All Blacks v Argentina: Eden Park a gauge of how much damage done by South African Super Rugby exit – Phil Gifford

THREE KEY FACTS:

• The All Blacks put their Eden Park record on the line against Argentina on Saturday
• Sam Cane returns for the first time since the 2023 Rugby World Cup final
• TJ Perenara retains his spot at halfback

Phil Gifford is a Contributing Sports Writer for NZME. He is one of the most-respected voices in New Zealand sports journalism.

OPINION

The test at Eden Park against the Pumas shapes as more than a measure of how the Scott Robertson era with the All Blacks is travelling.

In many ways, it’s a gauge of how much damage has been done to our top-level rugby by the loss of physical, hard-edged South African teams from Super Rugby.

If Argentina win again, there’s likely to be the sort of bitter hysteria we saw during the Ian Foster era: a vicious backlash against the coach.

But bagging Robertson the way some did Foster is pointless. The issues for the All Blacks go far beyond who’s the figurehead in the coaching chair.

The breakdown has become a key to winning tests against the best teams, and to do that you need, as well as determination and fire, bulk, strength, and hard-won experience.

Kiwi teams playing each other in Super Rugby Pacific – or facing the sadly struggling Aussies – is not the way to develop the steel needed to bully the Springboks, or, as we saw in Wellington, the Pumas, in the contest for the loose ball.

The harsh reality is that whoever the coach is, New Zealand rugby hasn’t developed a new horde of steely, battle-proven loose forwards like Jerome Kaino and Kieran Read who, at the 2015 World Cup (alongside the great Richie McCaw), had the measure of the Springboks loose forwards in that year’s toughest Cup game, the semifinal at Twickenham.

We need a much tougher Super competition. The really scary thing is that, having lost the South African teams, will we ever be able to get them back?

The All Blacks forwards do not have the power required to compete with South Africa's pack, writes Phil Gifford. Photo / Photosport

Play it again Sam

Sam Cane back in the All Blacks didn’t look highly likely after the horror of his red card in the World Cup final in Paris last year.

He actually does deserve more time in the All Blacks jersey, especially given the fact there isn’t a better head-on defender in the New Zealand game.

But it does illustrate the scarcity of blindside flankers. With Wallace Sititi not on the reserves bench, we now have, with Cane, Ardie Savea, Ethan Blackadder, and Dalton Papali’i, four openside flankers dotted around all three loose forward positions.

If that doesn’t work at Eden Park, calls for the return of Blues No 8 Hoskins Sotutu will get much louder. Sotutu had a very good Super Rugby Pacific campaign in the winning Blues side.

But will the question marks linger over his levels of concentration when playing at the highest level, the questions that saw him dropped from the All Blacks at the end of 2022, after the arrival of Jason Ryan as forwards coach for Ian Foster?

Hesitation blues

The retention of TJ Perenara is the most unexpected selection for the test at Eden Park.

Perenara’s tough, he’s lively, and he’s brave. But the reason Aaron Smith was always preferred ahead of him during Smith’s glittering All Blacks career was because Smith usually cleared the ball to his outsides the second it was available. Passing the ball as if it was a hand grenade with the pin pulled out has never been a feature of Perenara’s game.

In Wellington, the All Blacks struggled to get the better of the Pumas in close-quarter forward rumbles. Where the strike power lies in the All Blacks is out wide, and the crucial element for success with using your speedsters down the flanks has forever been getting the ball to them before the opposition have time to thicken up their rush defence.

In the current squad, the man who appeals for quick release the most is Cortez Ratima. As inexperienced as he is (three tests compared to Perenara’s 82), Ratima looked a very worthwhile punt for the Auckland test.

TJ Perenara retains his starting halfback jersey. Photo / Photosport

Hopefully not the end

One moment of folly in Wellington, when he foolishly slapped down a ball that bounced beautifully for Pumas’ wing Mateo Carreras to score a try, looks to have led to Sevu Reece being dropped from the New Zealand match-day squad.

I hope it’s not the end of Reece’s test career. He brings so much to his position, most notably a workrate so high that it would be acceptable for an openside flanker. Add in his speed, and footwork that often leaves potential tacklers foundering, and you’ve got a terrific package.

As costly as his brain snap was in the first test, he deserves the chance to prove in the future he can be relied on.

You think the All Blacks are up against it?

There’s plenty in rugby to occupy Kiwi minds at the moment, but spare a thought for the Wallabies, who, after a 33-7 hiding from South Africa in Brisbane, face the Springboks in Perth on Saturday night.

Boks coach Rassie Erasmus has been at pains to assure Aussie fans the second-string team he’s picked for the Perth test, with 10 changes from the starting XV in Brisbane, isn’t an insult.

My feeling is the Springboks will win, and he’ll be proven right. It’s not an insult if you win. There was outrage from some British journalists in 2005 when Sir Graham Henry changed the entire All Blacks starting 15 to face Ireland after a 41-3 win over Wales.

It vanished when the All Blacks beat Ireland 45-7.

Follow live updates of All Blacks v Argentina at nzherald.co.nz

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