In a season where optimism has only flickered, a controlled, destructive and patient victory over the world’s bestteam has generated a powerful belief that the All Blacks are reawakening and are capable of consistent rather than sporadic brilliance.
Dublin, rated these days a tougher venue to win than Ellis Park, proved to be a happy rather than a haunting hunting ground for the All Blacks who produced a statement performance that was not as epic or as polished as the one they delivered to beat Ireland at the World Cup, but was just as important in the context of establishing the credentials of the respective coaching regimes.
Winning in Dublin is proof that the All Blacks have not gone backwards in the last year and provides a basis to be confident that Scott Robertson’s side are building on the foundations left by Ian Foster.
For much of the year, there has been a little uncertainty about the All Blacks. They have been a mad mix of good and bad, composed and yet wild, assured and yet frantic and it has made it impossible to know whether they are on the verge of blossoming into something special or destined to be forever confused and erratic.
But now the balance has swung in favour of seeing this All Blacks team as one which is building a greater sense of itself, a deeper understanding of how they want to play, and a collective belief and knowledge that they know how to withstand pressure and inflict it.
There was a six-minute period after halftime when they were playing with 14 men and barely able to resist Ireland’s power surge that saw them score their only try through Josh van de Flier.
They were in danger of being swept away at that point but found the resolve to reverse the momentum and deflate the Irish with a series of big plays where they pulled off turnovers, made thumping tackles and strung together fluid passages.
Confidence in themselves, in one another and the game plan were the rocks on which the All Blacks leant.
There was nothing wildly clever or innovative about the way they went about their business, but in many respects that was what made it so satisfying.
Damian McKenzie spends time with supporters. Photo / Photosport
This was a test won on the back of adhering to classic tenets that so much of international rugby is still determined, such as the efficacy of the set piece, the handling of the micro-moments, the quality and consistency of the defence and the astuteness of the game management.
New Zealand, against most predictions, were better at retaining the ball. They were better at knowing in which parts of the field to play and they were, by some margin, more accurate, more fluid and more certain about how they wanted to play.
They out-scrummaged Ireland, picked off plenty of their lineout ball and even delivered a better kicking game.
Ireland’s only solid footing in the game came from their ability to slow New Zealand’s ruck ball.
The pack got back to looking and playing like an All Blacks pack and behind them, Damian McKenzie looked every inch the sort of composed, astute game manager the coaching panel have been desperately hoping he can become.
This was his night. He was under constant siege from an Irish defensive line that was in his face, and yet his nerve never failed him.
He kept his game simple and sharp. When he was surrounded by green shirts he took the contact – the need to try the impossible passing him by.
And most importantly, with only one poor decision to try to counter-attack from a long Irish clearing kick, McKenzie used his boot to keep putting the pressure back on Ireland.
“D Mac trusted his instinct and it was a hell of a night for him. Great off the boot,” said Robertson. The net result is that this was a performance that changed the complexion of the season.
It gave credence to Robertson’s conviction that his team have been growing into their new systems under a new coaching regime and that’s largely been why most of the work to date has been promising but patchy.
The earlier losses to South Africa can now, in good conscience, be attributed to a lack of connection between the players and the game plan rather than a failure of the game plan itself.
Game by game since those back-to-back defeats in South Africa, the All Blacks have found a little more fluidity and whereas it has felt at times this year that the All Blacks have been living off counter-attacks and instinctive plays, this was a win manufactured through strategic nous, set-piece dominance and the control, poise and accuracy that flowed through McKenzie.
A future that looked hazy at best is starting to feel, now that the All Blacks have won three from three on this tour, decidedly brighter.
