By WYNNE GRAY
PARIS - The All Blacks play a traditional style of rugby and soon after a game are conventionally reticent to dip into any controversy.
But the day after a test, they usually talk more frankly about issues, and for the All Blacks, the major topics after their 39-26 win against France were referee Wayne Erickson and the scrums.
There was no official comment about Erickson's work, but there was private mention of the pressure that referees feel and how inhibited they have become because they are being assessed at each test match by IRB officials.
That assessment meant they had to enforce all the laws according to the regulations or risk getting a low rating, demotion and loss of income.
While the All Blacks sympathised with that predicament, they noticed a huge difference in Erickson before the game and the official who controlled the Armistice Day test. Before the match he had been carefree and approachable, but once the test started he resisted any consultation.
There is a perception in his native Australia that Erickson, as a former front rower, believes he understands scrummaging more than other officials. He zeroes in on that part of the game to the detriment of other areas, and often does not make the right judgments.
Like most international sides, the All Blacks would like to engage in scrums when they and the opposition felt ready, not at the referee's request. They feel that would help to eliminate the swag of early scrum penalties which seem to litter tests.
Erickson's zeal impacted most on the All Blacks in their scrums, where they had two new props, twin loose forward changes and a replacement lock after 30 minutes.
They could not get comfortable, and by the end, were in disarray.
There are no prizes for guessing where much of the All Blacks' work will be channelled this week in the run up to the second test in Marseilles. Forwards' coach Tony Gilbert will be fully employed.
"From the very first scrum I felt their loosehead was allowed to bind illegally," Gilbert said yesterday. "That affected our tighthead's ability to keep the scrum up, so we had to over-compensate, and we got caught for lifting a couple of times.
"This affects the stability of the scrum immediately.
"About 10 minutes after halftime I think we loosened up at the scrum in terms of our gripping and setting, and as the intensity of the game increased I think the calls from the referee became a little inconsistent and we could not hit early," Gilbert said.
"It is a chicken and egg thing. If we had set earlier we would have been able to go on our own, which is something you have got to respond to without the referee. It is our problem that we did not get our calls going properly."
A lack of test experience from props Greg Somerville, Greg Feek and even Gordon Slater when he came off the bench, contributed to the malaise.
They were not able to respond regularly to the problems.
Earlier this year, Somerville was given a lesson in propping tricks by the Brumbies in the Super 12, but by the final had analysed and absorbed the problems to counter. That progress was the aim for the second test in Marseilles.
"Oddly enough, this test was probably a good experience for us, but not so good for France because they were not able to capitalise," Gilbert said.
He sent messages to his front row during the test to take their time and to encourage their persistence.
Those reminders will be getting plenty of attention this week.
Norm Maxwell had 10 stitches and Daryl Gibson eight to close head wounds after their collision in the test. A scan cleared Jonah Lomu of any cheekbone fracture and all three will be available for the second test.
href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=159627&thesection=Story&thesubsection=&reportID=56528">Test schedule/scoreboard
Pressure goes on test props
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