Collapse disguises side’s improvement

By producing one of the most porous and panic-ridden 12 minutes in their history to allow England to scramble a draw at Twickenham, the All Blacks have finished the season having perhaps given a false impression of their true potential.

They have some issues — most notably they don’t know how to close out a game.

But for the 68 minutes prior to the mental demons taking hold, the All Blacks were all romper stomper and too much for England to handle.

New Zealand were direct and confrontational. Their driving maul was their best weapon and their scrum wasn’t far behind.

Then there was their ball carrying and cleanout work, which was again much better than England’s, and but for a wonky lineout, it was almost the perfect display of collision-based rugby.

“I thought New Zealand were superb in the first half,” said England coach Eddie Jones.

“I can’t recall a New Zealand side playing as well as they did in the first half; aggressive, sharp around the ruck, good attacking kicks and we just had to hang in there.

“Start of the second half, we were able to put some pressure back on them. I thought we were the dominant team in the first half of the second half but we couldn’t convert pressure into points.

“And then all of a sudden, someone blows some magic dust, and the passes started to stick, the lines were a bit sharper. Our finishers came on and improved the game we wanted to play. The game changes.”

When a team collapses as dramatically as the All Blacks did, however, it is hard not to fixate on something that spectacular and damaging.

But Jones’ assessment is one to consider, as the All Blacks were as brilliant as they were awful, and there is no question they have finished 2022 a more cohesive, better prepared and better equipped team than at the end of 2021.

They have built the resilience, the forward power and set-piece proficiency to win any physical battle, and if England can’t beat them up any more, no one can.

And so while there was immediate disappointment within the All Blacks as they trooped off the field, it was a fug that lifted relatively quickly.

“Straight after the whistle, it was like we did lose and our mindset in that last minute was to play and theirs wasn’t,” said Rieko Ioane.

“But we are just grateful where we have come from and where we are now. We finished on a loss last year, and this year, we’ve finished on a draw, and next year, we’ll finish on a win.

“I’ve seen the progress from 2020 and how the team has progressed. I have 100 per cent trust in players one to 36, my coaches, everyone.”

Teammate Ardie Savea felt much the same, noting the All Blacks have endured much in 2022 and yet found a way to reach the last game of the season as a better, more cohesive team than they were in their first game.

He said: “Reflecting back on the year, it has been a hell of a journey. Being in the environment, it’s pretty special to be where we are, given where we have been as a team.

“There is something beautiful about being in the trenches together. It’s been a hell of a journey but it’s something we wouldn’t change.”