All Blacks looking to lift performances
Patchy displays set to be righted against Pumas
Two from t wo in the Rugby Championship and, yet, the patchy nature of the performances suggest the All Blacks need to raise the bar against the Pumas in New Plymouth tonight.
To a certain extent allowances can be made for the drop of execution and accuracy that let the Wallabies restore some credibility with a second half surge in Sydney. Maintaining a ruthless edge is always difficult when the scoreboard says the game is over.
In Dunedin, though, there were no excuses for the All Blacks poor start which saw the Wallabies stride out to a 17- 0 lead — one that could have been worse had Bernard Foley packed his kicking boots.
Package those t wo underwhelming periods together and the All Blacks should be driven to deliver a much more complete performance tonight.
“We’re always striving for that,” All Blacks captain Kieran Read said. “The important thing is you put it on yourself and as a team and you try and get better every week. We’ve trained really well so it’s just about turning up. We’ve got a bunch of men who are pretty excited about what the Argies present.”
Seven starting changes could, potentially, create cohesion issues as combinations attempt to bed in. There’s always a fine line between wanting to impress and not overplaying your hand. TJ Perenara, Nehe Milner- Skudder, Ardie Savea and Vaea Fifita, in particular, will be walking that tightrope after being promoted this week.
Without regular experienced figures Sam Whitelock, Ben Smith and Ryan Crotty, the All Blacks need other leaders to accept responsibility.
“This week we’re in a unique situation where there are probably a few less than normal out on the field so the guys that are out there have to step up and own their little part of their puzzle.”
Much has been made of Fifita’s start at blindside after Steve Hansen compared his love of physicality with Jerome Kaino and the late Jerry Collins. Read is confident his new- look loose forward trio will gel, and his advice to Fifita has been to back his natural strengths — to essentially tackle and run hard.
“We’ve spent a bit of time together over the past couple of months. It’s been awesome to see Vaea step into a starting role this week. He’s a pretty quiet guy but really energetic and knowledgeable about the game. He’s asking me plenty of questions so he’s ready to go. It’s not all going to come out tomorrow night he’s got things to learn so it’s an awesome start for him.”
As for the Pumas, their slide to 10th in the world rankings — one spot behind Fiji — encapsulates what’s been a disappointing period for the proud rugby nation. They have lost their past seven tests.
“I don’t take any notice of those rankings to be honest,” said Read. “The history of this championship is they’ve been very tough opponents for us even in New Zealand. They’re unpredictable; they’ve got players who have experience at Super Rugby and this level so they’re a dangerous side.
“They’re not just a one dimensional side now they’re got threats across the park. Their ball carriers and loose forwards are probably among the best in the world and their backs on their day are pretty dangerous so we’ve got to adapt to what they bring. Alongside that is a scrum and a maul.”
We’ve got a bunch of men who are pretty excited about what the Argies present. All Blacks captain Kieran Read