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It has often been said that anyone can coach the All Blacks. That has never been the point.
Being the All Blacks head coach has always been about selection and game plan and it is fair to say that post the RWC quarter final vs. Ireland that things have been going a little pear-shaped.
Many a fundamental tenet of the sport has been ignored in the pursuit of some mythical wide game where platforms do not need to set before launching, but fair to say, even on the back of single performance, it looks like those days may be behind New Zealand.
But let’s not get carried away, last Saturday’s win was far from a complete performance and there are still trade-offs being made to accommodate style aspects, but two more Tests coming up against a good Irish side will be the place to move this game plan forward. But there was some planning that took Ireland by surprise.
There are a few aspects worth highlighting.
Beating the rush defence
The eternal question, do you go round it, through it, or kick over it? Well, it appears the answer is none of the above.
Right from the off, the game plan was placed in Aaron Smith’s lightning quick hands and he did not disappoint.
I noted in the comments section of my article last week that we should expect to see Smith hitting Quinn Tupaea from the base more often but the game plan was more severe as Smith hit the third runner from base over and over, stretching Ireland rush defence into places where they struggled to slow the ball down and the gaps opened from there under the pressure of resetting wider out.
It was a strategy not dissimilar to one they have used successfully against South Africa (2021 excepted), where the width of Smith’s pass was used to pry the big African loose forwards away from the protection of the pack so they could be isolated and attacked in the open.
It meant a very different way to how we approach the game from flyhalf.
The big question this year is not about is Beauden Barrett or Richie Mo’unga the better choice for the 10 shirt, it is about the style that fits the game plan.
Answer – start by pretty much playing without a ten. It was odd in that it gives up a fair degree of territorial control but it worked perfectly for the opening 40 minutes.
The dual fullback approach saw B Barrett only touch the ball in the 10 channel five times in the opening half but enough to deliver the rapier blow with a nice kick for the Tupaea try as he overcalled the play as the space presented.
(That interception at fullback when the score was 5-0 was a real momentum killer too).
How the New Zealand half time comments team could wax lyrical about B Barrett ‘running the cutter’ when he had 5 touches in the channel is beyond my comprehension, and demonstrates they neither understood the game plan, nor saw that Smith was running it.
The opening stanza of the second half saw a total change, shorter passes from Smith, B Barrett stationed and distributing off 10, and while there were no great advances from the change it delivered a different picture to the Ireland rush defence: do they hold on Barrett, or rush the third channel out and risk have Beauden rip them a new one up the middle?
Beauden Barrett. (Phil Walter/Getty Images)
B Barrett had more touches at first receiver in ten minutes than he did in the opening half and Ireland had a different picture to contend with. Nice change up from the coaches.
Job done – well coached, well planned and magnificently executed by the little man from the Highlanders.
This structure does have its drawbacks, making the territorial kicking battle really difficult to win, and it surrenders the chance to go after the somewhat diminutive Irish back field three with contested bombs.
But it worked, and it worked well.
Can you play like that every week? Probably not as teams will adjust quickly. Can you use the tactic again, interspersed with a mix of kicking off 10 or 1? Absolutely. Having the possibility of Folau Fakatava coming off the bench against a defence that is getting stretched adds a further intrigue for later in the series.
Smith sniped with purpose once, Jamieson Gibson-Park was defending on the left wing and a score resulted. Lovely.
The Loose Forward Trio
It’s a hobby horse, I know, but allow me a paragraph or two of indulgence. I do not care if the guy in the six shirt is normally a lock or any other position for that matter, as long as he stays narrow, takes responsibility for meeting the big carriers and works his butt off in tackle numbers and rucks hit.
Contributing at lineout time is a huge plus for balance when we run Savea at 8 too. This coaching group ignored this for a year and the All Blacks forward structure paid the price.
Take a bow Scott Barrett, that was a match changing effort. But this wasn’t the only change, the enforced 1-3-3-1 nonsense was gone, the trio played narrow and together and when in the opening minutes Captain Cane and Ardie Savea buried a ball carrier at the gain-line you could tell change was afoot.
It’s worth noting, a huge shift from Ardie in the tighter stuff and it did not seem to hinder his opportunities with ball in hand when the chance presented. The pass to his outside shoulder from Smith took out the inside four Irish defenders and was a thing of beauty.
Getting to the outside of Garry Ringrose is not normally that easy. (Two really nice takes at the front of the line out from Ardie too; the more options available, the harder it is to defend).
Worth a mention for Sam Cane, first at the offensive ruck over and over and the first try came directly from his securing the ball after a Leicester Fainga’anuku break where he was isolated and outnumbered by green shirts before the rapid arrival of Cane securing the ball.
Pita Gus Sowakula got over his early spill to contribute well. Good lineout target, stole one off Ireland and his try off the back off the scrum was audacious.
New Zealand’s pack got the loosehead side up and Sowakula technically went the wrong way, but he did it with such speed Peter O’Mahoney didn’t even get off the Irish blindside side to challenge him.
The Set Piece
Have written a few times of late that this Irish scrum was a place to attack and, even with a conservative opening front row selection, the New Zealand pack went to work making this an area of domination across the game.
Add in some nice defensive line out work and a maul defence system using the Crusader pincers style to stop Ireland rolling either left or right and it was a very good night at the office for the big guys and some redemption for 2021 delivered.
The Midfield Defence wasn’t so good, and it cost tries twice
Ronan O’Gara was interviewed on Irish radio this week about how he would go about attacking the All Blacks midfield, and when this guy talks its normally worth paying attention, especially given his time in the New Zealand system which gives him even greater insight.
While recognising the newness of the combination he focused on Rieko Ioane at centre noting that he struggles to understand the nuance between defending either the ball or the man, with a tendency to man to man mark and not adjust to what is a happening around him.)
It took all of six minutes for this to manifest as Ireland got him to bite out of the line, present a hole on his inside and Ireland were through for the score. If you are going to go out in front of the line then you have to kill the ball, all the was required here was a short slide to allow his insides to close the gap as Fainga’anuku had read the dummy runner correctly. Review it here from 1.00 on the clip.
It’s worth noting that on a number of occasions Quinn Tupaea defended like guy with 30 caps under his belt, just holding the line straight and sliding until all was secured around him. His holding of space while Beauden Barrett made a solid tackle forcing the ball loose for the Sevu Reece try was a case in point, sometimes good defending is simply doing nothing but holding the space.
In the opening minutes of the second half Robbie Henshaw and James Lowe went straight at an isolated Rieko off backline block play, making him choose between ball and support runner, did not make a decision and both Irishmen streamed through giving them the field position that led to the first try.
The video of defending this Ireland try in the corner doesn’t make for great reviewing either.
As Garry Ringrose comes blind, Rieko is turned in watching the ball at the ruck not his opposite, he has more than cover inside him to drift out early which would hold Jordie Barrett on his man, but Ringrose quickly gets to his outside and Jordie Barrett has no choice but to come in and try to cut this off – but the damage is already done. Really good use of numbers by Ireland. This is outnumbering your opponent two on two.
Best viewing is the high camera shot at 8.20 on the vid.
Stop the clip again at 8.23, the play has gone from no danger to fatal in 3 seconds. Rieko Ioane needs to be moving into the space in front of the referee but he’s late seeing the danger.
Two really nice bit of scramble D on the All Blacks goal line were worthy of note and of the effort put in, but the nuance of defending at centre as highlighted by Ronan O’Gara.
It’s worth noting that the introduction of Braydon Ennor did little to improve the situation.
So, all in all some innovative thinking from the coaching group that was well executed by the players and the coaching group should be applauded for it.
But Ireland showed they are a calm and focused unit who will not be going away in the next two Tests. This is a very good Ireland side and they executed well enough to pressure the All Blacks line on multiple occasions but were held out by some very solid try line defence.
How the All Black coaching group goes about the game plan for match two holds great intrigue.
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.