All Black loose forward Jerome Kaino. Photo / Brett Phibbs
All Black loose forward Jerome Kaino. Photo / Brett Phibbs
All Blacks selector Grant Fox is channeling Piri Weepu and urging an anxious rugby nation to "keep calm".
The former match-winning goalkicker admitted he was "frustrated" over elements of New Zealand's struggling 43-10 win over Georgia in Cardiff this morning which secured the All Blacks a quarter final position butdid little to soothe growing anxiety at home over whether the All Blacks can successfully defend the World Cup trophy.
"Don't panic, and also pay some respect to what his happening at this World Cup," was Fox's message to the nation when quizzed by Newstalk ZB sports host Tony Veitch only hours after the match at the Millennium Stadium.
"We've got to be careful where we go to from here," he cautioned.
"If anything this World Cup has seen the emergence of the smaller nations as stronger forces in the world game and that's a good thing going forward.
"Something we're not very good in doing in New Zealand is actually paying respect to the opposition we play. And Georgia were very good."
Malakai Fekitoa offloads against Georgia. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Fox agreed the All Blacks' uncharacteristic handling errors were a concern but felt it was individuals not taking enough responsibility and that New Zealand was also guilty of "trying to play the match in too much of a hurry".
Fox revealed the All Blacks brain trust had slightly altered the game structure against Georgia in a bid to keep rival nations guessing.
"We very deliberately went to another structure because it's something we've been looking at trying.
"What we did in the first few games was quite prescriptive and a lot of sides would have said 'Ok, we've seen that, what else have they got'. We went somewhere else tonight and it's the first time we've done it.
"And it's not majorly different but it's subtly different. There were parts of it that were good and parts of it that didn't go quite so well."
Fox said the coaching staff will review the playing structure changes and decide "which was the better of the two - or do we mix them up a little bit to make sure the opponents are struggling to get a handle on where we are going to go".
He also felt the physical approach taken by Georgia and New Zealand's earlier Pool C opponents Argentina and Namibia had not been given due appreciation by All Blacks fans and had done the defending champions a favour.
"Yes, we made some errors, and we did some good things as well. But if people were worried we might not get the sort of physical contests we needed to prepare for the quarter finals, well I think that in all three games so far, physically we are getting well prepared for a quarter final."
