All Blacks coped with pressure, just
OPINION: The Wallabies sent the All Blacks a reminder that their position on the top of the rugby world sits on shaky ground.
It was the perfect advertisement for international rugby with the close scoreline making for 80 minutes of pulsating viewing.
As the No 1 team in the world, there has long been a target on the All Blacks’ backs.
It was experience and class that got the All Blacks over the line on Saturday night 35-29. Few teams would have come back to win after the Wallabies took the lead with five minutes to go.
The way the All Blacks approached the dying minutes was impressive. They were composed, patient and fearless.
The interplay of Scott Barrett and TJ Perenara in the buildup to Beauden Barrett’s match-winning try showed the value of the All Blacks’ bench.
It was the likes of young guns like Nepo Laulala and Rieko Ioane who stood out alongside Brodie Retallick, Kieran Read and Joe Moody.
The Wallabies caught New Zealand on the hop early in the match. They attacked wider than the All Blacks expected and benefited from giving their backs room to run.
There was a degree of fortune in their three early tries - an Israel Folau intercept, Michael Hooper popping out of a fractured maul with no one in front of him and Bernard Foley dotting down after the All Blacks’ dominant scrum put them out of position and allowed Will Genia space to run.
When you attack as much as the All Blacks do, there is bound to be times when things that don’t work. Too many teams are conservative when defending them.
The Wallabies were anything but. They learned to mimic the All Blacks in picking their battles at the breakdown.
By fanning out instead of contesting everything and being prepared for the All Blacks’ short passes which change the point of contact, the Wallabies were able to get the better of the breakdown battles. It also meant they had players ready to counter the second the ball was loose.
But their scrum was an absolute disaster. With Owen Franks sidelined, Laulala and Moody completely destroyed their Aussie counterparts, but probably didn’t get the reward they deserved in terms of penalties.
Laulala’s performance must have had Franks feeling a little uneasy. Laulala could be Franks’ biggest competitor for his No 3 jersey since his debut in 2009.
Ioane continues to remind us why Julian Savea has been deemed surplus to requirement.
On a night when Sonny Bill Williams was error-prone, Barrett hardy fired a shot, Ryan Crotty picked up two head knocks and Ben Smith was quiet, the young star was lethal.
But the All Blacks will surely have to look for an option other than Damian Mckenzie in the No 15 jersey. He can produce absolute brilliance, but is also prone to frustrating periods and weak defence.
With Ben Smith heading for his sabbatical and Jordie Barrett out for the season, there is not the usual long queue for the position.
Israel Dagg is the obvious option heading forward, but it may also be time for the coaches to consider Nehe Milner-skudder in his preferred position of fullback.