ONLY THE BEST
Blacks forwards coach Mike Cron to his staff. Former Ireland coach Joe Schmidt will replace Grant Fox as an independent selector after the Ireland series.
Shelford is confidentthat the All Blacks have the right players to beat Ireland but believes the backline is standing too flat, and may be better served by following Ireland’s tactic of releasing the ball before they get into the tackle zone.
With the All Blacks seeking contact before going to ground to recycle the ball, Shelford says the officials need to be aware of
Ireland’s subtle tricks at the breakdown.
‘‘They [Ireland] are playing quite smart. When they go in for the tackle they always roll out our side of the ruck, trying to slow the ball down.
‘‘We need to tell the referee ‘they are rolling out on our side all the time’.’’
Having rectified their set-piece issues, Ireland repeatedly heaped pressure on the All Blacks’ ball carriers; Shelford suggested one way to counter that was to get tight forwards to carry more, to smash over the gain line and then use the smaller backs to explore the space around the blindside.
Shelford would also like to see lock Patrick Tuipulotu, who was on the bench in Dunedin, get more minutes so he could use his bulk and power to soften up Ireland’s defensive line.
A defeat in this test would result in an already anxious rugby public further questioning whether Foster, who has been contracted by NZ Rugby through to the 2023 World Cup in France, is the right man to be coach.
‘‘It is a hell of a job, but he put his name forward for it,’’ Shelford said. ‘‘One of the things I thought when Mr Foster got the job was ‘what are we going to see that we haven’t seen before?’
‘‘And, to me, not a lot has changed.’’