NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Rugby / All Blacks

Rugby: All Blacks have just enough substance

Gregor Paul
By Gregor Paul
Reporter·NZ Herald·
20 Jun, 2009 04:00 PM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Vincent Clerc is left clutching at Joe Rokocoko's shadow. Photo / Getty Images

Vincent Clerc is left clutching at Joe Rokocoko's shadow. Photo / Getty Images

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

All Blacks 14 France 10

No one in New Zealand should be daft enough to lament the lack of style on a night that was all about substance.

Last night was an exercise in avoidance - of defeat, humiliation and an unwelcome place in the history books.

It didn't matter how this inexperienced All Black
side crossed the line.

They could bite, spit, wrestle, duck, dive, cheat, cheat some more and not provide one memorable passage of football - all that mattered was that they won.

Which they did, just, by firstly turning up from the start which they didn't last week and secondly by holding their structure and composure for long enough to hold out a French side that was probably more capable.

If there was a performance goal it was to harden up; to not, as they did in Dunedin, bring a knife to a gun fight.

There was a bit more clobber about them; a bit more snap in the physical exchanges but not enough for them to get the momentum they were after.

A little bit more turnover ball was snaffled; the scrummaging was a bit more solid and the number of embarrassing tries leaked was cut from two to one - hardly ideal but progress none the less.

Cory Jane and Mils Muliaina will find it hard to watch the footage that will show Cedric Heymans beating them both for pace and two others on his way to a spectacular solo try mid-way through the second half.

It was a score that brought France back into a game they were in danger of slipping out of after Ma'a Nonu coasted over in the first half courtesy of a neat Tanerau Latimer off-load that pushed Joe Rokocoko clear before feeding the looping second five.

The All Blacks would have loved to have pushed on from Nonu's score and settled into a better, more fluent rhythm but it never happened. The width couldn't be found, the holes didn't open around the fringes and it was bash, bash with only Keven Mealamu able to make any real hard yards.

That lack of fluency and penetration needs to be looked at and the selectors' faith in Donald will be wavering and the angst building about what they should do come the Tri Nations. Donald, clearly playing to orders persisted with dinky kicks over the top, presumably designed to discourage the French rush defence.

It wasn't a bad idea and nor was his execution a particular problem.

It was just that as the game developed it became harder to be convinced Donald wasn't playing by numbers - kick two, run two, pass two.

The instinctive reading of the game was missing and when the pressure really comes in next month, there is a big fault line running through Donald that the Australians and South Africans will quite gladly stick a piece of dynamite in and blow wide open.

The real concern, though, was the lack of finesse. There was a quite seriously bad left-footed hoof on the stroke of half-time that had all the class of three-putting from six feet.

A couple of shocking forward passes and a kick-out on the full blighted his night further and the package was completed by losing the ball in a curious move where his intentions were never clear.

There is no question this was a difficult assignment. The weather had that unmistakable Wellington charm and the French continued to defend impressively, coming off the line quickly and aggressively.

But the realisation of last week was that tests are not meant to be easy; that their very essence is about taking players to the limit and asking them to find new depths of character.

Donald was by no means the only player to exit stage left unsure about whether he will be cast in the same role this week.

Joe Rokocoko, quiet all season, pressed the mute button again. There remains hope it is not permanent, but certainly there has been an extended temporary loss of spark and explosive power from the big wing.

The old Joe came alive for a test, thrust off his flank and left scorched earth behind.

The new Joe, the one we have seen this season, is more SUV than sports car. Last night he didn't attend to the basics and looked decidedly pedestrian. When Donald fly-hacked through after 50 minutes of the three men chasing - Donald, Maxime Medard and Rokocoko - the All Black wing was a distant third.

It has maybe reached the point where shock therapy is the solution - the indignity of being left out of the Tri Nations squad and asked to earn his passage back to the test arena should stoke some fires and instigate a change in attitude and desire.

That same shock therapy could be used on Neemia Tialata who again was all at sea against a French front-row that would be one of the more streetwise in world rugby.

New Zealand 14 (M. Nonu try; S. Donald 2 pens; L. McAlister pen) France 10 (C. Heymans try; J. Dupuy con; F. Trinh-Duc pen).

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from All Blacks

Premium
Opinion

Paul Lewis: Why chasing perfection in rugby is a flawed ambition

11 Jul 07:01 PM
Premium
All Blacks

All Blacks vs France: Where the second test can be won

11 Jul 02:51 AM
All Blacks

All Blacks wing stocks take another hit as Caleb Clarke scratched from second test

11 Jul 02:34 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from All Blacks

Premium
Paul Lewis: Why chasing perfection in rugby is a flawed ambition

Paul Lewis: Why chasing perfection in rugby is a flawed ambition

11 Jul 07:01 PM

Opinion: The All Blacks’ fast, attractive style led to errors against France.

Premium
All Blacks vs France: Where the second test can be won

All Blacks vs France: Where the second test can be won

11 Jul 02:51 AM
All Blacks wing stocks take another hit as Caleb Clarke scratched from second test

All Blacks wing stocks take another hit as Caleb Clarke scratched from second test

11 Jul 02:34 AM
'Bringing that impact off the bench': McKenzie on battle for No 10 jersey

'Bringing that impact off the bench': McKenzie on battle for No 10 jersey

11 Jul 12:21 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP