Playing with pace helped Aaron Smith and the All Blacks blow away the Boks. Photo / Getty
Playing with pace helped Aaron Smith and the All Blacks blow away the Boks. Photo / Getty
The blueprint for the All Blacks rediscovering their all-court, triple-threat mojo was unveiled in full flight against the Springboks. The essence of that plan revolves around going back to the future and embracing the need for speed.
It’s been a long time coming, but in grasping the simplicity of meetingfire with fire up front, the All Blacks are now unlocking elements of their game left dormant by their previous lack of go-forward.
While gradual improvements were evident at the back end of last year, following Jason Ryan and Joe Schmidt’s arrival in the coaching department, the All Blacks have lifted another gear on several fronts in dominant victories over the Pumas and Springboks to send a statement of intent in World Cup year.
The maul defence, scrum and breakdown will be a consistent focus as the All Blacks seek to cement those pillars in their three remaining tests before the World Cup, but the platform the forwards - led by Shannon Frizell’s powerhouse effort against the Boks - are now laying is incomparable to last July.
“We’ve always been a team that wants to play, but you’ve got to get your big rocks right,” All Blacks coach Ian Foster said as his team disbanded for a week following their 35-20 victory at Mt Smart Stadium.
“It’s taken us a while [over] the last couple of years to adjust to the physicality, particularly of the forward play, that’s come from the north, and having the variety of opposition to test you in the different way teams play.
“We’ve gathered a lot of information. Some of it has been painful, but we’re learning. Now we’re starting to see a non-negotiable level through our set piece, through the physical side of the game, and that’s enabling us to win some collisions, which enables you to play on top of people.
Pace and tempo are the All Blacks’ best friends when it comes to teams such as the Boks. With their big boys blowing early, the Boks had no hope of sticking with Foster’s men in their opening quarter blitz.
With confidence comes the freedom to express inherent attacking flair.
Where last year the All Blacks frequently played off the back foot, tried too hard at times and often threw passes behind the receiver, they are now offloading in contact and releasing the ball with trust and belief.
Regaining their once world-leading catch-pass skills is another notable shift. Everything tends to click when the pack punches forward, but it’s no coincidence fundamental skills have regained their crispness since Schmidt’s integration.
With high hoists to the edges, chips over the defensive line and Aaron Smith’s box kick that slipped from Will Jordan’s grasp under the Boks’ posts, tactical kicking is fast becoming a feature of the All Blacks’ evolution, too.
Ensuring the balance is not weighted too heavily in favour of the boot remains a challenge – as does consistent execution – but the All Blacks mostly kicked on their terms against the Boks to showcase their ability to combat the prevalent rush defence.
“We want to be a triple-threat team,” Foster said. “It’s not about going in with a plan to do it – it’s looking for it and, if it’s on, to pull the trigger.
The All Blacks have to balance their kicking game. Photo / photosport.nz
“We’re trying to kick for space. It worked well. There were a couple [where] the kicks weren’t as good as they needed to be – one went five metres backwards – but the decision was outstanding, and it still created the opportunities we were looking for.
“We’re getting better at making decisions about what destabilises defences, which gives you a chance to play quicker.”
While the Rugby Championship title is a secondary concern this year, prioritising that, and retaining the Bledisloe, ensures the All Blacks have a clear short-term focus before arriving in France for their true test of character.
“This year, we felt this group needed to get together and get energy. The only way to do that is to go out with the goal of trying to win. Winning this championship is important to us because it’s the first step of the year, but it also meant we’ve had an edge to our preparation. We haven’t had an excuse to say ‘it doesn’t really matter’, and that’s been positive for us.”
After a week to mentally refresh, the All Blacks reassemble in Auckland on Sunday to prepare for the opening Bledisloe in Melbourne against Eddie Jones’ wobbling Wallabies following their 0-2 start to the season.
Jones threw his headset in frustration in the coaching box during the Wallabies’ 34-31 loss to the Pumas – yet in typical deflection mode, he had the cheek to claim the All Blacks should “look out” ahead of the MCG test.
“History tells us you can never write them off,” Foster said. “They’ve got the ability to turn up and bite us. In my experience, they’ve regularly done that. They haven’t got the results they want. Sometimes when you’re setting things up, it takes a while to bring back that familiarity. A win over us at the MCG would solve a lot of their issues. We’re really aware of that.”
