At a glance
They scored six tries, to South Africa’s five, but Beauden Barrett converted only two of them. That return was made to look doubly scant by the four conversions and a penalty booted by Springboks first fiveeighth Handre Pollard.
After the match, All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said it hadn’t been goalkicking which cost the team victory.
That’s all very well, Steve, but what if Barrett only kicked two from six at the World Cup? Between now and then, how much emphasis will go on ensuring that doesn’t happen in Japan?
‘‘Oh, no more than we have [already]. It’s not something that we don’t know before last night,’’ Hansen said yesterday.
‘‘Beauden has these nights. He’s had them before and then he comes out and kicks 100 per cent the next time. Young Pollard hadn’t been kicking well up until last night and he goes out and kicks 100 per cent, so that’s the nature of goalkicking.
‘‘Sometimes that hurts you and you’ve just got to hope all the stars don’t line up in the one night. Last night they did, but the question of how much importance will we put on goalkicking? That’s not going to change. It’s always important.’’
Hansen and assistant coach Ian Foster said they discussed getting Damian McKenzie, who had come on as a second-half replacement at fullback, to perhaps relieve Barrett of the kicking duties. Ultimately, they opted to let the players decide.
That’s standard practice. Goalkicking is pressurised and coaches are loathe to do or say anything that undermines a kicker’s confidence. While Barrett was still eager to tee them up, the coaches were happy to let him. The alternative is fraught with too much danger.
But that still doesn’t answer the question of what Hansen would do if Saturday had been a World Cup knockout game and not a run-of-the mill Rugby Championship match?
‘‘But we’re not at the World Cup yet. We don’t want to be getting too worried about the World Cup yet,’’ Hansen. said
Indeed.
‘‘Beauden has these nights. He’s had them before and then he comes out and kicks a 100 per cent the next time.’’
Steve Hansen
South Africa 36 (Aphiwe Dyanty 2, Willie le Roux, Malcolm Marx, Cheslin Kolbe tries; Handre Pollard 4 con, pen) New Zealand (Rieko Ioane 2, Jordie Barrett, Aaron Smith, Codie Taylor, Ardie Savea tries; Beauden Barrett 2 con). HT: 17-24.