England’s win gives cause for a rethink

As supporters continue to process the All Blacks’ semifinal exit at the Rugby World Cup there will be a range of feelings about the loss to England. There will be sympathy for the players and coaches who tried their hardest and disappointment at the death of a three-peat dream.

But there will also be some resignation, as a possible mauling by England or South Africa was something many fans had feared before the campaign in Japan started.

New Zealand face this weekend’s finals in the unusual position of being ranked only third in the world and battling for the bronze with Wales, as England and South Africa compete for golden glory.

Despite being unable to defend their title, the All Blacks’ long history of success at a 77 per cent rate sets them apart. England impressed with the comprehensive and clinical way in which they dispatched the Men in Black, but historically they have not been able to do it consistently.

For New Zealand, after a golden run for much of this decade, there has been a sense of a dip from those lofty heights and of key rivals closing the gap.

The first shock came with Ireland’s ambush at Chicago in late 2016. Including that game, the All Blacks have since suffered seven losses, drawn twice and escaped with three narrow wins of only one or two points against Ireland, England, the British and Irish Lions, South Africa and Australia.

There have also been blowout wins, particularly against the inconsistent Wallabies, among dozens of victories. Yet two of the losses and the two draws occurred at home where the All Blacks rarely lose.

What has made Kiwi fans uneasy over the past two years has been the obvious pattern of vulnerability. The alarm bells have been ringing since the Lions’ series which laid down a blueprint.

Sides have taken the game to the All Blacks up front with physicality and dynamism and tried to suffocate with hard-charging rush defences.

The All Blacks have used speed and skill to cleverly find space in attack, often through kick passes. They have backed their backs to carve through defences. There were late-in-the-day changes introduced such as the playmaking combo and two inexperienced but in-form wingers.

After the wins against South Africa and Ireland at the World Cup, there was optimism that it was working, even if the Springboks ominously had the All Blacks backpedalling for a period. New Zealand still looked composed and adaptable and struck with lightning tries.

But England’s performance cast everything in a different light. It was their combination of welldrilled set-piece work, ferocious defence, heat at the breakdown and waves of big, ball-carrying forwards. Great New Zealand performances have involved forwards burying their opposition under a black blanket. This time the blanket was white.

It begs the question of whether the All Black focus, preparation and selections needed more emphasis on a beefed-up forward effort.

That can still happen if a coach with a record of getting the best out of the pack inherits the team.