Should the All Blacks feel worried?
Roar Rookie By sesenta y cuatro, 8 Oct 2012 sesenta y cuatro is a Roar Rookie
- Tagged:
- All Blacks, Rugby Union, Springboks
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The best two teams of 2012 met at Soweto, with the All Blacks emerging victorious after a hard-nosed first spell by the Springboks left them with virtually no fuel left for the second 40 minutes.
Credit where it is due and Hansen and his players must be congratulated by the way the have disposed of every team they have met post World Cup.
They have taken where they left it in 2011 and are still the best team in the World by a mile. Richie McCaw 100th test victory is an amazing feat and the team now seems poised to better the current record for consecutive victories at test level.
But as history shows, a year is a lot of time in rugby, and even though the All Blacks are riding the wave nowadays it is time they begin to feel some concern about their plans for the future.
We all know McCaw is doing his best to reach 2015 but, what if he does not? Young Sam Cane has still a whole lot to learn.
Is there any first five able to play anywhere near close Carter? Who’s going to be the hooker when Mealamu and Hore are gone? Dane Coles continues to shine in NPC, but it is not exactly the Test arena.
Who’s going to play second five if Nonu leaves? Is Messam really the answer to the void Kaino left?
It is time for Hansen and co to plan for the future, and the sad truth is that, at their best, it is going to be almost impossible that the All Blacks become much better than this, if any at all.
On the other hand, the young Springboks outfit can look to the future with a smile on their faces. Their forward pack had the upper hand on the All Blacks today for the whole first half and had the better of them at scrum-time (the All Blacks scrum being regarded as one of the best scrums in the World) while making the Kiwis lives difficult at times at the lineout. Possession and territory stats said it all.
And yet the composed All Blacks defense and a clinical display on attack put this very good team to the sword. What did they do wrong? Well, the Springboks failed where ironically the Wallabies succeeded against the All Blacks. The Springbok defense conceded four tries today, which is more than what the Wallabies conceded in both Bledisloe tests in 2012.
Had the Springboks defended with the ferocity the Wallabies did in both Tests, the superior forward display would have made life a lot more difficult for the best team in the World.
And yet, defense can be improved. Defense can be taught and learnt, and with experience come better defensive displays. The Springboks will improve.
And in the meantime, their players grow older and wiser. How much has Willem Alberts changed from his debut in 2010 to become a more round player, leading the team in their physical approach. Ditto François Louw. In Eben Etzebeth they have a future star, one that will make us forget Bakkie Botha.
The flyhalf connundrum is yet to be solved by Meyer, and I don’t think Jantjies will be his long-term solution.
All in all, plenty of room to improve for a Springboks team that now, certainly, have presented their credentials to become the best team in the World.
Steve Hansen better be prepared.
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- All Blacks, Rugby Union, Springboks
October 8th 2012 @ 7:30am
Taniwha said | October 8th 2012 @ 7:30am | Report comment
Um, I think the wheels of planning for the future have well and truly began for the All Blacks. On all positions bar hooker, understudies have been identified. A good percentage of new players have been introduced in Retallick, Smith, Savea and Barrett, while keeping enough experience. Kerr Barlow is the shortest odds going to making end of year two.
Just cause the Boks have been forced into mass insurgence of youth as a result of mass retirements does not mean the ABs will fall into the same trap.
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October 8th 2012 @ 3:15pm
Grahame said | October 8th 2012 @ 3:15pm | Report comment
I fully agree with you Taniwha. To say “It is time for Hansen and co to plan for the future” from Sensenta is a rather blind to the current reality that All Black team re-building going on. And we will no doubt see more next month with the northern tour.
October 9th 2012 @ 12:00am
Dan said | October 9th 2012 @ 12:00am | Report comment
Man you are FOS lol typical dribble from a one eyed saffa “the two best teams in the world” lol last week was the first time you have beaten Aus in ages like 2-3 years.
did you fellas enjoy your week at 2nd in the IRB rankings??
The All Blacks are streaks ahead of everybody atm and indeed they have the cattle to fill the shoes of McCaw,Carter..
I dont thing Steve hansen is worried at all buddy
You though need to grasp a concept thats called reality.
From a one eyed Wallabies supporter that gives credit where its due..
October 9th 2012 @ 12:10am
biltongbek said | October 9th 2012 @ 12:10am | Report comment
The week at two went without a hitch thank you, however we didn’t pay much attnetion to it.
October 10th 2012 @ 12:37pm
Dan said | October 10th 2012 @ 12:37pm | Report comment
Really ?? but the two best teams played ???
lol Aus and SA to close to call very similar in evolution areas (new demographic, players trying new things etc)
ABs settled and adjust to the game on its merits i believe this is our main problem that we use a game-plan that does not evolve as required both SA and Aus are guilty of that.
hats of though the other week though “blasted the wallabies at Pretoria”
Would a been a better game if we had the same pack as when we played the Pumas the following week as i reckon we could of been close or even gained parity but even with Hooper having a gem the rest of the pigges where not having much of an impact saffa piggies dominated.
peace
October 8th 2012 @ 7:36am
mactheblack said | October 8th 2012 @ 7:36am | Report comment
You article too speculative – it’s like all those fortune tellers who were expecting the Boks to come up trumps in Soweto. The future says a lot, but nothing too at the same time. It’s much about the present too, my man. Collins, Soi’alo Howlett, Thorn, Justin Marshall, all went and what happened next. Look at the stock as far as flyhalf is concerned. Do you think the NZ structures are sitting around revelling in the fact that NZ is doing so well, that it won’t ensure that the production line keeps running – and producing players that can fit into the ABs set-up? Oh you gotta be kidding me! Yours is typical of the envy there is when it comes to New Zealand; they might not have the numbers in terms of it being a far far smaller rugby-playing nation compared to SA – but what they do have – is the blueprint. Problem is with the Boks is that they have the players, but not the consistency. Their Currie Cup league division, can be quite breathtaking at times; lots of running rugby but they can’t seem to replicate that at international level, where coaches seem to dither on a game-plan that suits the Boks. So don’t try to spoil the party with pathetic commentary!
October 8th 2012 @ 7:54am
Nicksa said | October 8th 2012 @ 7:54am | Report comment
Taniwha
Carter and richie will leave a huge void, at the moment they are the reason why this all black team is great.
October 8th 2012 @ 8:47am
Swapacrate said | October 8th 2012 @ 8:47am | Report comment
Of course those guys leave a void, but it does not mean teams will beat us. You just change and adapt, to who you have, I think cruden and barrett are both class, maybe not carter class, but definitely good enough to match most first fives in the World.
As for Richie, I think Read is coming along nicely, and Im really looking forward to see if he can step up. I really like the way cane plays, he reminds me of a Kronfeld type of player, and shields is a beast of a young player.
The thing is other teams in the world have to have better teams, one or two changes wont significantly change things, look at Mils who was all class, and now we have Dagg. Swings and roundabouts
October 8th 2012 @ 6:39pm
LC said | October 8th 2012 @ 6:39pm | Report comment
True, Carter and McCaw will leave a big hole in the team when they retire from the All Blacks, but I don’t think it will be as devistating as you’re inferring. Keep in mind that the All Blacks won the RWC without Carter, and McCaw played the entire tournament with an injured foot. The All Blacks are a quality side, and their goal is to get better every week. A good case-in-point is their fitness at high altitude – it wasn’t so many years ago they struggled on this front. Every aspect of their operation is fair-game in terms of streamlining and improving. To say they can’t get better is wishful thinking I’m afraid. They’re setting the bar, and the scoreboard speaks for itself. Having said that, South Africa can only improve – so long as the coaching staff have the opportunity to make their mark before the administration gets rid of them.
October 8th 2012 @ 8:01am
mania said | October 8th 2012 @ 8:01am | Report comment
one saffa ( biltongbek ) already stated earlier that the AB’s dont peak. he alluded to the fact that the AB’s just constantly try to get better. so i disagree with the line “it is going to be almost impossible that the All Blacks become much better than this”. AB’s are in pursiut of perfection and will never achieve but will all ways chase it.
willem Alberts imo has fallen off he pace a bit. i expected a lot more from willem and vermuelen. they have been above average but i still expected them to be better. fLouw who i didnt even think deserved to be initially in the squad has turned out to be the best of the trio and in the forwards is only surpassed by eztbeth.
this has the been the best ever post wc year. not only did the AB’s hold onto the majority of talent but also this season has unearthed more quality rookies than ever in the pro era. repalcements are rife for every position except hooker, tho tbh this is nothing to worry about yet. mealamu and hore still have a few years in them and hikaElliot is an able and ready replacement. also mcdonald for cantebury is a viable prospect with coles in waiting as well.
steveHansen better be prepared? with a flawless record this season i think he’s been very prepared already
October 11th 2012 @ 10:40pm
liam said | October 11th 2012 @ 10:40pm | Report comment
completely agree, to say they can’t improve is nonsensical.
messam can and will certainly get better in the way that kaino grew into his role, ditto the locks, look how young they all are! then we have the guys coming through at 7 like Cane to replace McCaw eventually, to say nothing of the flyhalf options who are both in cruden and barret class acts that will also improve… carter didnt magically appear fully formed in his first tests.
there’s a bunch of young props, there’s ben smith, ellison, kahui waiting to join the backline, when nonu goes, there are guys like fruean who are on the stage with ability but inconsistent, surprise surprise just like nonu was when he was entering the scene. the depth of young scrumhalves is ridiculous in the coming years if they stay injury free. you seem to forget that former first stringers like cowan didnt immediately retire… they were overtaken by the youngsters on form.
the springboks will age, improve etc for sure, as will the wallabies with their new caps from this hard year for them, but you’d be a fool to look at the younger players in NZ and say they don’t have the chance to do the same.
October 11th 2012 @ 10:41pm
liam said | October 11th 2012 @ 10:41pm | Report comment
and i never even mentioned the saveas!
October 8th 2012 @ 8:02am
tony said | October 8th 2012 @ 8:02am | Report comment
Couldnt agree more guys there is loads of new talent coming throught the NZ system. Barrett, Cruden, Savea x 2 , Cane, Retallick, Perenara, Romano,Coles to name just a few. The production line is in great shape. Steve Hansen is also the man to identify and develop this talent pool. Opponents ( esp Sth Afr ) hoping the AB’s are in decline are going to be waiting a long long time
October 8th 2012 @ 8:10am
Swapacrate said | October 8th 2012 @ 8:10am | Report comment
To be fair this article is one dimensional and is only looking at the Boks and their young players.
Aussie has a lot of young players out at the moment so could have said that about last week. England can say this as well, as they drew with SA in SA with a young and up and coming side. I think Wales have some new blood as well, so their are a whole host of nations that can say the same.
If you look at SA for this year, they drew with England at home, they drew with Argentina, Lost to us twice and lost to Oz once. So if you dont cherry pick it does not read that great. I think SA are great and a good team, but lets look at all the games. Before having a crack at a team that is fronting up and winning home & away.
I thought AB’s played rubbish that first half in the weekend, kicking the ball away all the time, big up and unders what the hell is it with that, in our own half. But once we started running it and getting into our rythm then sweet.
The Boks will always be good in the forwards, and the AB’s will be able to match them on most days, but its our backs where we will beat most teams, as long as the forwards front up, which they have in the last two games.
The Boks to me will always be like England, big muscualr forwards, some OK players in the backs, but nothing that scares you. If your D is up in the other teams face you can get a roll on, but SA creativity well Im not sure, your rugby is not played that way, you rely on the big boys eating a lot of meat, and doing a lot of weights, and smashing players.
As for young, hows perenara, cruden, cane, barret, retallick, smith, shields, owen franks, Tameifuna, Faumaina, Savea, Taylor, Dagg is only young as well & read is only hitting his straps. Plus a lot of other young exciting guys emerging in the ITM.
I think we may have a hiccup with centres, but hey cant be perfect everywhere. But Im hoping Fruean can come to the party. Kaino may be back in 2 years as well.
So if you think we cant improve & you guys can, those are nice thoughts I suppose, if you want to look at a silver lining in your loss, which is cool.
October 8th 2012 @ 8:23am
Riccardo said | October 8th 2012 @ 8:23am | Report comment
This All Black team is on the way to greatness but they are not there yet.
I think it’s clear that the All Blacks are trying to play at another level; pace and accuracy. The latter, in particular, is still a work in progress although the last 2 outings would suggest they are starting to get it right.
It concerns me that the All Blacks continue to be slow out of the blocks but the improved commitment at the breakdown, the outstanding work of the back 3 (and our backline in general) along with robust defensive systems have seen them lift significantly.
The departures of Carter and Richie are certainly a concern but plans are already in place. Read will make an excellent Captain. Cane needs more exposure but has impressed so far. Cruden and Barrett are learning their craft with Barrett in particular demonstrating the composure at a young age that has been Carter’s hallmark. Ben Smith, Richard Kahui and Tamati Ellison will all be vying for centre or the bench utility roles. Messam has weaknesses but is improving with each outing and will grow into the blindside role.
I think hooker and inside centre are our immediate issues. Elliott and Crotty could be band-aids at this stage but clearly we lack some depth right now
I concur with your assertion regarding the Boks’ massive potential. There are already some glimpses of this with Meyer ‘s foray at pivot. But he needs to get his selections right for the gameplan he wishes to employ and at this early stage that still resembles a Bulls blueprint too much IMO.
That said, the Boks and the Wallabies (and the Tricolores on occasion) will continue to represent the threat they always have.
October 8th 2012 @ 8:40am
dansa said | October 8th 2012 @ 8:40am | Report comment
To be honest, I think the ABs look better tactically than I have ever seen them play.. In the game last weekend I never got the sense that they panicked and seemed to manage every aspect with relative calm. It’s was clinical and I’m as a Boks fan I never felt as if we worried them. This was not a typical AB vs Boks test and I think Hansen looks like a better coach than Henry already …
October 8th 2012 @ 1:43pm
Riccus said | October 8th 2012 @ 1:43pm | Report comment
The only significant shortage of depth for the AB’s is at inside centre and hooker. As mentioned there are decent players around but with C.Smith at centre the AB’s must have a game-breaker type player at IC and there arent any at ITM cup level that I have seen. How about this: Kahui at IC? He could be another SBW, with his size, speed and skills – Just a thought.
At hooker, Elliott is still the best of the rest; he never did anything wrong that I can recall in his test outings, and is surely a better option than Coles.
October 8th 2012 @ 2:15pm
Riccardo said | October 8th 2012 @ 2:15pm | Report comment
Gidday Riccus.
The Snake has a birthday this week and will be 31. Kahui is 4 years younger and would slot in well should Conrad retire before the next RWC and that’s not a given.
I have also thought about Kahui at 2nd 5/8 and agree this is an option worth considering.
So many variables though. SBW wants to return to the Chiefs in 2014 and provided he can emulate some of this year’s success would almost be a certainty at I/C.
Ellison/B Smith are strong ball carriers too and an argument could be mounted for one of them (probably Ellison) with the other a bench utility (Smith, who has been impactful from the bench this year).
There will also be youngsters from ITM banging down the Super Rugby door who may end up as considerations by then too.
Elliot has to be the next hooker off the rank. He has had some experience in the camp. It must be tough for him behind Schwalger at the Chiefs when he is trying to get game time and exposure to light his name up for the selectors.
October 8th 2012 @ 8:32am
dansa said | October 8th 2012 @ 8:32am | Report comment
I don’ t think the ABs would be worried at all. Yes replacing Richie and DC will be difficult, however there are still 10 odd world class players left, so even without these great players they will have players like Read, Dagg, etc. The largest issue I think SA has is with player management, where all the Boks will now go and play Currie Cup, so players like Alberts will most probably start playing within the next week or two, at the knock out stages of this competition. Then they go tour overseas and have about a month off before S15 prep starts again. This is a stupid way to manage players imho.
Secondly I think the SA players lack good ball playing skills. The SA players typically have great physical specimens, but lack the ball playing abilities of the Wallabies and ABs. The ABs have great athletes WITH good skills, hence why I think they have always been the great team.
While the management and coaches in SA are not open to evolving I think your view is a pipedream …
I think the Wallabies have a different challenge, one around grass roots support for rugby and a player pool
October 8th 2012 @ 9:00am
Indio said | October 8th 2012 @ 9:00am | Report comment
It must have been quite an achievement for the writer to have typed the article with both hands under the blanket!!
The AB succession plans have been the same for the last 5+ years, even with the distraction of the league scavengers. Have a peek at the under-20 teams and ITM squads running around now and familiarise yourselves with some of the names you’ll see, because they are the next generation of ABs.
Of the current ABs squad, 13 of them will be 30 or older by the time the next RWC rolls around, with at least 7-8 who won’t make it. Rest assured, however, that their replacements have already been identified and are being groomed to be gradually brought into the ABs environment over the next 2 seasons.
“Potential” is a nice cover-all which usually delivers far less than the hoped-for anticipation.
October 8th 2012 @ 9:16am
Snobby Deans said | October 8th 2012 @ 9:16am | Report comment
God, reading this article, you’d think the All Blacks future is headed down the toilet. Maybe open the curtains, get some sun on that no-doubt pasty face and let some reality into your little world, my friend.