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'That's not working': Sir John Kirwan on the All Blacks' failed strategy
By Ben Smith
The All Blacks kicking game has come under the microscope in the aftermath of the 38-30 loss to Argentina, highlighted by both Scott Robertson and players.
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Robertson told the Sky Sport NZ panel that what they were seeing in training and seeing in the game were “two different things”.
Argentina were able to pressure New Zealand into the corner and force poor kicks that didn’t travel all that far, or worse, charge them down.
One of Los Pumas’ tries came from an aerial contest that was batted back to nobody before Mateo Carreras latched onto it.
Sir John Kirwan was critical of the exit plans shown by the All Blacks, which he said simply “wasn’t working” and hadn’t been all season.
“The exit strategy is, how do you get out of pressure? How do you get out of your own half?” Kirwan explained to The Breakdown.
“And the problem that I’ve got with our exit strategy is our exit strategy at the moment, is to play competitive kicks right landing in our own half and try and compete for them.
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“And I thought yesterday, and for the whole series so far, that’s not working.
“I mean, you know, TJ won’t be happy with this performance of his, but even when we’re there, this needs to be competitive, but you’re not getting out of your own half.
“So if you’re not competitive [in the air], right, then you don’t get out of your half, and then they are still in your half.
“So that would be the first thing that I think we look at. We look at our exit strategy and say, does this suit our game? And if you’re going to have an exit strategy with competitive high balls, do you then look at selection, who are our best high ball catchers.
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“Occasionally we’re competitive, but I don’t like the exit strategies. We’re actually not trying to carve out and get them into their own half. That’s my personal opinion.”
Hey Ben Smit! What did you say again about SA's bark bigger than its bite? 🤣 Fool! Don't see you flapping your lips now. Get different job because you suck at writing about rugby.....
All blacks not getting enough distance on their kicks out of hand.In the Aus-SA game both their kickers got twice the distance then AB kickers.
This has been apparent for near on half a decade now. Barrett in oarticular kicks lije a league standoff 10 to 15 m at best. DMac little better. I kind of thought Jonny Sextons lesson would be learnt 30 to 40 m with penalty kicks. The best line kuckers in NZ are Shooter and Jordie, but neither get used regularly.
Funny how the wheel turns now JK says there was not enough scrums so the AB could not get dominance in the game, in the W/C he cried Wolf because the Saffa's was only playing to scrum. So what did World Rugby do they changed the rules to help the AB and the likes of Mark Williams (the want to me couch not good enough) to try and take the Boks strength away and now it comes home to bit them how cried Wolf😿😁
Aust has to suffer the insult of having a home game for SA in Australia! All those escapees from dysfunctional SA in love with everything African - as long as they don't have to live there. What a sight!
Ouch DS. You big meanie!
I can say that I have met many people from NZ (as well as Aus, the UK and the rest of the developed world) who have made their homes very comfortably here in SA.
And I can tell you that the vast majority of them would rather be here in “dysfunctional SA” than in that fishing village on a damp rock you call home.
Fact.
Shipping a record 38 points might suggest defence needs a tweak or two? Whose in charge? The ABs scored 30 and normally that would be enough. DMac only missed one long range kick.
Poor old Robertson and mates / "Yesterday .. was such an easy game to play ohh I believe in yesterday.."
You left out all the best parts of the show mate!!!
Not enough scrums, AB's in a rebuilding stage with lots of inexperience players, leadership issues, lineouts a disaster, dismal recent record at the Cake Tin, lack of support & only selling 25k tickets, complaints about SANZAAR and what their competitions should look like, realization that SA won't ever go back to SR, and how concerned they were with the serious threat the Springboks have become since moving to the Northern Hemisphere.
Very interesting listening to Tim Horan, Jeff & Mills talk about the Wallabies vs Springboks game. Tim mentioned the packed Brisbane stadium and the number of Saffa supporters that turned out to see the World Champions who were ruthless did not disappoint.
They saved the best for last, questioning how they can bridge the gap, not thinking about winning, just combatting a team that are more innovative, fitter, more expansive, physical and on another level.
What makes you say SA won't ever go back?
Yeah total opposite tactic Aussie is taking right, resting their European players while South Africa's has to play through. What is going to happen with that situation?