Why the All Blacks need Ryan Crotty back
Midfielder key to communications game
It doesn't matter whether Ryan Crotty plays or not these days, his value to the All Blacks posttest shoots up either way. Man of the match in Sydney against the Wallabies, rock solid and accurate the following week in Dunedin, Crotty delivered two Bledisloe Cup performances that were arguably world class.
Forced to miss last week's clash against the Pumas due to a head knock in Dunedin, he still finished the week with his reputation enhanced.
The All Blacks missed Crotty in New Plymouth. It wasn't so much his direct running and firm tackling — it was more his communication, awareness and decision-making.
Rugby tends to be judged by the tangibles; the passes that stick, the lines that are run, the tackles made. But increasingly the intangibles are where the real difference is made. Defences are so good at shutting down space and applying pressure that teams can only be effective on attack with multiple voices guiding the playmakers.
A first-five needs the midfield offering real-time guidance on where the threats lie. And the All Blacks lacked this against the Pumas. Argentina came off the line fast, swarmed Beauden Barrett, who seemed left to cope with that on his own.
‘‘We saw how the Argentinians did it,’’ said lock Brodie Retallick. ‘‘And Beaudy caught the brunt of it. But it is not really Beaudy's fault. It is what the boys are doing around him and we need to be better at communicating where the space is and give Beaudy the options.’’
Cue Crotty. That's one of the key skills he brings and just one of the reasons why he's expected to resume in the No 13 jersey this Saturday. The All Blacks need his ability to not only see how the game is developing, but to effectively pass that on. They need his calm head to ensure the risktaking isn't overdone.
Anton Lienert-Brown is gifted, but prone to pushing passes that aren't on. He is adventurous, but not always in the right places of the field and at the right times. It could be a combination of his young age and relative lack of experience, but he's not thought to be as vocal as Crotty, not as confident about speaking up.
The All Blacks need that presence and wise head back in midfield.
‘‘The guys outside the first receiver have to feed in the comms to tell the guy looking at the ball [what is on],’’ said Crotty. ‘‘If the defender is coming hard then there is going to be space around him either side. Not all defenders react the same way. Maybe 10 can take a bit more depth and give himself more time especially if the ball is wet.
‘‘That's why we train the little skills so much and why they are so important because they are the ones you have to execute when you are under the pressure of test match football.
‘‘That's why we train our passing techniques — being able to pass off both feet. The micro details that go with that are massively important.
‘‘We all saw that on Saturday night. When we get it right it is the difference between scoring a try and creating a turnover. Those simple things are so important.
‘‘As a centre, the best way I can help out is to let them know that the guys are coming hard and give them action words so to speak on what to do. It is about seeing where the opportunities are and then be able to communicate so you can take advantage.’’