All Blacks runaway train better late than never
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The All Blacks will call on their recent ability to finish Test rugby matches like a runaway locomotive when they face South Africa on Saturday.
Compelling statistics show New Zealand have become the best closers in the world game, with their record against the Springboks especially impressive.
The two great rivals have barely been separated at halftime in their last five Tests but the All Blacks have then powered away in four of them – with the one exception being their narrow loss at Dunedin last year.
More pointedly, the All Blacks have scored 10 tries in those Tests, with nine coming in the second half and seven of them in the final 14 minutes.
All Blacks backline coach Wayne Smith points to the importance his players place on having a quality reserves bench.
“If you want intensity in a Test match for 80 minutes, you’ve got to have 22 players able to contribute,” he said.
“You can’t have 16, 17 or 18 because at some point you’re going to lose intensity.”
Last year’s season-ending tour, starting with the final Bledisloe Cup Test in Hong Kong, was remarkable for the defensive wall New Zealand would erect after 40 minutes.
They never conceded a try after halftime in any of the six matches and won the second half of them by a combined scored of 87-3.
The All Blacks will on Saturday seek to emulate last year’s 19-0 win in Cape Town, which catapulted them towards another Tri-Nations crown.
Primed by a hard-fought series defeat of the British and Irish Lions, the Springboks lie in wait for a New Zealand side who have operated at several cylinders below their best this season.
There was improvement on their June efforts in last Saturday’s defeat of Australia, but the Wallabies were surprisingly poor.
“Professional rugby at the top level is hugely physical and probably the people who have set that standard are the Springboks,” All Blacks coach Graham Henry said.
“We respect that and try to match them in that part of the game. If you don’t match them, then you get second.
“We just have to come up to that challenge really.”
Representing South African muscle in its purest form is lock Bakkies Botha, who missed Cape Town last year but has returned from suspension.
Five-eighth Stephen Donald will continue to try and shrug off the doubts that continue over his Test readiness, particularly with the challenge of playing at altitude.
Chiefs team-mate Brendon Leonard is installed at halfback, while Joe Rokocoko comes onto the wing.
Combined with the hard surface at Vodacom Park, that suggests a more expansive All Blacks style.
One person quite sure the All Blacks will use width is Springboks great Victor Matfield, the veteran lock keen to see the Test turn into a lineout-fest.
“It’s an area we see as a strength of ours and we want to attack them,” Matfield said.
“If we can force them into lineouts it will be advantageous for us. But (Isaac) Ross and (Brad) Thorn did well against Bakkies Botha and I in the Super 14.
“It’ll be nice and dry for them, so I’m sure they will try keep the ball in hand. They have great runners at the back who love to play from broken field. They don’t need many phases to break you down.”
The All Blacks are unbeaten in three Bloemfontein Tests, which include a draw and a win over Japan at the 1995 World Cup.
© AAP 2013
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July 25th 2009 @ 8:24am
Spiro Zavos said | July 25th 2009 @ 8:24am | Report comment
Greg Clarke mentioned in his call of the All Blacks-Wallabies Test at Aukland that this was the third Test in a row where the Wallabies were leading the All Blacks at half-time and still lost. The significance of the half-time lead is that the last 70 or so times the All Blacks lead at half-time they won all but three of their matches. One of the lost matches was Melbourne in 2007. The Wallabies, too, virtually always win when leading at half-time – except apparently when they play the All Blacks.
I think the All Blacks are developing a 22-man team which is able to exploit the great depth of their rugby.
Most of the players coming on at Auckland were impact players who had rights to be on the run-on side, unlike the Wallabies subs.
Whether this will work out tonight at Blomfontein will be interesting. The Chiefs were murdered on a dry daytime match by the Bulls, who form the heart of the Springboks. Altitude and travel from Auckland makes this a tough Test for New Zealand. But they are the best travellers in world rugby, except at World Cups.
You have the feeling though that the Boks have planned a surprise, perhaps along the lines of the devastating scrum unleashed in the first Test against the British and Irish Lions.
July 25th 2009 @ 8:36am
Knives Out said | July 25th 2009 @ 8:36am | Report comment
‘You have the feeling though that the Boks have planned a surprise, perhaps along the lines of the devastating scrum unleashed in the first Test against the British and Irish Lions.’
I’m no fan of Tialata, and I think that Ross depowers the NZ scrum, but it would be a shock if this were to happen. That match was a complete aberration facilitated by poor refereeing. If anything I believe that NZ would have watched how Adam Jones and Vickery (in the 3rd test) made Mtawarira look like the converted flanker that he is. Put simply, Mtawarira and Smit aren’t powerhouse scrummagers, nor are the technicians, therefore Woodock, Hore and Thorn should be able to consolidate their position. Undoubtedly SA will be ferocious but their team flaws have been exposed and they haven’t played in a while. Will that be enough for NZ? I’m not sure.
July 25th 2009 @ 8:47am
OldManEmu said | July 25th 2009 @ 8:47am | Report comment
It is a quick turnaround for the ABs with the travel to the republic. A big factor?
The Beast I believe will be shown up.
July 25th 2009 @ 10:13am
Stash said | July 25th 2009 @ 10:13am | Report comment
I like the Beast – and the low, humming “Beast” emitting from the crowd whenever he looks at the ball. It would be a shame if he wasn’t around.
Interesting stats there Spiros – now that NZ no longer has an All Black B team – this has been reconfigured to a strong bench and a couple of spares (with gaps at 7 and 10). Weepu, as an example, is excellent of the bench…as is Mealamu (they can both be trusted to start as well). Denas bench was his undoing in Auckland, as it was last year.
The Boks have developed the habit of dropping off and do seem to lose their structure when they start subbing… and PDW subbing always seems…well, erratic… or reflexive as opposed to considered.
Henry does seem to be managing his bench well… surely this is influencing the strong finishing.
July 25th 2009 @ 10:21am
Stash said | July 25th 2009 @ 10:21am | Report comment
Wow… absolutely big game this evening… the Boks are going to be unrelenting in the opening stanza.
I dearly hope that the ABs have patched up their defensive holes out wide when spreading from wing to wing… otherwise they may very much need to finish strong to be in with a chance.
If SA lose their opening round… their base will turn on them…
I think they would rather throw their bodies on the line than face angry fans and media. A lot of pressure on them.
Expect serious commitment in the breakdown – most likely too enthusiastic, leading to several penalties in the first 20. More penalties if the breakdown occurs in the AB half (which is likely). The Boks won’t mind stamping their authority on the game if they only lose meters and can regain possession at the lineout.
July 25th 2009 @ 10:45am
Spencer said | July 25th 2009 @ 10:45am | Report comment
Surely the Boks should win. NZ have played poorly so far this season, and they have a 7 day turnaround, with travel & altitude to contend with. Boks in theory have had a better preparation; however they messed around in the 3rd Lions test and lost momentum.
By the phases:
1. Scrums: AB
2. Lineouts: Bok
3. Mauls: Bok
4. Rucks: AB
5. Counter Rucking: ABs
6. Kicking IGP: Split (both poor)
7. Kick returns: ABs
8. Pale Toe: Split
9. Set piece backline: Boks
10. Biff: Boks
11. Coaching (sub management): ABs
Prediction: Biff + Altitude + Lineouts = Boks by 7.
July 25th 2009 @ 11:29am
bennalong said | July 25th 2009 @ 11:29am | Report comment
WHO’S THE REF?
How can you predict this game without that crucial factor.
The biggest problem facing Rugby now is how to get a set of enforceable, consistent rules at the breakdown.
We must get agreement here or running Rugby will be a rarity.
Robbie Deans’ mistake, if you can call it that, Is to count on the new rules to be enforced.
Until then, the ref gets to call the shots and can skew the game with impunity. Rugby is deteriorating despite faster, fitter players
July 25th 2009 @ 11:35am
Spencer said | July 25th 2009 @ 11:35am | Report comment
ALAIN ROLAND..Bennalong.
July 25th 2009 @ 12:09pm
ohtani's jacket, said | July 25th 2009 @ 12:09pm | Report comment
It could go either way, but if it does come down to reffing, I’m sure the All Blacks will adapt better than the Springboks. That’s a skill the other sides need to learn if they’re ever going to end the montony of the All Blacks winning the TN year after year.
July 25th 2009 @ 10:25pm
Knives Out said | July 25th 2009 @ 10:25pm | Report comment
I’m looking forward to seeing O. Franks. He really put himself about last week. The NZ bench is far, far superior.
July 25th 2009 @ 11:10pm
OldManEmu said | July 25th 2009 @ 11:10pm | Report comment
2 hours to kick off and cant wait.
For me ABs v Boks is like going to mass at Christmas whereas ABs v Wallabies is like going to mass at Easter.
Both are compulsory viewing but you feel like you’re allowed to enjoy the former whereas the latter is all heads down and feeling bad about yourself.
July 25th 2009 @ 11:36pm
Knives Out said | July 25th 2009 @ 11:36pm | Report comment
Testify!