Sam Whitelock's ability to turn the ball over at lineouts and in the breakdown is invaluable for the All Blacks. Photo / Photosport
Sam Whitelock's ability to turn the ball over at lineouts and in the breakdown is invaluable for the All Blacks. Photo / Photosport
OPINION:
This was the finest win of the Ian Foster era. One of the darkest periods in All Blacks history sparking a defiant, expansive victory which underlined (to misquote Mark Twain) that rumours of their demise were greatly exaggerated.
The key word: expansive. Amid all the unanswered questions – themain one concerning Foster's future – is whether the All Blacks can afford to play their attacking/counter-attacking style at the World Cup.
It worked this time because the All Blacks had sound set pieces, they won the breakdowns and quick ball, the aerial game, and kicked for territory much better.
But the recipe for beating them remains: attack in scrums and lineouts, overpower and slow them at the breakdown, stifle them with defensive line speed, accurate kicking for territory and aerial retrieval, plus rolling mauls. In their last seven tests against quality opposition, that approach has resulted in five losses and two wins; 166 points for, 192 against.
It was noticeable in Sunday morning's win against the Springboks that the forwards often aimed a little more up the middle of the park in the close-quarters stuff, a tactic that gave them more go-forward and helped to win quicker ball at the breakdown.
Turnovers have been key in recent tests, where the All Blacks have consistently been outdone by opposition jackals snaffling turnover ball at the breakdown.
Ireland and South Africa (in the first test) were more dynamic at the breakdown, claiming the momentum so that the All Blacks' poachers were seen off the reserve, so to speak. But it runs deeper than that.
The Northern Hemisphere has generally been better at developing tight forwards who can burgle ball as well. Springboks hooker Malcolm Marx frustrated the All Blacks with several steals at the ruck last week. Against Ireland, it was flanker Josh van der Flier, yes, but also a bravura turnover performance by Irish lock Tadhg Beirne that helped hog-tie the New Zealanders.
Sam Whitelock's ability to turn the ball over at lineouts and in the breakdown is invaluable for the All Blacks. Photo / Photosport
At this point, it's fitting to mention Sam Whitelock, a man who should have the word "great" permanently prefixed to his name. Whitelock pulled off three key turnovers against South Africa, the last directly leading to Scott Barrett's match-sealing try. In his 136th test, the 33-year-old won lineouts, tackled his heart out and was a force at the breakdown. Those turnovers, plus two from Ardie Savea, helped win the game.
Why are turnovers so important? Because Foster's All Blacks have often failed at the breakdown and, as we saw against South Africa, they can make the difference.
A year ago, Ian Foster's All Blacks beat Fiji, 57-23. The margin flattered the All Blacks and it did not go unnoticed that Fiji had topped them in the turnover count. To be fair, neither Savea nor Sam Cane played; the All Blacks had Ethan Blackadder at 7, Shannon Frizell at 6 and Hoskins Sotutu at 8. Blackadder won four turnovers – but only one at the breakdown. Fiji won 13, nine of them at the breakdown, with blindside flanker Johnny Dyer claiming four.
Asked about Fiji's breakdown superiority, Foster said: "If we want to play at the tempo we want, we have to keep improving in that space." Not much has changed, has it? In fact, the All Blacks are now regarded as beatable at the breakdown.
The good news for All Blacks fans is that this can be rectified, and pretty quickly. It's a coaching job (no matter who is coaching) and a case of the players getting it right on the day, as against South Africa.
First step: a change of attitude. In recent times, the All Blacks – welded to their attacking gospel of getting it wide – have been more style than substance. It's as if they look down their noses at the comparatively unattractive hard graft that wins test matches.
This misplaced philosophy sits alongside stubborn resistance to using drop goals to win matches. For many years, it was regarded as a lesser thing; something you turned to when you didn't have tryscoring talent.
Winning with style trumps mere winning. True. Losing trying to be stylish, however, just looks disorganised.
Could Jordie Barrett's boot be a secret weapon for the All Blacks at the 2023 World Cup? Photo / Photosport
This weekend's test is not the only time All Blacks forwards have shown the virtue of straight running "up the guts". At the 2019 World Cup, when England was rudely pushing the All Blacks out the door, they reverted to pick-and-go and some old-fashioned, up-the-middle stuff for 15-20 minutes. They looked good, made ground and sucked in England defenders. The same thing happened during last year's defeat by France. But that style of play has been rarely seen since.
In Jordie Barrett they also have one of the longest range goalkickers in the world, capable of goals from well within his own half. The All Blacks barely use him like that, yet the scoreboard pressure he could exert is considerable. You have to think we will see that in the World Cup.
Foster was dead right – the All Blacks were on the cusp of "something special". But by its very definition, "special" denotes something out of the ordinary. The All Blacks must now either make the special commonplace without being ambushed by rush defences – no easy feat and subject to upset – and/or they must ensure they have the forward grunt that wins the breakdown, freeing the jackals.
