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This plan to beat the All Blacks is a little old-school but tell me I'm wrong

Roar Rookie
14th December, 2016
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New Zealand's Israel Dagg center back, tackles Australia's Will Genia during their Bledisloe Cup Rugby test match in Sydney, Australia, Saturday, Aug. 20, 2016.(AP Photo/Rob Griffith)
Roar Rookie
14th December, 2016
76
2859 Reads

Now we are at the end of the year, we have to decide how we are going to beat the All Blacks.

I write as someone who is not familiar with the modern game and has seen too little rugby this year.

That said, there are some things about rugby that never change – the first of which is the very old adage “know thy enemy”.

I think few would disagree that the All Blacks:

  • Have self-belief
  • A high skill level
  • An aggressive physical approach to the game
  • A highly competitive lineout
  • And so on

People would have their own lists of the “so ons”.

I would like to explore four ways that we can actually deliver on which will challenge some key strengths that form the basis of their self-belief.

I think that, primarily, we should set out to challenge their mindset. Upset their equilibrium, so to speak.

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Which of their strengths when pressured is most likely to challenge that mindset? Which pressure would we be most able to deliver on? What is changing?

There is one easy answer to the last question – we have a skills coach so now we are more likely to be able to deliver on some of our plans.

The easier answers for us to the first two questions might possibly be

    An aggressive physical approach to the game
    Super fitness and strength levels
    An attack to challenge their defence
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    A defence to frustrate their attack

Thank goodness for that skills coach. He will be busy.

To expand on the above:

1. There is no excuse for not picking a tight five that can provide an aggressive physical approach to the game – the players can be seen to exist.

An aggressive back row would be Michael Hooper (7), Lopeti Timani (8) and Sean McMahon (6). While Hooper is not as physically challenging as the other two, there is one hell of a lot of the “fight in the dog” about him. David Pocock’s absence thankfully ends the Pooper fiasco. The stats from the World Cup final said that it did not work at the top level, thanks largely to the tactical genius of the All Blacks).

Of course, such a backrow brings into question our effectiveness in the set plays. Maybe Timani and McMahon could be used in combo to pressure one of their jumpers. McMahon, in particular, might be useful on our own throws.

Some people might go for Scott Fardy or Dean Mumm for their lineout capacity it depends on how you would play the game. They, however, do not have McMahon’s presence around the paddock.

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If I could find a 4, 5, 6, and 8 who could jump and play at this level, I would dearly love a crack at the All Black lineout – that would upset them. I want four jumpers so we can play two of ours on one of theirs.

I presume we have taken the trouble to analyse why, when, and where they throw to the lineout and under what particular circumstances. We do have world class callers to exploit the situation. Ireland proved that by putting the pressure on the All Blacks, you can cause them problems. If only we can do likewise.

2. Speaks for itself. We must be the hardest and fittest.

3. A backline that might challenge the defence pattern, causing some consternation:

  • Will Genia
  • Bernard Foley – with reservations (10)
  • Sefanaia Naivalu (11)
  • Samu Kerevi (12)
  • Reece Hodge (13)
  • Israel Folau (14)
  • Dane Haylett-Petty

If time back with Genia does not help Quade Cooper – is the alleged Cooper mindset about playing the All Blacks real or not? – then we look to Foley.

My reservations about Foley relate to my perception of him as a player who is good on the front foot – less so off the back foot. Sadly, there does not appear to be another one of our succession of great five-eighths on the horizon. The left field, of course, throws up names like James O’Connor.

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Admittedly the centres would be switching from their most recent positions – I just think their skills and abilities are better utilised my way. The experience they have had in the alternative positions would actually be of real benefit to them in any case.

Finally, it is a funny thing that Australia has seen the need to garner the All Black skills coach, even if he is an Aussie himself.

Way back in the 1970/80’s coaches were expected to teach the forwards how to run, pass, support, read the game and so on.

Backs were to be taught why, when and how to hit the rucks, as well as the usual back skills such as how to be effective in attack and mastering the variety of kicks and so on. For example, a five-eight had to know how to kick a grubber so that it stood up for the pursuers after it had travelled a predetermined distance. Forwards and backs were expected to work in conjunction as a single unit to deliver game plans and so on.

Yes, I know changes in the game mean that some new skills are needed to build on the existing base.

If we really do need an imported skills coach to give us a crash course on the new skills, then what the hell has been going on in Australian rugby in recent times?

Respected judges of Australian rugby have said too often that watching our top rep sides train is not always a pleasant experience.

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There is, then, no way in the world I will accept that what is going on in our rep sides is always even satisfactory, let alone ground breaking.

The appointment of a national skills coach is merely the start, albeit an important one.

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