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The last three Tests that the All Blacks have played – not counting the romp against the Springbok-beating Italians – have thrown up some interesting facts which throw a lot of light on the state of world rugby.
The Wallaby-All Black match at Eden Park was dominated in possession and position by the Wallabies, yet they got hammered. Why?
Clearly the Wallabies were not able to make the most of their advantages, and this could be because of a lack of talent, lack of coaching insight, fitness, etc. Why did the All Blacks make so much out of so little? Possibly the opposite of the Wallaby shortcomings, or maybe indefinables like the All Black heritage and the effect this has on anyone who wears the jersey.
Then there was Chicago. The All Blacks had been hardened by the Rugby Championship while the Irish had only club rugby to keep them going. The All Blacks had just achieved a world record of Tier One victories.
Added to the injuries to the All Black locks, the complacency produced an abject display which had no counter to the fire of the Irish in the first half. Which goes to show that with all the talent in the world, if the All Blacks don’t arrive at the ground in the right frame of mind they can be beaten.
But there were more lessons from this game. The All Blacks clawed their way back into the game in the second half and almost stole the game from the Irish by the end. If the Irish hadn’t been so ruthless and efficient in that first half they would have been in big trouble in the second.
So the lesson here is catch the All Blacks on a bad day but make sure you score a lot of points while you can because a few penalties will not be enough when they make a comeback.
The poor defence that contributed to the five tries the Irish scored was very un-All Black and an opposition cannot rely on throwing a dummy near the All Black line and cantering over to score. You have to be more creative, like the Springboks at Ellis Park a few years ago where they gave almost as good as they got.
The replay in Dublin exposed the lack of attacking skill of the Irish when faced with a resolute defence. They dominated possession and position again, and played against 14 men for a quarter of the game, but still could not score a try. From scraps the All Blacks created three tries. The Irish have got a very competitive pack and an astute coach, but they need to develop some creativity in their backs.
Lessons for the All Blacks? Don’t go into a potential toughie with a makeshift team. Why are they giving up so much possession and position? Why are they giving away so many penalties? Why are seasoned players like Joe Moody in Chicago and Malakai Fekitoa in Dublin having brain-fades and getting yellow cards?
I discount Aaron Smith’s because the ball was out of the ruck and was there for the taking – a poor Jaco Peyper decision.
To beat the All Blacks in this era you need to be right at the top of your game, and score as many points as you can while the sun is shining, because even on a bad day they will get into the game at some stage. And the All Blacks must be off their game, or somehow put off their game (which could be achieved by a referee). If you sit back and wait you’ll come second.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.