Quick fix for dodgy defence

SYDNEY - Coach John Mitchell offered no reason for the All Blacks' shoddy defence against Wales.

"We had some defensive lapses, but I'd rather focus on the positives," he said.

"We can fix those things very quickly. We'll take bits and pieces out of our performance and gain enormously from that."

The positives, according to Mitchell, were a good start and the surging last 20 minutes where the All Black pack, and particularly replacement prop Kees Meeuws, provided the fast, go-forward ball they needed.

But the middle period of the match was of major concern, the All Blacks conceding 24 unanswered points as the Welsh tiptoed, stepped, chipped and powered their way through the defence around the ruck.

The All Blacks missed 36 of their 160 attempted tackles.

Four tries were the result, something that halfback Justin Marshall said would need to be remedied, and quickly.

"We haven't been tested like that to date," Marshall said.

"We had a few issues with their quick recycling of the ball. We weren't getting ourselves into the right positions on defence. Subsequently, we were stretched a little bit with their quick recycles.

"We will learn a lot about the way we have to defend against sides that can recycle the ball quickly."

The 37 points conceded was the fourth-highest total New Zealand have let through in a test, and 20 more than they have ever allowed Wales to score against them in 20 meetings.

The biggest question remains over the tight five, an area the Springboks are sure to attack.

"We've been in need of a test match like that at this tournament for some time," Mitchell said. "It's ideal for us. It's ideal that it comes this week."

Wales coach Steve Hansen said the All Blacks would bounce back from their scare.

"I'm sure that they would welcome the game. In the end they won it and they will be very pleased with the intensity of the match.

"It's been difficult for them to cruise through averaging 70 points a game. They haven't had any pressure put on them at all at set-piece time, nor defensively.

"Obviously they'll want to get better at set-pieces and tighten up their defence."

Hansen will return to New Zealand rugby when his Wales contract finishes midway through next year.

He undoubtedly won the battle of the coaches on Sunday night, unlocking ways to beat the All Blacks.

"At the end of the day we didn't win the game, that's the frustrating part," he said.

"[But] in realistic terms, you have to be proud of what they did.

"They've come a long way in a short time and it just proves that what we're doing back home is working. We'll just get a few more of those negative people back on our side."

Hansen said the difference came in the final quarter-hour where his players did not have a background of hard matches.



"We ran out of a bit of petrol due to the fact that we don't play to that intensity week in, week out.

"That's why we've fought so hard to get the changes back home, to get the regional rugby going. The big thing for us now is to back it up. We've got to do the same on Sunday against England [quarter-final at Brisbane]."

- NZPA