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'That's not working': Sir John Kirwan on the All Blacks' failed strategy

Jordie Barrett (C) is tackled Argentina's Matias Moroni during the Rugby Championship match between New Zealand and Argentina at Sky Stadium in Wellington on August 10, 2024. (Photo by Grant Down / AFP)

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.”

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11 Comments
B
BP 82 days ago

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.....

A
AB 84 days ago

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.

A
Andrew Nichols 84 days ago

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.

R
RD 84 days ago

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😿😁

D
DS 84 days ago

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!

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Bull Shark 84 days ago

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.

D
DS 84 days ago

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.."

W
Wayneo 84 days ago

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.

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JW 84 days ago

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?

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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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