Rugby: All Blacks work on 'response' to twin opensides

The piucture tells the story. Australian players celebrate Nic White's decisive late try in Sydney. Photo / AP

There's nothing like a loss to sharpen the minds of the All Blacks.

Historically, that has led to a "response", as Robbie Deans was wont to say.

Wallaby coach Michael Cheika pulled something of a masterstroke with the dual selection of fetchers Michael Hooper and David Pocock.

We know both are strong over the ball, but it was their ability to slow down swift All Black ball, something that is fundamental to their game plan, that was telling in Sydney.

How the All Blacks combat that twin threat at Eden Park on Saturday will go a long way to deciding the test.

Those with a historical appreciation of rugby will know that twice in the past seven years the All Blacks have backed up insipid or downright poor displays in Sydney with emphatic ripostes at their Eden Park fortress just seven days later.

In 2008, Graham Henry was under severe heat after the Wallabies and Deans had engineered a 34-19 shellacking. The "response" was an astonishing 44-point swing in a 39-10 shutout, with a returning Richie McCaw and a towering Jimmy Cowan display leading the way. Last season, the All Blacks huffed and puffed to a 12-12 stalemate in Sydney before uncorking a 51-20 blast a week later.

Had you heard the media inquiries yesterday, you might have felt the All Black pack was to blame for all the woes of Saturday's 27-19 defeat in Sydney, rather than, say, the clearly poor outings for numbers 9-10-12. The scrum and the tackling were scrutinised, as were the collision areas.

The breakdown was top of the agenda and while McCaw again toiled manfully in that key area, the All Blacks acknowledge that they were not physical enough.

"We just need to get our roles right around the breakdown, and react and get there quicker than the Aussies. If we can do that, we can play a bit more rugby," said lock Brodie Retallick, who will not be happy with aspects of his game, notably shelling the opening kickoff.

"It's been a good, honest review, just like any other week where we have a few things we have to get right for the weekend. After a loss, it's obviously easy to pick out the things we didn't get right. Every week we try and look at that, but I guess we got a few more things wrong. But there were also some good patches," Retallick added, perhaps referring to the sterling debut of right wing Nehe Milner-Skudder.

The breakdown is a vital cog in achieving the expansive All Black style, but the team have yet to dominate there in four tests going back to Apia.

"It's an honest reflection. It's something we've talked about, but it hasn't happened, so we need to make a mind shift and make sure it happens this week," said Retallick.

Easier said than done when the Wallaby experiment of a two-pronged breakdown offensive of Pocock and Hooper worked so effectively.

Flanker Liam Messam ran the water on Saturday and will be itching to play, though the lineout ability of Victor Vito and Jerome Kaino works against his selection. He could see where the breakdown issues were, and feels the All Blacks need to switch on with the right attitude to win that battle.

"We just need to be more physical. It's pretty simple. The Wallabies were outstanding there. We got beaten to the punch and we, as an All Blacks pack, need to be more physical. They were messing our ball up, so we need to get the ball we want for our game.

"It's key to any game of footy, be it test, ITM Cup, Super Rugby. You have to be able to retain your ball. It's a fundamental," said Messam, who shrugged off concerns whether he can still make this World Cup squad, having missed in 2011 and 2007.