasn’t the prettiest of performances at times for the Kiwis, who spilled possession and committed tackles off the ball, earning them unwanted attention from the referee.

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Hansen said the unfavourable penalty count will be one of the team’s big learnings from the contest.

“Sorry, I haven’t seen the stats but just being there live and feeling it, feeling’s not always fact but I think the first half was nine to one and that’s not a position we want to put ourselves in around a match.

“What was our accuracy like? We weren’t making smart decisions at times around where we were applying pressure.

“We put ourselves in positions where England were applying scoreboard pressure because of the penalties. We do have to be better than that.

“So, definitely, as we go through the week we’ll acknowledge, what does that look like? And get some better solutions. But, at the end of the day, Test match rugby, you can’t be nine to one in the penalty count and I think it was that in the first half.”

Watch the exclusive reveal-all episode of Walk the Talk with Ardie Savea as he chats to Jim Hamilton about the RWC 2023 experience, life in Japan, playing for the All Blacks and what the future holds. Watch now for free on RugbyPass TV

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Comments

9 Comments
j
johnz 17 hours ago

For the first time this year, the bench was excellent. Particularly DMac and Roigard, they completely changed the attack. Ratima didn't have his finest outing, and Barrett, who has his strengths, doesn't have the same capacity to ignite a backline.


Surely Roigard has earnt a start. He looks composed, quick and threatening.


Full credit has to go to Tosi and Tu'ungafasi who swung the momentum at scrum time. Tuipuloto was immense, despite his dropsies.


The only player who proved yet again he is not an impact player was ALB. He's been excellent when he's started in the 12 jersey, but for some reason never adds much from the bench.

H
Head high tackle 2 hours ago

Ratima would have never faced a rush defence like that and he did it in the hardest environment. He will have learnt a lot from that and to say Roigard, who came on when the teams were stuffed. was better is a bit much really. If Roigard had started it would have been the opposite.

N
Nickers 12 hours ago

That was Ratima's worst outing since his first game I think. It was noticeable when Roigard came on the extra tempo, but like Hansen says they took some width out of their attack around the ruck which sped things up a lot. Hard to know exactly what was the catalyst.


Roigard has the best boot we have had in a 9 for a very long time. It's been a huge missing piece of the puzzle for the ABs, especially with 22 exits. Add in the threat he brings with his running game and there aren't many reasons for him not to start.


ALB isn't bringing much at the moment other than he can over 12 and 13. Everyone in the backline can cover multiple positions but no one can cover 12 or 13 other JB/Reiko.

G
GL 1 day ago

Maybe McKenzie nailing a very very difficult kick (plus another and the winning pass) also had something to do with it

K
Kia koe 3 hours ago

Jordan has this ability to pass in a tackle... Sort of like a long range offload thingy... He did it twice in this game. And 2022 (I think) to the match winning pass against the wallabies, I think that was telea as well... Great body positioning.


McKenzie delaye that pass to Jordan... On purpose, if he pass that fast freeman comes at Jordan in higher speed, and Jordan won't be able to pass like that.


I think it's all planned and drilled in their training.

N
Nickers 13 hours ago

Winning pass? That makes it sound like 1) DMac actually passed the ball to the try scorer and 2) that the work he did in the lead up was 90% of the work. Jordan passed the ball to Telea. Telea then had to beat 4 defenders in 2m of space.


He was awesome when he came on, especially the sideline conversion. But 95% of the credit for that try is with Telea.

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Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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