The All Blacks’ darkest day shines a glaring spotlight on the cracks emerging in coach Scott Robertson’s shaky tenure.
Consistently inconsistent is an inescapable truth enveloping Robertson’s All Blacks after their 43-10 defeat – the worst in their history – against the Springboks in Wellington sparked widespread concerns.
A sixth loss from 21 tests under Robertson speaks to the All Blacks’ struggles to deliver progress.
With 15 players on the park, it’s difficult to recall a worse half an hour than the way the hosts crumbled on Saturday night at Sky Stadium.
Fans voted with their feet, with many leaving well before the Boks landed their final knockout blows.
Patchy year one-form was supposed to improve in year two, but instead the All Blacks followed their maiden loss in Argentina with a win and loss against the Springboks to leave the team in a state of flux before the Bledisloe Cup battle resumes in two weeks at Eden Park.
When the Wallabies scored 38 unanswered points to pull off one of the great comebacks to stun the Springboks at Ellis Park last month, Rassie Erasmus lambasted his team by labelling the performance “dogshit”.
Robertson was never going to go that far, but after watching his team capitulate to concede five second-half tries, the last two through feeble defence as heads dropped, and 36 unanswered points, he accepted his side’s performance was well short of All Blacks standards.
“The result reflects that,” Robertson said.
“My language is not quite as eloquent as his. He might say it a little bit more straight up and square, but we’ve got to be able to have repeat efforts. We saw how we executed in a title fight at Eden Park. At halftime here, we were still right there then we didn’t deliver.
“We don’t want to chase too much. We want to be clear. We want to be focused. What can we take into the Bledisloe, but be honest with each other as a whole grou,p which starts with me.
“We played some great rugby, but we let them get away with it. Our execution wasn’t good enough. The start of the second half wasn’t what we expect of ourselves.”
The All Blacks must swiftly improve their set piece, sloppy high ball work, defence and finishing.
The scrum and lineout have long been a source of great pride for any All Blacks team.
The lineout, after proving a strike weapon at Eden Park, slumped to 69% as Brodie McAlister again battled with his throwing off the bench.
The scrum, despite assistant coach Jason Ryan’s assurances it would vastly improve after the Boks’ big tighthead shunt last week, wasn’t any better with penalties and a lack of stability a constant concern.
“There’s a structure and individual skills that players have to get right, especially around the scrum, that’s the pictures they see. World Rugby want to be really clear with the pictures they get and they’ll go after them if they don’t,” Robertson said.
“We work extremely hard and we pride ourselves on it, but we’ve got to deliver now, so the adjustments have to come quickly.”
Struggles under the high ball are nothing new for this All Blacks team, but it is fast becoming their kryptonite.
It’s at the point now where grim memories of 2009, when the All Blacks couldn’t catch a cold before a concerted effort to improve this area ushered Cory Jane and Richard Kahui on to the wings for the breakthrough 2011 World Cup success, are being revived.
With pressure mounting, Robertson must now source his solution – and fast.
“We put a lot of time into it and we’re not getting the return and the outcomes. Maybe we change and tweak the weeks, how we kick them the ball, how they receive it, so we can get better outcomes,” he said.
“As soon as the escorts went, it changed the game. South Africa got so much value from that part of their game.”
The All Blacks are expected to regain hooker Codie Taylor, the world-class Cam Roigard and fellow halfback Cortez Ratima for the opening Bledisloe Cup test against Australia, but Noah Hotham’s season could be over after the halfback injured his other ankle in his comeback match in Wellington.
Given their aerial issues, Caleb Clarke’s strengths must come into the outside back picture, and Leicester Fainga’anuku is unlikely to be ignored any longer. Others could pay a selection price as Robertson searches for accountability.
South Africa’s Erasmus, after making seven starting changes and drastically changing tactics by letting his young backline play with freedom, certainly reaped the rewards of that approach to bask in the afterglow of the Boks’ ruthless response.
“You’re always looking at what’s the best team, cohesion, give them time, combinations and what’s the best for this occasion,” Robertson said.
“We thought [the best approach was] the continuation of the group who had a great performance, reward them, and give them a chance to cement positions. We’ll see next week.”
The other home truth that could haunt the All Blacks coaches over the next two weeks – before they get their chance to respond – is that opposition sides appear to be working them out.
This year’s theme of a win and a loss against Argentina and South Africa strongly suggests there’s not enough evolution to the All Blacks’ game.
“No team has won two games in a row in this competition which shows how tight and brutal it is and how it can swing from week to week. You’ve got to be on in every occasion, in both halves,” Robertson said.
Liam Napier is a Senior Sports Journalist and Rugby Correspondent for the New Zealand Herald. He is a co-host of the Rugby Direct podcast.