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Regardless of the France result Razor's All Blacks have proved something
I’ve seen enough to judge this All Blacks season a success, regardless of what happens against France.
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It’s a belated success, but a success nonetheless.
The positive results help, but it’s more the way the team is now playing which encourages me most.
To my untrained eye, the All Blacks started this campaign by playing in the same ineffective way as their predecessors. They sought to be brilliant – and to blow teams off the park – without ever earning the right to.
If head coach Scott Robertson and his team had brought any new ideas to the table, they weren’t evident.
I see the team’s win over Australia in Sydney as a tipping point. Having raced out to an early lead, the All Blacks were simply awful in the second half.
First five-eighth Damian McKenzie lost his starting role after that match and the game plan was simplified significantly.
And, why not? After all, the strength of the team this year has been its forward pack.
They performed well enough against South Africa, for instance, to have won both tests in the republic. It was only the scatterbrained backs that let them down.
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This team might run in the future but, for now, they’re content to walk. To do the simple things accurately and to eliminate the margin for error.
It’s not thrilling, but it’s working.
Fans had yearned for change, following the Ian Foster years, and in the tests subsequent to Sydney, against Australia, England and Ireland, they saw it.
So much so that McKenzie could resume duties at first-five without disrupting or undoing all the progress that had been made.
That’s huge. That suggests that the team has a coherent and cohesive method of playing, which everyone has bought into. The individual personnel might change, but the collective performance doesn’t.
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France might turn around and beat the All Blacks now. Who knows? That’s the beauty of a head-to-head contest.
But recent All Black teams had nothing to fall back on when the going got hard. They had little structure or substance and did desperate, irrational things in an attempt to play their way out of trouble.
We’re not seeing that now.
Ireland assumed they could bully the All Blacks in Dublin. They set their stall on exerting pressure and waiting for the All Blacks to fold in the face of it.
When that didn’t work, Ireland became the team that ran out of ideas.
That’s hugely heartening, even unexpected.
Many of us had come to the sad conclusion that the All Blacks had decided it was beneath them to be anything other than brilliant.
Assistant coach Scott Hansen said as much, when asked about Harry Plummer and the game plan implemented by the Blues this season.
Yes, it worked, Hansen said but, no, it wasn’t the type of footy the All Blacks wanted to play and, therefore, Plummer wasn’t the kind of first five-eighth the team needed.
Well, I’d wager Sydney changed that thinking. I think everyone involved with the team was so thoroughly embarrassed by that second half, that they finally accepted change had to come.
That signifies a successful campaign in my book.
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
Razor's ABs are certainly on the improve, as expected after a total change in coaches, philosophy and systems added to world cup cycle player retirements. However we still need to find new players at 10, 12 & 13. BB and DMac are both amazing with ball in hand but are not world class game drivers, Jordie is playing well but should have stayed at 15, Reiko could have been an all time great wing but is no more than an average centre. After being spoilt for years with Carter, Nonu and Smith we haven't really replaced any of them yet. We have a very good pack with options, 3 good young 9's and a plethora of outside backs in the team or emerging. 10, 12 & 13 will be our Achilles heel unless we start throwing players in. Dare I say Jacomb, AJ Lam and Proctor....?
France were always going to be the toughest, and they are the team we haven't been able to beat. Ireland have moments but are overated frankly, no success in the actual pressure tournaments shows exactly how good they have really been.... paper tigers. France haven't won the WC but they have still been the bogey team for the ABs forever. Huge game.
Last 2 times we been bit off our preferred front rows we got bullied a lil bit don’t see that happen now might even reverse that
The Blues strategy - ongoing pick and drive - isn't what the All Blacks team is currently employing. They haven't changed their tactics, they have just strengthened the personnel - especially from the bench. Players returning from injury - Jordan Tuipolutu, Roigard have changed the form of the team.
To me looks like they really trying to mix it up a bit in fact most teams seem to be doing that
While the All Blacks look a much better side than the one that went down at home to Argentina, the success of the tour cannot be judged on two games. England ara mediocre side which lost to a side which got thumped by more than 30 points four times in the rugby championship. The value of the Irish win is much bigger but it will be put in perspective by the Ireland Argentine game this weekend. Ireland are nowhere near the team that won 17 tests in a row having only scraped a five out of nine wins in including wins over Italy and Wales starting with the WC QF. Scotland are a way better team than England as their comprehensive win last time out showed. The game against France is vital for the AB's to judge their progression.
Nah bro they both good wins against good teams
Graham, if you cant celebrate the wins whats the point of playing the game? I think most would have happily taken 3 from 4 on this tour and winning would be icing but losing just 1 test is still Cake. Its been a season of lost opportunity no matter the result. 3 tests and no real gains from a experience for the newbies perspective. I do get that winning is everything but a few more squad members getting bigger minutes would have been great. Either way, providing the B side doesnt lose to Italy it will be a OK year.
Agreed. I simply can’t repeat myself enough. France are the toughest assignment this year. I think they’ve been preparing well for the 6 Nations. And I think they’ll be delighted to have the all blacks to test where they are.
There’s also a bit of an itch to scratch - a dominant win in front of their home crowd, against a top team.
It would be simpler if you just admit that you were wrong vs re-writing your previous columns.
The backs alone did not lose the games, that is why the current bench is different!