The All Blacks celebrate Richie Mo'unga's try. Photo / Getty
The All Blacks celebrate Richie Mo'unga's try. Photo / Getty
OPINION:
Phil Gifford outlines seven talking points from a weekend in which the All Blacks laid down a Rugby Championship challenge.
The real deal
There’s been an All Blacks journey from whipping boys to national heroes before, when what began with tears in 2007 ended in the elation of WorldCup victory in 2011.
The first 20 minutes of the 35-20 rout of South Africa at Mt Smart contained rugby of such breathtaking quality it’s not one-eyed jingoism to believe this much maligned All Blacks side have found their groove.
The daring and speed the All Blacks opened with left Springboks behemoths deprived of oxygen and resilience, and screamed of self belief in the New Zealand ranks.
All Blacks coach Ian Foster was at pains after the game to suggest not too much should be read into the victory.
The World Cup, he pointed out, is a different creature, and he’s right. When the knockout stage is reached anything can happen. In Japan in 2019 the All Blacks beat the Springboks in pool play, but South Africa went on to win the Cup.
Good on Foster for staying grounded, but in the fever of Saturday night that quiet clicking sound was surely pieces of the All Blacks machine slotting into place.
Even in a test where so many All Blacks played with massive freedom and confidence Shannon Frizell’s rampaging effort stood out.
He carried over the tireless work ethic he displayed in Mendoza against the Pumas, and added a fierceness that poor Willie le Roux, the Springboks fullback, may find himself reliving in nightmares. In the 15th minute Frizell swatted aside le Roux as if the talented South African was an annoying sandfly, and dotted the ball down for a try.
Frizell has found his inner beast at exactly the right time in the World Cup cycle.
Where there’s a Will
Will Jordan’s return to test rugby was a reminder that in a sport sometimes dominated by size and power, there’s still a place for someone whose genius lies in skill, speed, and an innate gift for reading a game.
Jordan’s chess master ability to somehow recognise an opening two or three moves ahead can’t be coached, and nor can his speed of reflex.
After the game he cheerfully noted that his 68th-minute try, when he bobbled the ball in the air before scoring, was “not the most clinical I’ve ever scored”, but it did demonstrate clear thinking under pressure.
For a stunning example of his tactical awareness, look no further than the way in the fifth minute he sent Aaron Smith on the way to score a try for the ages.
Will Jordan launching another attack. Photo / Getty
Talking of chess masters
Timing matters so much in sporting careers, and Richie Mo’unga showed at Mt Smart how ready he is to steer the All Blacks around the park at the Cup.
The bonus was that his goalkicking was as precise as his game management. How fortunate the All Blacks are to have not only Mo’unga and Beauden Barrett in excellent form, but also the luxury of the game breaking Damian McKenzie waiting in the wings.
Stars in his eyes
There’s rarely been an All Black so open and honest about his test debut as front rower Tamaiti Williams was on Saturday night.
The first time the 22-year-old had packed against a South African prop was at Mt Smart. When Williams began playing Super Rugby in 2021 the South African teams had just left.
Referee Mathieu Raynal awarded a penalty to the All Blacks in Williams’ first scrum. What did Nepo Laulala or Williams do to win the kick? “I don’t know,” said Williams. “I was seeing stars from the pressure in the scrum.”
Not so much born as hewn from stone
It was almost inevitable that the first Springboks try in their second-half fightback would be scored by replacement hooker Malcolm Marx, a man so tough looking his photo could be used as a threat to misbehaving children.
He adds so much when he’s subbed on the question for the Boks must surely be whether they should start him from the first whistle.
Worries for Fast Eddie
The Wallabies, as a Sydney journalist noted, shot themselves in both feet in their 34-31 loss to Argentina at Parramatta Stadium.
Their discipline was woeful, and things won’t get easier, with the All Blacks facing them in Melbourne in a fortnight.
It’s a fascinating time for Jones. As gifted a coach as he is, his teams usually don’t start to crumble until the second or third year, as players are driven to distraction by his obsessive texts and furious phone calls.
By and large his sides aren’t rubbish in his first year. Could Eddie’s spin cycle of doom be speeding up?
