Richard Loe: All Blacks scrum needs more work

The ABs scrum wasn't up to scratch. Photo / Getty Images

I wouldn't be too hard on the All Blacks for that rather disappointing second half, the handling errors and so on. They did do a lot of things right and showed that if they can get the ball out wide they are capable of scoring almost at will.

But what was really disappointing for me was the set pieces and the scrum in particular. When have we ever seen Tonga deliberately choose to pack down a scrum against the All Black pack? What's more, they eventually scored from it.

The disappointment is that the All Blacks have sent a signal to their World Cup opponents that does them no favours. They have basically said to rivals: if you want to beat the All Blacks, have a go at them up front, retain the ball and attack in close. Believe me, they will all have noticed that.

The All Blacks, with their counter-attacking skills, would rather have teams attacking them wider - but that is not the course of action that became obvious to their opponents during the match against Tonga.

I think Steve Hansen, forwards coach, and Mike Cron, scrum coach, have a lot of work to do. I can remember in 1987, ahead of the match against Scotland, that Grizz Wyllie put us through a scrummaging session from hell. It was so intense (the Scots had a good scrum) that both John Drake and Gary Whetton pulled out. I and Albert Anderson came in and if we didn't do 100 scrums, then it was damned close to it.

Worked, too. The All Blacks just had the wood on the Scottish scrum that day. I am not saying the All Blacks need to do that kind of intense scrummaging training. But they need to lift their game in the set pieces.

Part of the problem was that the referee, George Clancy, was guessing a lot. He then became highly pedantic, trying to iron things out. It was another example of the way today's referees have altogether too much to do with the scrum engagement, in my opinion, and get too fussy about the actual contact.

Having said all of that, I thought individual forwards played well in other phases - Jerome Kaino was very good value, Tony Woodcock did well for 45 minutes but he really still needs more rugby. Give him more time. Andrew Hore had a good game at hooker and got a turnover or two.

But if there is a word to describe what the All Blacks need in their scrum and close contact work, it is 'crispness'. The ball was getting out of the scrum only slowly; the All Blacks did not distribute it well. At the rucks and mauls, there is too much of this keeping the ball at the feet while the halfbacks wave at people and organise their shopping list.

I am also not a fan of the step-step-pass regime that top halfbacks seem to favour these days. I know specialists like Justin Marshall insist that the steps are needed for the halfbacks to be able to assess options.

But I am still of the belief that the first five is your eyes. He will tell the halfback when he wants the ball and quick ball is always far more damaging to defenders. If you delay and wave your hands at your support runners, like Piri Weepu and Jimmy Cowan both do, it also enables the defence to gather itself.

I thought Ma'a Nonu had a big game, Sonny Bill Williams had a big first half, and Israel Dagg is now my choice at fullback. Isaia Toeava had absolutely no excuse for the pass he dropped from a perfectly good Sonny Bill offload. You can't afford that stuff at this level.

I think the All Blacks have to play their top 22 now, against Japan, although maybe one or two might be spelled for this one. They need to get into a good space ahead of France - and that might mean another game for Israel Dagg, who continues to impress, and might also mean that Mils Muliaina dies in the hole, so to speak, on 98 or 99 tests for the All Blacks.