All Blacks search for their swagger
Game management? Almost nil.
So scathing was Steve Hansen of the All Blacks’ inability to adjust to what unfolded during the 36-34 loss to South Africa in Wellington a fortnight ago, he couldn’t bring himself to defend his players’ decision making in the slightest.
‘‘Our game management was next to zero,’’ he said prior to leaving for Argentina.
Fingers were pointed. He jabbed one into his own chest, saying he needed to get some messages across better, and also at those of his team’s leaders; expectations of an improvement have been sky-high as the team prepares to meet Argentina in Buenos Aires tomorrow.
Then Hansen decided to put his players under the pump, revealing the All Blacks will treat their final Rugby Championship games, against Argentina and then South Africa in Pretoria the following weekend, as if they are World Cup knockout games.
Had Hansen done this privately, none of us would be wiser.
Instead, he has flung open the doors and windows, letting the world in on a secret that could have remained confidential among the inner circle. He has invited the external scrutiny, as if to challenge the players who failed to fire in Wellington to prove they still have their swagger.
Captain and No 8 Kieran Read, who will join the squad in South Africa to prevent the travel schedule compromising his reconstructed lower back, tighthead prop Owen Franks and centre Jack Goodhue have been spelled from the test at Estadio Velez Sarsfield.
Halfback TJ Perenara gets a start in his 50th test appearance, with incumbent Aaron Smith likely to return in Pretoria.
The rest of this lot, said Hansen, is the best of what he’s got available. And he will expect a rise in standards following that effort against the Springboks in Wellington. It seems scarcely believable the All Blacks had 75 per cent possession and even more territory, but were unable to vary their attack, or execute well enough, to win.
First five-eighth Beauden Barrett had a miserable night with his goalkicking, missing four conversions, and won’t have welcomed a South African kicking coach by the name of Vlok Cilliers criticising his technique this week.
Rubbing out the Jekyll and Hyde nature of Barrett’s game would be helpful to the All Blacks’ cause. He also deserves more assistance from those around him. With Read absent, standin skipper Sam Whitelock, Sam Cane, Sonny Bill Williams, Ryan Crotty and Ben Smith cannot afford to be mute.
‘‘It’s knowing when the communication is needed,’’ Smith said this week. ‘‘In a game when everything is happening, everyone needs to communicate. But there are going to be times, when there is a huddle, that key people are going to have to be the ones to give a message.
‘‘And everyone is going to have to listen.’’
The All Blacks’ record in Argentina is excellent. Apart from the 21-21 draw in 1985, and the close scrapes in 2001 and 2006, they haven’t been troubled by the Pumas.
Even with Hansen putting his players on high alert by demanding they treat this as a World Cup sudden-death fixture, the Pumas, who have discovered the art of playing what is in front of them rather being too formulaic, will consider themselves a chance.
But it seems a long shot. The All Blacks will surely not be as sloppy as they were against the Springboks.
If things are close, maybe a drop goal would suffice for the New Zealanders.
Why not? It could also prove useful at a World Cup.