All Blacks’ system needs an overhaul
It’s hard to know where to begin. Personnel, gameplan, attitude; there’s all sorts the All Blacks have to look at ahead of the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
You hesitate to get too hysterical in the aftermath of New Zealand’s 16-9 loss to Ireland. In isolation it’s not the end of the world. Ireland are a good side and played well and there’s no disgrace in losing to them.
But when you look at the result in light of how the All Blacks have gone against South Africa this year, and the hard work they made of beating England, you start to wonder if we’re watching a great All Blacks team coming to the end of its run.
Damian McKenzie just isn’t a starting international fullback.
Ryan Crotty and Sonny Bill Williams? Good players, absolutely world-class at times, but neither packs a great punch these days. With teams rushing up on defence the All Blacks need a midfield player who can break tackles and create momentum.
That man is probably Ngani Laumape.
Aaron Smith is struggling at halfback. Halves do when their packs are pushed around. That said, there seems to be an element of decline in Smith’s play.
As there does with No 8 Kieran Read. But he’s the captain and therefore a special case.
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen knows this territory. Daniel Carter was in it during the years prior to the 2015 World Cup. Hansen persevered with him and was able to turn around afterwards and say his belief in Carter was justified.
You assume he’ll back proven types such as Aaron Smith and Read to reiterate their class next year.
Blindside flanker’s another spot where a change wouldn’t go astray. Liam Squire’s a handy
runner down the tramlines, but you wonder if this team needs someone with a physical threat.
Right now opponents are dominating the All Blacks physically, with and without the ball. That’s a worry and makes the McKenzie experiment a nonsense.
Have two playmakers if you must, but at least do them the courtesy of having a platform to play off.
We’re told there’s a new gameplan and it’s taking time to bed in. From this distance there just seems to be a lot of kicking, from players ill-suited to that job in Aaron Smith and Beauden Barrett, and a passive attitude.
If you’re going to give the other team the ball, then your defence needs to be a lot more ferocious than New Zealand’s has been.
Despite Ben Smith’s outstanding record at fullback, Hansen seems wedded to playing him on the wing. Well, if he’s determined to play Smith there instead of Waisake Naholo, and wants two pivots, then Beauden Barrett needs to start at 15. That solves the tactical issue at first five-eighth as well.
Richie Mo’unga is well-versed in the gameplan Hansen appears to have adopted, leaving Barrett to play more on instinct from fullback. McKenzie could then provide an option off the bench.
It’s odd to hear Hansen casting forward to next year and talking openly about tweaks. As cliched as it is, taking one game at a time has actually served the team well.
Yet there was Hansen after the England win already mentioning 2019. They still had Ireland to play.
That speaks to the muddle the team are in. They seem confused about how to counter the opposition and at a point where they hope things might work, rather than knowing they will.
In the process they’ve made some robust, but really rather limited, England and Ireland teams look like world beaters.
For back-to-back World Cup winners, the All Blacks look anything but right now.