All Blacks run hot and cold in 2017
The All Blacks wrap up their test year in Cardiff at 6.15am today against Wales. Marc Hinton looks back on 2017 and grades the year.
BEAT SAMOA IN AUCKLAND 78-0
Not a bad first-up hitout. Scoring 12 tries without conceding ticked most boxes for what was essentially a rust-remover. Opposition strength questionable, but you can only play what’s in front of you, and this night the New Zealanders did that very, very impressively. Ben Smith tucked away his first test as captain, Jerome Kaino returned to the fray and Beauden Barrett even kicked well. Grade: A BEAT BRITISH & IRISH LIONS IN AUCKLAND 30-15
Behind a performance for the ages from skipper Kieran Read (who hadn’t played in a couple of months) and a two-try strike from 20-year-old wing Rieko Ioane, the All Blacks shaded an entertaining contest three tries to two, and cruised home on a faultless display of goal-kicking from Barrett. The Lions showed plenty, but were well beaten by a side that struck with clinical efficiency and shook off the first-half losses of key backs Ben Smith and Ryan Crotty to injury. Grade: B-plus LOST TO LIONS IN WELLINGTON 21-24
What a difference a week made for the tourists. Well, that and a 24th-minute red card to All Blacks second-five Sonny Bill Williams. The New Zealanders actually led 18-9 with 22 minutes remaining, but their lack of ambition cost them dearly as the Lions finished over the top with the only two tries of the game. Grade: B-minus DREW WITH LIONS IN AUCKLAND 15-15
Dramatic. Controversial. This test had it all, except a decisive result after referee Romain Poite was persuaded (without supporting video evidence) to change his decision to award the ABs a late kickable penalty. Instead we got the first ever tied series between the great rivals. The end was a farce, but this was a poor All Blacks effort. They played all the footy, created all the chances, scored the game’s only two tries, and still could not win. Repeat handling lapses cost dearly. As did a couple of penalty misses. The visitors nailed theirs and stole a shock result in Read’s 100th test. Grade: C BEAT AUSTRALIA IN SYDNEY 54-34
Funny old game. The All Blacks roared out to 40-6 by halftime with six tries in a near faultless display, then struck twice more early in the second spell to lead 54-6. Then they switched off. The Aussies played all the footy over the last halfhour to score four converted tries. Liam Squire and Damian McKenzie slotted in beautifully, but the visitors buttoned off badly. Grade: A-minus BEAT AUSTRALIA IN DUNEDIN 35-29
The Aussies let this one slip. Just a week after being made to look like cardboard cutouts on defence, they measured up much better, and were up 17-0 after 15 minutes. The All Blacks rallied to lead 21-17 with a quarter to play and then went behind 29-28 to Kurtley Beale’s 76th-min score. But the clutch gene remains in this team’s DNA. Read won the restart and Beauden Barrett was put across for the winner. Another fine test by Ioane, and a fabulous starting debut by Nepo Laulala. Grade: B BEAT ARGENTINA IN NEW PLYMOUTH 39-22
Another flawed performance by the All Blacks. New chum Vaea Fifita was the big revelation with a sensational exhibition of his athleticism. After trailing 22-15 with a half-hour to play, the ABs were good enough to conjure three tries. Grade: B-minus
BEAT SOUTH AFRICA IN ALBANY 57-0
Sublime. The eight-try recordbreaking shutout of the Boks was not just their best display of the season, but one of their finest under Hansen. From Ioane’s tackle-breaking brilliance, to a fine return to form from Nehe Milner-Skudder, to the creativity of Barrett and Aaron Smith, to forward masterclasses from Read, Retallick, Sam Cane, Dane Coles and supersub Scott Barrett, this was the complete performance. Grade: A-plus BEAT ARGENTINA BUENOS AIRES 36-10
Another hot-and-cold effort from Steve Hansen’s men. After storming to a 29-3 lead in 27 IN minutes, they were able to add just one more score the rest of the way. But behind a strong scrum effort, and some creative back play, they did the job on the back of six selection changes from Albany. Grade: B BEAT SOUTH AFRICA IN CAPE TOWN 25-24
A real test as the Boks bounced back behind a world-class performance from hooker Malcolm Marx to restore some pride. But you had to credit the All Blacks for owning the big moments, David Havili and Damian McKenzie combining for the matchwinner. Grade: B-plus LOST TO AUSTRALIA IN BRISBANE 18-23
It was a ‘‘dead-rubber’’ Bledisloe, and the All Blacks obliged with a lifeless performance, handing a streak-busting victory to the Wallabies. Tactics in the wet were poor and a NZ side missing star No 10 Beauden Barrett never got their game going. Grade: C BEAT FRANCE IN PARIS 38-18
Another of those games of two halves. The ABs were at their clinical best in the first half, running in four tries for a 31-5 lead, but then invited the French back in it when Williams was yellowcarded for a brain-snap play ingoal, and the hosts got back to 31-18. Grade: B BEAT SCOTLAND IN EDINBURGH 22-17
Probably lucky to win this one, after playing second fiddle to the ambitious Scots much of night. Yellow cards to Sam Cane and Wyatt Crockett didn’t help. Scored three crisp tries to lead 22-10, but then rather hung on, with a couple of big late scrums decisive. Grade: C-plus OVERALL ASSESSMENT
Not a vintage year from the All Blacks who went into the Cardiff finale with two defeats, a draw and at least a trio of unconvincing victories. The slick execution of 2016 has been seen only sporadically and they have, with one exception, struggled to put together 80-min efforts (discounting the Samoan cakewalk).
The 57-0 drubbing of the Boks in Albany was the best display and there were halves of brilliance in Sydney, Buenos Aires and Paris and a pretty strong opening effort against the Lions. The second and third Lions tests revealed some shortcomings, Brisbane was a mental no-show and the Scots even managed to unsettle the tourists at a seething Murrayfield, without nailing the result.
Hard not to think that the All Blacks have come back to the pack a little. Or maybe the chasers have lifted their game. Probably a bit of both. Also, they have had a mountain of injuries by season end, down seven of their top-choice XV and 11 heavyhitters overall.
The upside has to be the depth they’re building. Scrum has remained first-rate, and Rieko Ioane, Beauden Barrett and, latterly, Sonny Bill Williams have played well. Liam Squire has made his move. But just too many scratchy efforts to rate better than a B, especially with that blown Lions series. Final grade: B