All Blacks' two massive strategic failures prove costly in record loss

The All Blacks decided to throw the kitchen sink at the Boks in Wellington but unfortunately for Scott Robertson it smashed on the kitchen floor, with a late capitulation ending with the worst ever loss in All Black history.

From a New Zealand perspective, the game is a tale of two periods, the first 50 minutes which was a contest, and the last 30 that wasn’t up to standards for Test rugby.

There was a clear deviation in the game plan from what worked last week, instead opting for a wide-wide game plan with all three loose forwards out in the flanks and a passing game to stretch the opposition.

Springbok captain Siya Kolisi previews the Rugby Championship face-off with the All Blacks

Springbok captain Siya Kolisi previews the Rugby Championship face-off with the All Blacks

The All Blacks’ attack attempted to go around the Boks, at times taking 20-25 metres backwards to swing the ball to the edge to get forward. For short periods this worked, most notably in the first half with some of the best passage of attack the All Blacks have had under Robertson.

Debutant Leroy Carter, the best back on the night, finished off a multi-phase passage for the opening try. This was promising endeavour and showed that the outside space offered by South Africa can be exploited in this way.

However, the All Blacks haven’t played like this for a long time and there was significant rust in this approach.

Static passing to first receivers and balls not hitting runners at pace, pods not playing square enough which allowed the defence to eat space and not commit to ball players. Draw and pass skills were below par at times.

On a double miss pass to Billy Proctor coming out of their 22, he palmed off Canan Moodie which forced Kolbe to come in and close. It was a tight channel outside, but instead of finding a way to set the unmarked Leroy Carter free, he tried to bump Kolbe and failed. The next time round he again failed to draw and pass and was played like a fiddle with Kolbe intercepting him with a potential try on offer.

Proctor has always been a defensive-minded centre that hasn’t shown the touch in this area of his game. When trying to bump Kolbe the ball was tucked and fore arm cocked and so the Bok winger knew what was coming. The second time round Proctor loaded up his pass so early that Kolbe knew what was coming.

After a Mannie Libbok bomb that went out on the full, the All Blacks ran a wide play off the launch. Under pressure, Proctor cut back inside and was pinned and turned with no support.

Outside of him McKenzie had the last man Ethan Hooker, right wing Will Jordan was unmarked and Beauden Barrett was wrapping around. The moment called for fast hands to the open space to the open man and Proctor’s decision was again the wrong one.

He wasn’t the only back to have moments like this. Early on Beauden Barrett had a massive overlap building against retreating defenders and cut back to carry. The Boks escaped with a knock down in the tackle on the next phase. Late in the game Barrett and McKenzie made poor kick decisions as blinkers went on.

This wasn’t the only tactical change that made for an ‘all in’ high risk strategy. The All Blacks decided to revive their counter attacking instincts of old and tried to launch from anywhere and everywhere after turnovers, even when not under advantage.

A missed touch finder by Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu was sent across the the All Blacks own in-goal in search of something. It ended with Leroy Carter having to put in a kick that failed to find touch, allowing the Springboks to return and attack some more.

An Ardie Savea clean steal at the ruck inside his own 22 was propelled through the hands to the right side into the hands of Beauden Barrett. Instead of a hoof downfield from the first touch, the All Blacks wanted to run. Barrett left it late to kick, despite a promising three on two, and it was partially charged and knocked on by Wallace Sititi trying to catch it.

Again, there was no effective exit and they were left back defending with the Boks in good territory and possession.

That the All Blacks wanted to play high tempo and return to the style of old is overall a good thing, they just didn’t have the polish nor skill level to do it. They had many overlaps, many situations to take advantage of the numbers but were so badly out of touch they couldn’t do it.

The first attack shape of the second half ended with Ardie Savea’s pass floating metres forward to Proctor on the wing. From that scrum, the replacement Bok front row won a penalty advantage, Kolisi made a break up the middle from a pick and go, and Kolbe scored in the corner.

The scrum got wheeled so the entire pack weren’t able to reset the defensive line. Which indicated another problem, the pack from Eden Park looked tired and gassed.

A valid criticism of Scott Robertson is that he hasn’t managed to figure out the optimal way to manage his squads through an international season. He tends to pick and stick and play his top side continually. The only changes tend to come through injuries. In this day and age, it is a risk.

The Eden Park Test was a physical war up front and it required a lot from the pack. It would require even more for them to deliver again. Scott Barrett looked tired the entire game. Tupou Vaa’i waned after the half hour mark and Ardie Savea, as good as he was in the first half, also waned.

The All Blacks bench was inexperienced and below par, particularly the front row who could not hold up the scrum or complete a lineout.

Had more fresh legs started the game, Pasilio Tosi, Luke Jacobson, Samipeni Finau, Du’Plessis Kirifi or Peter Lakai, Fabian Holland, perhaps even Ruben Love at fullback, the All Blacks could have had a very experienced unit to finish. The likes of Lomax, Sititi, Savea, Vaa’i, McKenzie or Barrett on the bench.

So the All Blacks decided to up the tempo and play the most expansive game they ever have under Robertson, but with the same pack that played one of the most physical forward battles you will see seven days ago. With 20 minutes to go it was a seven point game, but they paid the price for that in the final 20 minutes.

Leroy Carter showed what fresh legs can do. He offered more in the first 40 minutes than what Rieko Ioane has in five straight Tests on the left wing. He topped the defenders beaten charts with seven.

The positive intent from the All Blacks to return to all-out attack is welcome, but they need to persist and perhaps build against lesser sides. This game plan wasn’t even tried against France’s B slash C side. The Blues barely moved the ball this season so even for the experienced Beauden Barrett, running this with live bullets was foreign for him.

Hindsight is 20-20, but this record loss belongs to the coaching staff who have mismanaged this squad and asked them to do too much after last week. That is a big lesson for Robertson to take forward as this happened last year too.

In 2024 many players were sitting around while starters were run into the ground. Veterans were given farewell tours, wasting time to build depth. There is a full squad of players there, trust in them and use them.

Particularly if you want to run an expansive game plan a week after a physical war.

Keep the attacking intent and persist with it, but trust your full squad and don’t burn out the top players please.