Rugby: All Blacks magic man Ryan Crotty set to return

All Blacks Sonny Bill Williams and Ryan Crotty. Photo / Brett Phibbs.

It doesn't matter whether Ryan Crotty plays or not these days, his value to the All Blacks post-test shoots up either way.

Man of the match in Sydney against the Wallabies, rock solid and accurate the following week in Dunedin, Crotty delivered two Bledisloe Cup performances that were arguably world class.

Forced to miss last week's clash against the Pumas due to a head knock he suffered in Dunedin, he still managed to finish the week with his reputation enhanced.

The All Blacks missed Crotty in New Plymouth. It wasn't so much his direct running and firm tackling that they missed - it was more his communication, awareness and decision-making.

Rugby tends to be judged by the tangibles - the passes that stick, the lines that are run, the tackles that are made. But increasingly the intangibles are where the real difference is made.

Defences have become so good at shutting down space and piling on the pressure, that teams can only be effective on attack if they have multiple voices guiding the play makers.

A first-five needs the midfield to be offering real time guidance on where the threats lie.

And it was this that the All Blacks lacked against the Pumas. Argentina came off the line fast, swarmed Beauden Barrett, who seemed to be left to cope with that on his own.

"We saw how the Argentinians did it," said lock Brodie Retallick. "And Beaudy caught the brunt of it. But it is not really Beaudy's fault. It is what the boys are doing around him and we need to be better at communicating where the space is and give Beaudy the options."

Cue Crotty. That's one of the key skills he brings and just one of the reasons why he's expected to resume in the No 13 jersey this Saturday after a week off.

The All Blacks need his ability to not only see how the game is developing, but to effectively pass that information on to those around him.

They need his calm head to ensure that the risk-taking isn't overdone. Anton Lienert-Brown who played centre in New Plymouth is supremely gifted, but he is prone to pushing passes that aren't on.

He is adventurous and creative, but not always in the right places of the field and at the right times.

It could be a combination of his young age and relative lack of experience, but he's not thought to be as vocal as Crotty, not as confident about speaking up.

The All Blacks need that presence and wise head back in their midfield mix this week.

"The guys outside the first receiver have to feed in the comms to tell the guy looking at the ball [what is on]," says Crotty. "If the defender is coming hard then there is going to be space around him either side. Not all defenders react the same way. Maybe 10 can take a bit more depth and give himself more time especially if the ball is wet.

"That's why we train the little skills so much and why they are so important because they are the ones you have to execute when you are under the pressure of test match football.
That's why we train our passing techniques - being able to pass off both feet. The micro details that go with that are massively important. We all saw that on Saturday night. When we get it right it is the difference between scoring a try and creating a turnover. Those simple things are so important.

"As a centre, the best way I can help out is to let them know that the guys are coming hard and give them action words so to speak on what to do. It is about seeing where the opportunities are and then be able to communicate so you can take advantage."