The changes Scott Robertson must make to address All Blacks’ bench woes

When All Blacks coach Scott Robertson and captain Scott Barrett walked into the post-match press conference at Cape Town’s DHL Stadium earlier this month, it was hard to think of new questions to ask. Blame it on déjà vu – it felt like we’d all been in that room before.

The All Blacks had just gone down 18-12 to the world champion Springboks in what can be labelled both a frustrating and disappointing defeat from that team’s perspective. They had chances to silence the passionate South African crowd but failed to do so when it counted.

The All Blacks had been in a similar situation just one week earlier.

Johannesburg’s world-renowned rugby venue, Emirates Airline Park, hosted another enthralling battle between last year’s Rugby World Cup finalists. The All Blacks should’ve won that Test, but the Springboks’ famed ‘bomb squad’ came up trumps when it counted.

Replacements Kwagga Smith and Grant Willams scored a try each as the Springboks clawed their way back from a 10-point deficit late. They ended up winning 31-27 at Ellis Park, and the reaction from the crowd at full-time was like nothing this writer had ever experienced before.

It was a shock to watch the New Zealanders do something very un-All Blacks like in that Test, and then to see them do it again after making the two-hour trip down to The Mother City, was unsettling.

There are some issues the All Blacks need to address.

All year, this team has failed to click in the way fans expect of them. Their two wins over England were far from convincing, and splitting a two-Test series with Argentina in New Zealand wasn’t on many fans’ 2024 bingo cards.

They’ve lost three of their last four.

The All Blacks have also failed to score in the last 20 minutes of Tests on four occasions this year. It wasn’t that long ago that New Zealand’s bench was the secret to their success, but now it’s far from that – it’s actually become a problem.

‘Impact’ players on the pine have come on and failed to fire.

Sam Darry wasn’t even used at all in the Cape Town Test.

There are questions that Scott Robertson still needs to answer.

But, before anyone gathers their pitchforks in response to the All Blacks’ two defeats to the Springboks, there’s a golden opportunity for the Kiwis to bounce back. They’ll take on arch-rivals the Wallabies in two Bledisloe Cup Tests later this month.

It has the makings of a really intriguing Test series, with the Aussies looking to put a record loss to Argentina behind them. But from an All Blacks perspective, make no mistake, they need to get their bench right before heading north for their end-of-year tour.

To do that, Robertson needs to make some changes.

First, Wallace Sititi was the star of the show for the New Zealanders in Cape Town. Sititi was a bit of an unknown to South Africans before that Test, but they won’t forget about the three-cap All Black anytime soon after that performance.

That was Sititi’s first outing as a starter at international level. It was also only the third time he’d started at blindside flanker in professional rugby – the other two were with North Harbour in the NPC.

Is he the next Jerome Kaino? Okay, let’s not get too carried away.

But the point stands, Sititi was brilliant and must start moving forward.

Let’s not forget about Ethan Blackadder, though, who was the All Blacks’ best in the No. 6 jumper just seven days earlier in Johannesburg. Blackadder picked up a hamstring injury which opened the door for Sitit’s opportunity.

To keep it simple, both men must start moving forward.

Sititi at No. 8 and Blackadder at blindside.

But what about Ardie Savea?

There’s been some criticism of Savea at No. 8 and if we’re being honest, it’s probably fair to a point. The reigning World Rugby Player of the Year hasn’t been as impactful this year at the back of the scrum, so it might be time for a change.

When Blackadder returns at blindside flanker, moving Sititi to his more familiar position of No. 8 just makes sense. Savea can then go back to playing openside flanker which would prompt another significant change to the bench.

“(Savea has) been a workhorse, but to me it’s not an impact as an eight, it’s more like a seven,” former All Black Jeff Wilson explained on The Breakdown.

“High tackle count, you know he’s getting himself involved in the game. We know he fights hard and he competes and he competes.

“But it’s about the role everyone plays (together), and it’s the role the No. 6 plays, and I don’t think Wallace Sititi is a No. 6, I think he’s a No. 8. I think the type of explosive runner he is, I’d be happy if Ardie had a Test at seven. I really would, in terms of getting balance.”

That change would likely push former captain Sam Cane to the bench.

Cane came off the bench in the All Blacks’ big win over Los Pumas in Auckland and had himself a game. The 2015 Rugby World Cup winner was one of the top tacklers on the night, despite playing significantly fewer minutes than other players on both teams.

If the All Blacks have learnt anything over the last few weeks, hopefully, they understand they need more experience and impact on the bench. Cane can certainly provide that on a reliable basis before hanging up the international boots at the end of the year.

The rest of the bench should remain as it was in Cape Town, except for the inclusion of Harry Plummer. Plummer can be the difference for the All Blacks as they look to close out Tests with a cool, calm and collected option at first five-eighth.

Plummer showed during the Blues’ run to title glory in Super Rugby Pacific that he’s a winning option at flyhalf. Without being especially exciting compared to the likes of Damian McKenzie, Plummer was reliable time and time again for the eventual champions.

It’s exactly what the All Blacks need in the last 20 minutes.

Plummer can be the answer. He also covers 12 and 15, which is a bonus.

That change should see Beauden Barret return to the starting side.

The Will Jordan experiment at fullback didn’t work in Cape Town. Jordan is a try-scoring machine on the right wing, but with the 15 on his back, the 26-year-old struggled to get things going with Mark Tele’a and Sevu Reece on the edges.

If something isn’t broken, don’t try and fix it.

Jordan back to the right wing, Beauden Barrett at fullback, and Caleb Clarke should return down the left sideline when he’s recovered from a back injury.

The bench was a big talking point in South Africa, but a new approach, innovation and maybe an element of surprise is needed to solve the team’s big problem moving forward.

That press conference in Cape Town felt far too familiar, but take the learnings and move on.

The All Blacks have quality at their disposal, and it’s important they look at the bench as a position rather than a backup to the first team. If selected on the bench, Cane and Plummer can help the All Blacks address their lack of dominance and execution in the final quarter.