Anatomy of the All Blacks’ loss
Aweek is a long time in rugby, from a sublime performance against Ireland to defeat against England. Out of necessity you analyse your opposition in order to be forewarned and forearmed.
New Zealand would have seen the short English defensive line that allowed Wallaby Marika Koroibete to score down the left hand side in the quarterfinal, and been encouraged their strategy of width and speed of transition was tailor-made for the semifinal as well.
England were lying in wait with the immediacy of the rewards of knocking the incumbent world champions out of the tournament adding to their excitement.
As well, they had the hurt factor of being flung from their own tournament in 2015 still fresh in their minds.
They wanted a piece of what the All Blacks had and were prepared to work for it.
As England coach Eddie Jones himself stated; a lot of the work had been done well before the week in developing the understanding and habits of the playing group, and in piecing together the potent mix of youth, power and experience that makes up this English combination.
There is an expression in coaching which states ‘‘when the player is ready, the coach appears’’.
Timing is part of the equation; this group of players were clearly ready for the craft of Eddie Jones and his experienced coaching staff, Kiwi John Mitchell among them.
Kiwi supporters were hoping that the speed of the game in the first 30 minutes would pay late dividends, but England seldom had to turn and chase.
They were able to defend with the ball in front of themselves for long periods as they dominated the gain line.
On the few occasions they had to scramble they were fresh enough to get back and turn the ball over. England anticipated the use of kicks to the edge, using the touchline as an ally, often forcing turnovers at the sideline.
They knew the things New Zealand wanted to do, denied them and effectively turned their strengths into a weakness. The cutting off of New Zealand’s ‘quick throw’ option on their 22m line was another example.
Understanding what works and why it works is key to creating any good team performance, just as it is to breaking down an opponent’s game. The spontaneity and purity of the English effort was impressive.
Perhaps the quality of the New Zealand performance against Ireland ultimately contributed to their demise by highlighting the critical component parts of New Zealand’s game that England would need to match. They certainly met the challenge with a clarity that stunned.
The numbers told the story; the limited carries by the All Black tight forwards was an indicator, as they looked to go around before through. As the adage states ‘no work, no play’.
This will have been a tough learning experience for some of the younger members of the All Blacks.
So they now play a fixture for a bronze medal. Although it may no longer be relevant for automatic entry to the next Rugby World Cup, it still retains ample meaning.
It is an important game in many ways, an All Blacks test match first and foremost and a likely send-off for some great servants of New Zealand rugby: Kieran Read, Ryan Crotty and Ben Smith to name a few.
They say that class is permanent and Read showed his class in leading his team in a moment of deep disappointment by acknowledging the crowd straight after the game. The southern hemisphere have won seven of the previous eight RWC tournaments and now look to South Africa to carry the flag.
Don’t be fooled by the two vastly contrasting semi-finals. Part of the beauty of this game is the ability of teams to adapt their tactical approach to suit the occasion.
The final will likely settle somewhere between a percentage-based approach to produce stress on the opposition, and a preparedness to take risk in order to win.
More surprises in store.