Questions loom over what’s going wrong with the All Blacks, Warriors mauled by the Panthers & Kiwi on top at Belgian Grand Prix. Video / Sky Sport / Spark Sport
Brodie Retallick is back in the All Blacks and intent on helping rediscover the team's absent consistency.
Retallick emerged unscathed from his comeback match in Hawke's Bay's 13th successful Ranfurly Shield defence, against North Harbour last weekend.
It remains to be seen whether that appearance is enough to immediately parachutehis 95-test presence into an All Blacks team reeling from their first home defeat to the Pumas; but he is hopeful of having the chance to help rectify another historic low on his Chiefs home patch in Hamilton this weekend.
"I'm not exactly sure what the plan is yet but I got through 55-odd minutes and the body is good," Retallick said after his return from the broken cheekbone he suffered in the third test defeat to Ireland in mid-July. "Whether that's enough for the coaches to pick me in here or I go back to Hawke's Bay I'm not sure yet but we'll see how that goes."
Retallick watched the All Blacks collapse in the final quarter of their 25-18 loss to the Pumas in Christchurch and fall to three consecutive home defeats for the first time in history with his Magpies team-mates.
Brodie Retallick hasn't played for the All Blacks since July 18. Photo / Photosport
While he projected positivity about the scrum dominance and maul improvements under new forwards coach Jason Ryan, Retallick noted the frustrations with the All Blacks horror form run that's seen them slump to two wins from their last eight tests.
"You feel for the boys. No one wants to lose and no one enjoys it. There were periods they dominated up front but they didn't quite execute at the end so that's the challenge of test rugby. There's always those fine margins that you need to nail at crucial times. It didn't happen but we've just had the review and that's been talked about tidying that up.
"There's been some massive strides from the forward pack in the last few weeks and for quite a long time in the weekend they got it right but I would love to be out there.
"The challenge now is to do it consistently weekend after weekend for 80 minutes. That's where we need to get to.
"The foundations are in place, we just need to put a little polish on it and bring it all together and do it week in, week out."
Three lost lineouts in Argentina's strike zone during the closing stages – after in-form hooker Samisoni Taukei'aho was surprisingly replaced early in the second half by Codie Taylor – proved a major factor in the latest defeat.
"That's test footy and pressure. That's what we're here to do; to represent the country and nail those moments. Codie is a highly experienced player and he's obviously hurting from that but it's not just his responsibility to get that right. We've looked at that and we need to get it right."
A dejected Codie Taylor following the defeat to Argentina. Photo / Photosport
The dispiriting nature of the Christchurch defeat, after the All Blacks blew a 15-6 first half lead and failed to capitalise on 231 more running-metres than the Pumas, turned the glaring spotlight back on Ian Foster's position as head coach, one week after his retention through to the World Cup, and the team's leadership group.
"There's obviously been a lot of external noise over the past month," Retallick said. "I've seen it from a different view of not being in the environment and people on the street asking questions that I've got no answer for because I don't know what's going on at that level.
"The coaches have a responsibility and so do the players and the rest of the management so everyone needs to own their role.
"When you've been out for a while, you don't want to come in and take over. There's some great leaders in this team and I know there's a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to get it right. I've got no doubt there's enough quality leaders so I'll just jump on the back of them."
Conceding 14 penalties and the inability to generate quick ruck possession, as the Pumas consistently swarmed the breakdown, built mounting frustration for the All Blacks – these elements all familiar themes of recent defeats.
After watching his side battle to break through the resolute Pumas defence, Foster criticised the All Blacks failure to adopt a kicking game in the final quarter.
While All Blacks centre Rieko Ioane acknowledged the need to kick more to shape the defence, he expressed the desire to retain their attacking mindset.
"As a team we're going to keep attacking because it's in our DNA but doing so a lot smarter," Ioane said. "We don't want to be running so much or turning into a kicking team. We have to find the right balance. With the athletes we have out wide and those in the forwards it's about using them.
"The belief amongst this group is huge. No outside noise is going to dictate how we feel or how we believe. We're struggling to find that consistency but when we do, we'll be happy."
