Six talking points as the World Cup finally nears the quarter-finals.
Strange days, indeed
It was almost a throwaway remark by Justin Marshall when he suggested Scott Robertson had been asked to stay away from All Blacks games in France. But it spotlighted how bizarre the current circumstances are whena World Cup coach, in this case Ian Foster, knows that even winning the Cup won’t prevent him from losing his job.
A gold-standard source assured me during the week that Marshall’s story was entirely accurate.
Not every All Blacks coach is free of paranoia. I was in a group of Kiwi journalists who once huddled nervously under a spider-infested stand at Ballymore because Laurie Mains wanted to make sure no Aussie reporters would hear what he had to say.
It’s true we have a unique situation in 2023. For the last two decades, World Cup All Blacks coaches have worked as assistants before they took charge - Steve Hansen from Graham Henry, then Ian Foster from Hansen. They weren’t just watching the games, they were inside the All Blacks’ camp.
I can understand entirely why Foster might not want Robertson at a training run, or chatting over coffee with Crusaders in the All Blacks’ hotel.
But in the stand with his wife? In a crowd of more than 50,000 people? What possible harm could come from that?
To a certain degree. After the first quarter, there was only one team in it. Sixty minutes of test rugby, virtually without a hiccup, is impressive even against a team ranked way outside the top tier.
Doomsayers will look to the first 20 minutes, when Uruguay were competitive and the All Blacks gave away some silly penalties, but can you imagine the fire and brimstone that would have been unleashed if they had struggled, as France did against Uruguay, to just a 27-15 win? I don’t recall a flood of comments then saying that France had been revealed as paper tigers.
There’s enough evidence from the last two thrashings the All Blacks have administered to suggest there’s no need to believe in unicorns to feel the All Blacks’ quarter-final next weekend will be a hell of a game. There’s not remotely a guarantee of an All Blacks win, but if you’re coaching Ireland or South Africa you know the game with New Zealand will be a battle.
The biggest worry?
By quite a long way, the injury to Tyrel Lomax.
You might have hoped all his bad luck was delivered by stray South African cleats slicing open his thigh at Twickenham.
Tyrel Lomax was injured early in the All Blacks' win over Uruguay. Photo / Photosport
Who was to know that just eight minutes into the game at Lyon he’d be limping off the field with a knee injury? It isn’t just that Lomax has performed outstandingly at tighthead in the scrums this year. He’s a force in general play, with hands that rarely drop a pass.
Having Lomax and Ethan de Groot back as starting props would be another lift for a team already on an upward path.
Mack the knife
Damian McKenzie must surely be somewhere in the match day 23 next weekend in Paris.
With all that open ground to play with at fullback, he was a firecracker in footy boots against Uruguay. Of course, in the quarter-final there won’t be the freedom he was afforded in Lyon.
But the best defenders in the world wouldn’t have been able to deal with the brilliant inside slap he produced to send Will Jordan away for a 32nd minute try. That’s the sort of intuitive brilliance that’s produced when an All Blacks team is on song. Amongst the powerhouse rugby nations, only France can offer such flair.
Work that needs to be rewarded
Talking about the match day 23, Leicester Fainga’anuku has to be in the mix too. What elevates him into the elite wingers in the game is his work rate, which makes many openside flankers look a little slothful.
Leicester Fainga'anuku impressed against Uruguay. Photo / Photosport
Fainga’anuku scored three tries, but possibly even more impressive was how he popped up on both sides of the field, making tackles and helping to clear out rucks. It’s the sort of energy that another Kiwi, James Lowe, brings to his role as a wing for Ireland.
Good luck to a champion
Every good wish to France’s brilliant captain Antoine Dupont, who won’t know until Monday whether his devastating facial injury will have healed enough for him to play in the quarter-finals.
If the All Blacks progress to a point where they play France, no Dupont would be a huge bonus for New Zealand. But he’s such an extraordinary player, for the sake of the tournament itself, even to Kiwi fan, it’d be devastating if he’s ruled out.
