Australians spot a weakness in All Black Read's angles

Wallaby players are jubilant after their win over South Africa. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Could one of New Zealand's biggest strengths over the past two seasons, the defensive work of Kieran Read and Richie McCaw, be turned into a weakness against the Wallabies tomorrow night?

Matt Giteau this week pointed to the lateral defence of New Zealand's back row off the scrum as something the Wallabies have noted and worked to their advantage in the past.

Exhibit A was the try conceded against Argentina in the quarter-final. From a scrum 52m from the All Blacks line, Read and McCaw split off to the open side, but Read drifted too far.

He was badly exposed when Leonardo Senatore cut back and beat him on the inside. Forced to turn and chase, McCaw uncharacteristically slipped off Senatore also.

A few nice pairs of hands later and Julio Farias Cabello was over in the corner.

Giteau saw parallels to last year's Bledisloe Cup in Hong Kong.

"I think it's a bit of a trait of his," he told Sky Sport about Read's tendency to drift too far. "There was a try we scored last year where Ben McCalman did the same. They over-chased, Richie McCaw went out to James O'Connor. McCalman stepped Read, offloaded and we scored early.

"It's something he needs to be wary of."

Read and McCaw have been longtime defensive kingpins for the All Blacks but the error was so fundamental it raised fears that Read's left ankle was still bothering him, much the same way McCaw's right foot has been exhaustively analysed.

Former All Black back-rower Taine Randell said it was just a simple piece of "naive" defending and there was nothing systemic the All Blacks had to worry about.

"That's a standard defensive alignment. The flanker goes wide, leaving the No 8 to take the opposition No 8. Basically Read just missed a tackle.

"You can have the best defensive systems in the world and if you miss tackles, it's no good."

In yesterday's Herald, legendary No 8 Wayne Shelford noted the error and wondered whether the back-row trio was still feeling their way back into test rugby.

"Partly due to injuries, the co-ordination isn't quite right yet," he wrote. "There is only a metre in getting things right or wrong at that level."