KEY POINTS:
One of the good things to come out of this World Cup so far is the so-called smaller playing nations are putting up a real fight.
Perhaps it's only that the superior fitness of the stronger teams is coming through in the last 20 minutes and the underdogs
haven't been able to hold on towards the end.
Their efforts have all been based around defence and I think it comes back to something I've been keeping an eye on in all grades of rugby right from kids, club level right up to the World Cup.
The offside line is being pushed to the limit and I think the referees need to worry about getting tough on this problem rather than about any other rule.
That would help teams be able to move the ball a lot more; there's hardly a game you watch where the defensive team doesn't camp in an offside position.
I don't think there would be any team that's not a foot or two in front of the last man's feet at the ruck and maul situation. I know it's hard to police, but if it was decided all players had to be a metre back then the game would be better off.
On our own front, while some people might say there's very little for the All Blacks to get out of their next game against Portugal, any game is better than a training run as you have a proper opposition and the team can put moves into practice if they want to show anything at this stage.
They can practice things in scrums, lineouts, set phases and backline moves and there's a lot you can gain from that. The biggest hurdle any team faces when you're rated much higher than the other team is not let your standards drop to their level and that's the challenge.
You don't have to go too easy on their scrum, you can still push them back two metres without overdoing it. It's just all about disciplines and what should happen in any game.
We've said right from the start that the pool New Zealand is in isn't the strongest but if you look at the other pools there's probably not much difference. Italy should've been stronger and had two wins in the 6 Nations, Wales and Fiji are in Australia's pool and now everyone is saying they're not that strong either.
The things that could come back and bite the All Blacks now are only taking three locks and that is starting to hurt a bit now, plus a few worries around who is best to start at centre.
Why Isaia Toeava wasn't played there in the first game we don't know and in naming him on the wing against Portugal perhaps shows the selectors are not confident enough in him at centre.
Graham Henry has come out in the past and said he doesn't like playing two young guys in Luke McAlister and Toeava together which is fair enough, but with Aaron Mauger making his first start at second five they could've given Toeava a go but also with Conrad Smith back to fitness they would've wanted a look at him.
* Former All Black player and coach Alex 'Grizz' Wylie is writing columns for nzherald.co.nz during the Rugby World Cup
