All Blacks looking decidedly 2007
Roar Pro By kynang, 11 Sep 2011 kynang is a Roar Pro
- Tagged:
- All Blacks, Graham Henry, Isitolo Maka, Israel Dagg, Rugby Union, Rugby World Cup 2011, Sonny Bill Williams, Tonga
Sonny Bill Williams is being punished by Graham Henry. There was no other explanation for the pounding that man took against Tonga.
Henry knew the Tongans needed a sacrificial lamb to run nice and upright into their midst, and he didn’t want to risk his precious Nonu, so he moved him out wide.
To Williams’ credit, he took it like a man, and some of his moments were made in rugby heaven.
My favorite was actually his ‘super flick’ (what else do you call it?) out of the side of his hand, halfway across the field, to Israel Dagg for his second try.
No-one else can create opportunities like that. Unfortunately for Sonny (and us, the spectators), I don’t think he fits into the real All Black game-plan.
But onto weightier matters. This All Blacks team looks like 2007 all over again.
There is a simple truth that the Springboks have known for years, which a few other sides have cottoned on to – under sustained pressure, this All Black team falls apart.
Tonga was nowhere in the first half – they were a nervous, confused rabble, who gave the Kiwis far too much respect and never threatened the gainline.
As a result, the All Blacks looked like magic.
Carter merely had to swing it wide and huge swaths of field were consumed. Coach Isitolo Maka called it ‘stage fright’, and no doubt whatever he said (or beat into them? the man is giant!) at half-time did the trick.
They came out and played simple, direct rugby – kind of like the Boks – based on brutal defense and forward drives.
The result: Carter and co. were nowhere to be found. My favorite moment of all was Taumalolo charging at Carter, causing him to drop the ball and disappear from the game – being subbed shortly afterwards.
He reminded me of a Dan Carter way back in Cape Town 2003 – hammered by Matfield and a shadow of a man thereafter.
What did we learn from this opening fixture?
This All Blacks side is imminently beatable (even Tonga kept the second half to 12-7), but only if you keep it simple and win the collisions.
The All Blacks gave up 13 penalties. That’s a potential 39 points for someone like Wilkinson or Steyn! (Realistically about 20, as not all were kick-able – but still, that’s gifting victory to a better team).
Point is, Henry has learnt nothing, his team has learnt nothing.
They are magnificent to watch, but the template to beat them remains simple. It just takes mountains of mongrel, which is admittedly in short supply around the world.
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September 11th 2011 @ 9:34am
Snobby Deans said | September 11th 2011 @ 9:34am | Report comment
If it’s so easy to identify how to beat the All Blacks, the quesion would be why is no-one else able to do it (other than the occasional one-off)? Every team that gets put under pressure will struggle, not just the All Blacks.
As we’ve seen in pretty much every previous world cup, good teams have their moments when they struggle. Think the Wallabies vs Ireland in ’91, the Poms vs. Wales in ’03, the Boks vs Fiji in ’07. The All Blacks are no different.
The World Cup is not won in the first pool game, nor in any pool game. Let’s see who makes the playoffs and how they all go before getting too excited about what’s happens before then.
September 11th 2011 @ 6:22pm
jokerman said | September 11th 2011 @ 6:22pm | Report comment
Kynang, the All Blacks are favourites and have been the best team in the World more often than anyone else. That is a fact, your article is your opinion, and a biased one in my view.
The All Blacks have fallen to pressure at the RWC’s and you hope that will continue. But they can identify their issues around this and evolve, this is not hope or an idealistic want, It can happen. Though of course you and many others, like to plant the seed of doubt, hoping they will listen.
Every guru, every master that has walked this planet, knows never to take on another’s opinion. Opinion is from the mind, the ego and is formed by the past, a selective past, that see’s not the truth, but usually the hurt from the past…we call this baggage.
Yes I believe they All Blacks can be that Zen master, and transcend and be the essence they are, free of a past. They can do it.
September 11th 2011 @ 9:50am
ohtani's jacket said | September 11th 2011 @ 9:50am | Report comment
Relax.
September 11th 2011 @ 11:57am
mother teresa said | September 11th 2011 @ 11:57am | Report comment
LOVELY OJ, convince yourself by convincing others;
thinking SNOBBY makes a valid point,dont you agree?
September 11th 2011 @ 12:14pm
ohtani's jacket said | September 11th 2011 @ 12:14pm | Report comment
There’s been some great rugby so far and New Zealand are doing a fine job hosting the tournament (aside from transportation issues, I suppose.) It seems the All Blacks’ performance gets worse with every passing column, but there’s no need for any Sunday morning angst. Objectively speaking, the All Blacks have played the best out of any of the top pool contenders thus far, but it’s early days.
September 11th 2011 @ 9:58am
katzilla said | September 11th 2011 @ 9:58am | Report comment
The All Blacks lose when you score more points then them, that’s the magic formula.
September 11th 2011 @ 8:52pm
Sylvester said | September 11th 2011 @ 8:52pm | Report comment
Exactly.
“under sustained pressure, this All Black team falls apart.”
Substitute “All Black” and insert the following:
Wallabies
South African
French
England
Wales
Georgia. (Ok, anyone but Georgia…)
September 11th 2011 @ 1:42pm
jack said | September 11th 2011 @ 1:42pm | Report comment
i think the ab’s are torn between having sbw’s x-factor and talent and their own gameplan of having safe, reliable and consistent players. however, i do not believe they have given sbw the chance to really prove himself in the really serious setting of versing top-notch opposition. what the all black coaches have to have the courage to do is to start sbw alongside the ab’s preferred starting side (unlike against south africa in the tri-nations) against a strong opposition- preferably france. sure smith or nonu may be p–sed and sure sbw may stuff things up, but this is the only way to determine whether he is a big game player and whether he is then a part of the ab team moving ahead in the rwc. if he can prove his billed worth then the benefit would have far outweighted the risk.
September 11th 2011 @ 3:06pm
jumpers said | September 11th 2011 @ 3:06pm | Report comment
Some good points the ABs do look like 2007 and yes any team is beatable even the ABs. Its early days in the WC so lets see wat develops from here.
September 11th 2011 @ 3:55pm
defunkt said | September 11th 2011 @ 3:55pm | Report comment
If only they were looking more 2007 (smashed Italy 76-14 in their opener). Then the only thing that would stop them lifting Bill is another outrageously bad piece of officiating and they can’t be that unlucky two World Cups in a row.
September 11th 2011 @ 8:54pm
defunkt said | September 11th 2011 @ 8:54pm | Report comment
Oh. and… what a cracking tournament this is turning out to be, all the games have been so competitive. Wonderful!
September 11th 2011 @ 9:40pm
Trevor DeAngelo said | September 11th 2011 @ 9:40pm | Report comment
kynang, most articles on the roar have some merit but this was a terrible piece of unsubstantiated angry dribble.
Read Spiros article for a proper and more realistic analysis of the game and if you are going to write for God sales please make it far more sensible. If it is so easy to knock Carter out of a game with strong running why isn’t it done more often. If it is so easy to beat the All Blacks by putting them under pressure why do so few do it. Many of the minnow teams all have an ability to give the top tier teams a go these day – take Samoa vs Aus, Tonga vs AllBlacks, Italy vs Aus, USA vs Ireland, Argentina & England. Get some rugby wisdom my friend it will make you a far better Roar Pro.
September 11th 2011 @ 9:54pm
jason8 said | September 11th 2011 @ 9:54pm | Report comment
No doubt any team able to apply pressure will wilt their opponents potential…. concentrating on doing that and finding enuf mongrel to sustain the whole match is another story.
September 11th 2011 @ 9:56pm
winston said | September 11th 2011 @ 9:56pm | Report comment
The 2007 team looked better on paper than this one. They put a cricket score on italy in their first game. I’m pretty confident that they will build with every game. You really don’t think they could have taken their foot off the accelerator in the second half with such a lead.
Looks like all the top teams are having more trouble than expected.