Hits and misses Cane, Clarke and Savea get thumbs up, but plenty of others need work in ABs season roundup
Ian Foster’s men won half their tests in 2020. And that’s not quite good enough, reckons Marc Hinton.
Who were these Jekyll and Hyde All Blacks of 2020? Were they the imperious world-class outfit who blasted the Wallabies off the paddock in Sydney, or the passive, insipid imposters who crumbled to that historic defeat to Argentina up the road in Parramatta?
The truth, almost certainly, lies somewhere in the middle as Ian Foster’s men work through their two weeks of border isolation ‘‘jail’’ in their plush Auckland lodgings reflecting on a 2020 season that probably raised as many questions as it answered.
Like the girl with the curl, when they were good, they were very, very good; but when they were bad, well they flat- out sucked.
In Foster’s first season as head coach, the All Blacks played six test matches against the Wallabies (four) and Argentina (two), won three, lost two and drew one. That’s a 50 per cent success rate, which sits well below the historic average of this team in the professional era.
So on that scale alone you could make the case that this was an unsuccessful first year of the new World Cup cycle. Certainly not a successful one.
Winning half your tests against two sides ranked outside the world’s top five hardly represents anything to write home about for a team of the All Blacks’ stature. And when you think about the shortcomings of Wellington (a 16-16 draw against the Wallabies), Brisbane ( the 24- 22 defeat to the Aussies) and Parramatta (downed, historically, 25-15 by Argentina), there were some worrying signs that this team contains some serious weaknesses.
But then you had three pretty impressive victories that told a rather different story of a side that, when motivated, when dialled in to the game-plan, when operating on all cylinders, had the ability to simply squeeze the life out of their opponents, and then run them off the park.
Under pressure in Auckland to deliver a Bledisloe statement, the All Blacks produced a quarter of scintillating rugby after halftime to serve up a 27-7 victory; then went next level a fortnight later at ANZ Stadium to put a record 43-8 hurt on the wobbling Wallabies outfit, and tuck away the big trophy for another year.
Finally, though it took them a while to turn complete and utter dominance on the park into points on the scoreboard, they signed off last Saturday in Newcastle with that 38-0 shutout of an Argentina lineup that was second-string in makeup and third-rate in performance. The South Americans barely fired a shot in as one-sided a test match as the two nations have shared in a while.
So, what to make of it all? Well, there have to be reservations about these All Blacks.
Could they stand up to the fierce examination of an England side in full ruthless mode, or even the fast-improving French who are rediscovering their dash and flair of old? And, of course, the world champion Springboks remain the standard in the game right now, even if Covid- 19 has forced them into a cruel period of inactivity (some of their own choosing, to be fair).
The All Blacks’ forwards were outstanding last Saturday, but were allowed to be by a secondstring Pumas pack that imploded under pressure. They were also very good in Sydney when they brought the intensity and intent that is such a prerequisite in the modern game.
But at times through this campaign they were bested by opposition units who simply appeared to want it more. The set piece remains a firm foundation, but discipline, work at the breakdown, the ability to punch up and over the advantage line with ball in hand, and collective defence remain areas where more consistency is required.
It’s a similar story with the backs. There was some scintillating stuff, sparked by Caleb Clarke in Auckland, and by Richie Mo’unga in Sydney, and there was no doubting the threat they possessed when their game flowed.
But too often their collective play was worryingly lacking in imagination. Even in Saturday’s 38-0 victory over the Pumas, they took an age to turn outright domination into tangible returns. Option-taking and game-planning were identified as major shortcomings, and they were repeatedly guilty of failing to find the space as on offer.
You wonder, too, if Foster quite got his selections right. Jordie Barrett is not a test-class right wing, but that’s where the new coach seems intent on playing him. He appears locked into starting both Beauden Barrett and Mo’unga, though is that really in the team’s best interests? And would Anton Lienert-Brown not be best employed at 12?
Still, it is not all negative. Clarke has emerged as a difference-maker on the left wing, Hoskins Sotutu looks a keeper at this level, Akira Ioane and Will Jordan have teased their upsides, and the pack looked better with a fit and firing Nepo Laulala at tighthead.
Skipper Sam Cane may still be finding his feet as a leader, but he has never played better as a 7 for the All Blacks, while Ardie Savea continues to demonstrate his value, even out of position. Halfback Aaron Smith remains a key cog with his speedy delivery and astute game.
Foster clearly has something to work with for 2021, when sporting life hopefully takes a big stride back towards normality. But he also has a lot to do to lift his side to the level that may be required to topple the Boks, England and France.
The encouraging thing is he seems to be well aware of this.