Ryan on hunt for consistent All Blacks
Fifty-point blowouts don’t tie Jason Ryan into knots patting himself, or anyone else, on the back and that means his All Blacks forwards need to rattle the cage again this week against Scotland or risk their boss’ wrath.
That was the simple message from the All Blacks forwards coach as he set the tone for the key challenge of logging back-to-back standout performances in 2022 when they run out at Murrayfield early Monday against a Scotland team they’ve never lost to.
The All Blacks generally, and Ryan’s big men particularly, played very well last weekend in sashaying past an outmatched Wales side
55-23 in challenging conditions at the Principality Stadium. A dewy surface made it a game where the passing game was pared back, and the New Zealand forwards responded with one of their better efforts of 2022.
Led by a trademark dazzling display from No 8 Ardie Savea, and with veteran halfback Aaron Smith revelling behind a pack going forward consistently, this was a statement showing from Ian Foster’s men.
The big question is can they back it up now? Though they’re riding a five-test win streak, the reality is they have failed to post consecutive standout performances this year, with recent victories in Melbourne and Tokyo riddled with disappointing aspects. It’s the most important box still to tick for this improving outfit, and Ryan is well aware of it.
‘‘How we can be better?’’ said Ryan of the theme for the week. ‘‘We’ve challenged the boys round starting again for the week. We got some growth against Wales which was satisfying and there were some areas where we’ve got to be a lot better against Scotland. Our review was honest and sharp.
‘‘It doesn’t matter whether it’s one point or 55 – if we’re serious about growing our habits, scores are irrelevant if you’re being honest every week. We’ve been thorough on making sure we’re not getting ahead of ourselves.’’
Thorough maybe. But it is yet to yield a positive result in 2022 and Ryan admitted consistency was a missing ingredient.
‘‘We want to be consistent,’’ he added. ‘‘We know Scotland will bring a different challenge. They’re a very good defensive team and awesome around the contact. It will be another step up and we’ll need to step up with that.’’
The challenge this week is how much does Foster change his team, bearing in mind they’ve got a sixday turnaround before a tour finale against England at Twickenham that could be the difference between the year being tagged an abject failure and a minor success?
Given the Barretts, Sam Whitelock, Rieko Ioane and Ethan de Groot all sat out the Japan opener, there could be a temptation to wheel ‘ em all out again, and ask them to wrap up their year with three straight starts to finish on. But the short time between Scotland and England complicates that slightly, while there is also the likes of Richie Mo’unga, Dalton Papalii, Aaron Smith and Caleb Clarke to consider who all featured in Tokyo and Cardiff.
It’s likely Foster has a bit of a bob each way and makes a handful of changes, maybe slightly more, but keeps a core group to allow for continuity, and a potential stern Scots challenge.
So expect, say, Samisoni Taukei’aho to switch it up with Codie Taylor this week at hooker, maybe some freshening at prop too (with George Bower and Fletcher Newell hovering as potential starters), Tupou Vaa’i to get a crack at starting lock and Akira Ioane on the blindside.
In the backs it’s unlikely Foster rolls Aaron Smith out again, so possibly Fin Christie could get a start against his nation of birth and TJ Perenara could be the finishing No 9, while expect some rotation in midfield.
Jordie Barrett has made a brilliant fist of his two test starts at 12, but Foster’s guarded comments post-Cardiff indicate he might cool the jets on that for a week and bring in Anton Lienert-Brown and/or David Havili to his midfield.
Given his wings’ lack of activity against Wales (and Leicester Fainga’anuku’s release to secondteam duty), he can’t be too concerned about workload there, but he could spell one of Richie Mo’unga, Beauden and Jordie Barrett, with England in mind, and use the other two to cover 10 and 15. Stephen Perofeta shapes as more a long shot for starting duty.