Starters for 10 and other clever questions
1. Who should start at No 10 against the Pumas in Buenos Aires?
Richard Knowler: Damian McKenzie. His last start at No 10 in a test, against France in Dunedin, was tidy and he could do with another run-on appearance to blow some rust off his chassis.
That ensures Beauden Barrett isn’t risked ahead of the match against the Springboks in Pretoria. Some folk are suggesting Barrett be ditched for Richie Mo’unga on the back of the loss to the Boks in Wellington.
I’m not having it. Crazy stuff. But in the short term, let McKenzie have a lick at 10.
Hamish Bidwell: Are you kidding? If they’re picking their first-string line-up, then of course it’s Beauden Barrett. There’s no question about it.
It just depends on who Steve Hansen has pencilled in for this one. He likes to say plans have to be fluid but, in the same breath, he’ll admit games are targeted from way out for certain dudes. Mo’unga was always playing in Nelson, for instance, so I’ll be semi-curious to learn if he gets another go for that reason or if it’s McKenzie’s turn.
If they’re fair dinkum about winning and putting their best team out there, sitting Barrett would do more long-term harm than good.
2. One theory in the wake of the All Blacks’ defeat to the Springboks was that it wouldn’t have happened if Brodie Retallick hadn’t been injured. What do you make of that?
RK: Not much. The All Blacks still had 75 percent possession and 79 percent territory, so the forwards must have done something right. I cannot see the point in harping on about the absence of Retallick. Get over it.
HB: Nonsense. Good player, in fact arguably New Zealand’s best, but he can’t make people’s tackles for them or decide when dropped goals ought to be taken.
3. The ABs have conceded eight tries in their last two games. Is this a blip, or are there structural deficiencies in this aspect of their game?
RK: It’s getting a bit untidy, isn’t it? Two silly errors by Jordie Barrett and Anton Lienert-Brown gifted the Boks tries in the Cake Tin. An impressive lineout drive by their opponents resulted in their conceding another.
You cannot blame defence coach Scott McLeod for some of the lapses, but, like it or not, it’s his portfolio. Who could blame him if he feels the need to be a bit of a wide-boy at trainings? Anything to get the players to listen.
HB: I don’t think I’m alone in wondering about the process by which Scott McLeod was appointed defence coach and how pale an imitation he might be of Wayne Smith. I suspect there’s more to it than a mere blip.
4. Liam Squire is out of the Rugby Championship because of a hand injury. Who should start at blindside flanker against the Pumas, bearing in mind the ABs will have to play the Springboks in Pretoria a week later?
RK: Give Jackson Hemopo a crack. He was selected in the squad as a blindside flanker, and I would be loath to risk Shannon Frizell so close to the test against the Boks.
Luke Whitelock is another option at No 6, but the rugged Hemopo gives the impression he would thrive against the Pumas. Scott Barrett can also assist in the back row, but leave him at lock.
HB: Frizell probably deserves another go there against Argentina.
For Pretoria, I wouldn’t be averse to Luke Whitelock. He’s not the type of player who blows your hair back, but he tackles well and is accurate and has a great engine and would be an asset when those Springboks forwards cart the ball up.
5. Pretend you are the old front row pirate Mario Ledesma, now coach of the Pumas, for a moment. How is your team going to exploit the All Blacks for a famous win at Estadio Velez Sarsfield?
RK: Rush everything: in the defensive line, into the rucks and with the ball in hand. Vary the tackle strategies: get a couple of men to pressure the playmaker in one phase, and then get a lone ranger to rush out of the line and target a designated midfielder. Anything to stress the ABs.
HB: They have to be better at the breakdown, the scrums and in defence. The Pumas did plenty of good things in Nelson two weeks ago, but the All Blacks beat them badly on the deck.
The scrum was a bit embarrassing at times, and a combination of bad reads and poor tackling allowed New Zealand to bust them open at critical times.
Argentina aren’t far away, though. They’ll break that duck eventually.