‘Dents in All Blacks’ armour’ found

England sense some vulnerabilities have been exposed in the All Blacks’ game as they get ready for their clash at Twickenham.

With the Rugby Championship wrapped up last Sunday with New Zealand’s remarkable 32-30 escape act against the Springboks in Pretoria, attention now switches to the November internationals in Europe where there are some heavyweight battles looming that will give some vital indicators for next year’s World Cup in Japan.

There’s still a ton of respect for the world champion All Blacks but The Times believes the armour of Steve Hansen’s side has been dented by a resurgent South African outfit who have laid a blueprint with their aggressive defence and direct attack.

headed into the new millennium by going back in time. Initiation ceremonies were restored where new players were caned with a snooker cue or given a drink laced with sweat squeezed from the players’ socks. How do you eradicate such hideously inappropriate instincts for good?

Steve Hansen told Peter Bills in his book The Jersey: ‘‘They [South Africa] are the only team in sport I know that doesn’t pick its best team . . . Rugby wasn’t a black man’s sport, but it was the sport that would unify a country in a way that no other sport or business could.’’

Even now I don’t see that unity when I look into a South African

‘‘It would be pushing it to say that New Zealand have lost their aura during the Rugby Championship, with one defeat to South Africa and one remarkable escape, but the Springboks have undoubtedly done the rest of the world a favour,’’ wrote John Westerby.

‘‘As England approach their first meeting with the All Blacks for more than four years, they have been shown that vulnerabilities exist for Eddie Jones’ team to exploit.’’

noted that three years after the departure of Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith, the All Blacks were still looking for a settled midfield pairing.

And there was uncertainty about the New Zealand back-row combinations for November with

rugby crowd. When Kolisi looks into the crowd he says he sees people of all races and classes. Maybe, but it’s nowhere near proportionally representative. It still looks like a white man’s game. Maybe they should bring in quotas for the crowds.

Rugby in South Africa is slowly developing but it is still very white, an impression borne out by the almost total absence of black coaches in Super Rugby or Currie Cup. But if you force the issue and South Africa become uncompetitive, is that helping anybody?

The one man I would like to hear from is Kolisi. What team does he want to lead at the next World Cup? flanker Sam Cane now out with a serious neck injury and Shannon Frizell yet to establish himself as the search for a long-term successor to Jerome Kaino at No 6 continues.

But there was still plenty to admire about the All Blacks and felt they would provide a real test for England’s new Kiwi defence coach John Mitchell.

‘‘As their dramatic late comeback at Loftus Versfeld demonstrated, they can still attack with a speed and precision that is some way beyond the rest of the world. If Mitchell cannot drill England’s defenders into minimising the time available to New Zealand’s playmakers, their speed of handling will create opportunities out wide for Rieko Ioane, the most dangerous finisher in the game.’’

Does he want to lead the strongest South African team available or does he believe in the long-term power of the quota system to transform rugby in his country.

Pienaar became an icon to the new South Africa, but he was a false icon who prospered from his association with Mandela. Pienaar was 28 years old when he lifted the World Cup. Kolisi will reach the same age next year.

Married to a white woman with children of mixed race, Kolisi could become the most important man in his country’s rugby history.

It is both a hideous and a magnificent burden.