The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

Where to now for the inconsistent All Blacks?

27th August, 2014
Advertisement
Brodie Retallick has been the victim of a number of concussions. (Source: AFP PHOTO / Michael Bradley)
Roar Guru
27th August, 2014
64
2578 Reads

After the euphoria dies down from the All Blacks’ victory last weekend, supporters can be forgiven for believing in the invincibility of the New Zealanders.

It’s a surreal feeling to be an All Blacks supporter at the moment, every fanboy’s dream come true.

However there are still nine more Tests to be played this year. The last six fixtures are all on the road and that includes tricky matches against Argentina, South Africa, Australia and England.

Nobody expected a perfect season last year and hopes for an unbeaten season from the All Blacks this year still shines strongly for fans and the players themselves.

Since 2012, among the sublime has been a few offerings of the average and dollops of the ordinary. Putting strong performances together in consecutive matches has been a challenge that has so far eluded this team.

It’s a strange curiosity that this All Blacks side has yet to deliver the same quality of rugby on their end of year tours as they have during the Rugby Championship. So while we expectantly wait to see northern hemisphere teams put to the sword, the actual performances leave a bitter taste in the mouth.

That’s for the future – the next stage for the All Blacks is to navigate their way through the unique challenges provided by Argentina and South Africa. Both teams present a more direct physical threat than the Wallabies and employ different attack and defensive patterns to overcome.

If sport was logical, then the exponential equation calculated would be:

Advertisement

First ranked New Zealand drew and then thrashed third ranked Australia – divided by – second ranked South Africa beat 12th ranked Argentina in two Tests by a margin of a converted try and less than a converted try – equals – New Zealand to beat Argentina comfortably by 50 points or more.

However the calculations that will be entering Steve Hansen’s mind is how to play the short game and the long game.

The short game is how to maintain and improve upon the standards set at Eden Park against Argentina who have been notoriously tricky customers to put away.

The long game is managing player welfare and provide valuable matchplay for players who have yet to feature in the starting XV and rest those who have played almost every minute.

There is quality of depth in some positions, adequate backup in others and daylight between the incumbent and their nearest rival for a few.

There are three key positions for the All Blacks that if a serious injury were to occur, would leave them threadbare for quality replacements; halfback, hooker and loosehead prop.

Aaron Smith is the most important player to this All Blacks side. Richie McCaw, Dan Carter and Kieran Read may gather the most plaudits and attract the most attention from opposition analysis, but without Smith, the speed, width, direction and variety of their attack would suffer.

Advertisement

Dane Coles is the most improved player in this All Blacks side. Twelve months ago he hadn’t convinced the New Zealand public of his quality or ability to match it with his international rivals. He was criticised for being too small, playing too loose and lacking the strength to carry the ball in traffic and stop the opposition in defence.

But he’s now executing his core duties consistently well and provides the team additional strikepower in attack. Public perception has swung in favour of the young man and now the public want to keep him on the field and criticise when he’s substituted off.

Right now the most concerning injury front is to the All Blacks midfield. Behind Fekitoa and Conrad Smith, the options are limited and inexperienced. Solutions can be manufactured by selecting players out of their natural positions but it’s not sustainable nor is it satisfactory.

From my vantage point evolution rather than revolution forms the ethos of Hansen’s tenure. It makes sense, he’s inherited a world cup winning team and hasn’t tried to reinvent the wheel. He’s just tweaked where it was necessary.

There was an enormous amount of pressure from the New Zealand media and public in the Test build-up last week and a fair amount of emotional baggage carried by the players. The desire for redemption was off the scale and the challenge from the Wallabies was real, not perceived.

Now the All Blacks face Argentina.

The pressure valve won’t be turned up as high, the demand to win from the public and press won’t be as high but expectations of a similar or better performance will be unrealistically high.

Advertisement

For all their talk about striving to be the most dominant team, to go through two seasons unbeaten and win a consecutive world cup for the first time, they are only as good as their next game so which way will they go?

close