What was that about a one-horse race?
Funny how quickly a procession can turn into a war of attrition. It only seems like yesterday that The Rugby Championship was a bore. New Zealand were so far in front, that the only question was whether they would post 50 points in all of their remaining games or just have to settle for 40.
Now their upcoming clashes with Argentina and South Africa, in Buenos Aires and Pretoria, have the air of upsets just waiting to happen. Saturday’s 36-34 loss to the Springboks in Wellington exposed a variety of All Blacks’ frailties, for which none of us should be complaining.
When results become foregone conclusions, people lose interest. But these Rugby Championship games, plus the ones that follow on New Zealand’s tour to Japan and Europe, have now been lent a welcome air of uncertainty. You might think the All Blacks will win, but you can’t say for sure. Not after what happened at Westpac Stadium.
The All Blacks weren’t awful. Just a bit sloppy, maybe even complacent. Coach Steve Hansen mentioned that word in the buildup, along with the steps he takes to avoid it. From that point of view, the team going 12-0, within 17 minutes on Saturday, probably wasn’t a help.
Once you slacken your intensity in test rugby, it’s very hard to regain, even when you’re the All Blacks.
From 31-17 down, they got themselves back to the brink of victory but weren’t good enough to go on and clinch it.
People who usually make good decisions, or execute their skills, under pressure didn’t this time and that will be a valuable coaching tool for Hansen.
All Blacks training is all about trying to create those kinds of scenarios, because of how infrequently they occur in actual games. This was an occasion when the team encountered some adversity – much of it of their own making – and weren’t able to overcome it. Somewhere, Hansen must be rubbing his hands together.
The squad now disperses, before reassembling in Auckland on Friday to fly out for the September 30 game against the Pumas at Estadio Jose Amalfitani.
Argentina have been nuisance value in the competition till now, but to follow their 32-19 win over the Springboks in Mendoza with a creditable performance against the All Blacks in Nelson and now Saturday’s 23-19 defeat of Australia, is encouraging. There’s no doubt the Pumas have New Zealand’s attention and it will be interesting to see how Hansen talks them up once the team arrive.
After all, the words of praise he offered for South Africa, ahead of this Wellington test, were met with widespread mirth, none of which dissuaded him from doubling down yesterday.
‘‘You’ve got to understand it’s going to be a tough tournament. We talked about it during the week [saying], they’re going to be a tough team to play. I think I even said they should be favourites, so I hope someone got some money off the TAB,’’ Hansen said.
It would be stretching things to say the All Blacks head away as underdogs, but they certainly don’t look as unassailable as they did before Saturday.
Hansen ought to welcome that.