Analysis: How Nic White's recycle speed set the tempo and exposed tired All Black forwards
Playing with 14-men for 40-minutes was never going to be easy but it was Wallaby halfback Nic White that put the foot to the throat so to speak, orchestrating the Australian attack to hit the All Blacks where it would hurt.
White’s sniping, switching and high-tempo recycling wore down the All Blacks interior defenders and laid the platform for the Wallabies to get a roll on which they used to score 31 second-half points in the record-equaling win.
Compounding the problem for the All Blacks is White’s work was all done where Scott Barrett usually defends.
Barrett is generally always in-and-around the ball as one of the more athletic tight five forwards in the pack. He has a big engine, a high work rate and makes a lot of tackles in close. He often becomes a ‘pillar’ defender in close ruck channels after contesting or making a tackle.
Early in the game, Barrett showed intent to get to the halfback and put some pressure on the pass, hitting Nic White off-the-ball numerous times.
Even on the next phase, Barrett is already stalking the ruck as a pillar defender having tracked the ball across.
With a full complement of forwards and some extra pressure from Barrett, the All Blacks kept White relatively in check in the first half.
However, there were some communication breakdowns early, which White was able to target with perfect timing and accurate decision-making around when to run.
Here a Wallabies runner makes a decent carry and is attacked by two forwards over the ball, Dane Coles (2) and Kieran Read (8). Scott Barrett (4) is calling early for more support to fold around the corner to assist on the next phase.
Sam Cane (7) is cleaned out by Rory Arnold despite not really being involved in the ruck, taking him to the ground and out of the picture – a smart play by Arnold.
As Nic White (9) approaches the ruck, Owen Franks (3) is in motion to push across with large gaps on either side presenting to the Wallabies halfback.
Franks continues to push out and signals for another defender to fill the space, however, no one else is watching.
White bounces out to attack the space on the right and steps both Smith and Coles drifting across in cover, making a nice gain downfield. He knew just when to keep the All Blacks honest, sniping around the rucks or finding runners once defenders were interested.
It didn’t result in major returns in the first half but when Scott Barrett was red-carded on the stroke of halftime, the Wallabies had the perfect chance to unleash White. With the All Blacks down one of their key interior big men, his influence began to grow as the other forwards were forced to work harder in Barrett’s absence.
The tempo began to tire out the All Blacks as the Wallabies played long strings of phases, many played flat off 9 or though the ‘A’ channel by the ruck via White himself or pick-and-go’s. The threat of White was constant and began reaping rewards early after the break.
Deep on attack into the 10th phase, White sees Sam Whitelock (5) retreating from a missed tackle and immediately targets him, switching back to the short side.
Kieran Read (8) has to go around his own player, allowing White to bounce out past the first two defenders creating a three-on-two.
A fortuitous juggle from White’s pass to Rory Arnold ends with a walk-over try to Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, capitalizing on some smart work from White and patient lead-up work from the whole team.
On their first possession, they built 14 phases before being held up over the line then built another 10 phases for the try with White conducting most of the proceedings and having an influential hand in the finish.
A trademark of this win was the Wallabies intent to run the ball, kicking to exit just once in the first half. Now with a 9-point lead up 21-12, they ramped up the speed immediately from the kick-off receipt, running five phases to the left to strike twice in a row.
After a Salakaia-Loto midfield carry on first phase, the Wallabies pick-and-go on second phase before Lealiifano carries on the third phase.
Key to this is how Aaron Smith (9), the sweeper, is called upon to make a tackle.
With one key ruck defender in Barrett red-carded, taking Smith out further weakens the All Blacks’ organisation around the breakdown which would be a factor two phases later.
The All Blacks begin to bend backward at a rapid rate, thinning the far side numbers. The pack has even more pressure to fold, having to go the long way around the ruck but White is already there pressing to deliver the pass.
White’s rapid recycle has the ball on the move before that can happen, and the Wallabies have a 4-on-2 overlap with easy metres at hand as the defence goes into jockey-mode to recover the situation.
The All Blacks close it down on halfway but a heads-up pick-and-go by Marika Koroibete exposes the defence where it’s short down a skinny corridor.
With the sweeper Aaron Smith still trying to get onside and back behind the defensive line, Koroibete looks up to see an open path ahead. Taking a quick pick and go, he draws Ioane in and the Wallabies break down the left edge with Kerevi before White scores backing up on the inside.
Building momentum over five phases weakened the defence and opened up a small window to attack straight through the ruck, a common theme with most of Australia’s phase play. The pick-and-go was used frequently to keep moving forward and prevent negative gain line plays.
The Wallabies showed no intention to let up and kick the All Blacks the ball, while White’s switching began to really mess with the defence. He was able to start running switches with regularity, bouncing out past multiple defenders at a time and create multiple overlaps out wide.
In one scoot, White takes three defenders out of play, Kieran Read (8), Atu Moli (17) and Sam Whitelock (5), giving the Wallabies a chance on the right side.
Targeting retreating defenders and tired tight forwards, White continued to pick the right option, often baiting the All Blacks one way and going the other.
On this occasion, he gets past two defenders to reach Dane Coles (2) and create a 4-on-2.
The pass is delivered a touch early allowing Coles to slide and the All Blacks recover from a disadvantageous position but the danger White offers was everpresent.
In the lead-up to the third try we see the subtleties used by White to throw the defence off. A scan to the blind side puts the defence on alert that way, before picking up and taxiing off to the right.
White has the attention of Angus Ta’avao (18) and flirts with danger long enough for Tupou to wind up. He hits Tupou flat with a ball that allows his runner to find space outside Kieran Read (8) and get over the gain line.
Two phases later Koroibete sneaks over from the ruck to extend the lead to 33-19.
The Wallabies have been guilty over the last two years of too much deep, lateral play which sees them often going backward and getting hammered behind the gain line.
A return to a more balanced attack using straighter running and flat options off the halfback delivered a dominant performance in Perth. Aided by near-flawless execution, the Wallabies controlled possession and the clock, pounding the All Blacks until the dam broke.
They received a numerical advantage after the red-card but tactically played to maximise it, allowing Nic White to control proceedings and run the All Blacks’ tight five off their feet. They put an immense load on the All Blacks defence that couldn’t be withstood, typified by White’s high-tempo presence.
The Exeter Chiefs’ halfback’s game was a masterclass showing for a playmaking nine, and he has to be one of the cornerstones of the Wallabies’ plans for a potential Bledisloe Cup turnaround and a successful World Cup campaign going forward.
Bill Ellis podcast – The All Blacks must bounce back at Eden Park:
Comments on RugbyPass
Did the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
1 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
16 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
16 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to commentsMake what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
4 Go to comments00 😍 U
1 Go to commentsSabbaticals have helped keep NZ’s very best talent in the country on long term deals - this fact has been left out of this article. Much like the articles calling to allow overseas players to be selected, yet can only name one player currently not signed to NZR who would be selected for the ABs. And in the entire history of NZ players leaving to play overseas, literally only 4 or 5 have left in their prime as current ABs. (Piatau, Evans, Hayman, Mo’unga,?) Yes Carter got an injury while playing in France 16 years ago, but he also got a tournament ending injury at the 2011 World Cup while taking mid-week practice kicks at goal. Maybe Jordie gets a season-ending injury while playing in Ireland, maybe he gets one next week against the Brumbies. NZR have many shortcomings, but keeping the very best players in the country and/or available for ABs selection is not one of them. Likewise for workload management - players missing 2 games out of 14 is hardly a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Again let’s use some facts - did it stop the Crusaders winning SR so many times consecutively when during any given week they would be missing 2 of their best players? The whole idea of the sabbatical is to reward your best players who are willing to sign very long term deals with some time to do whatever they want. They are not handed out willy-nilly, and at nowhere near the levels that would somehow devalue Super Rugby. In this particular example JB is locked in with NZR for what will probably (hopefully) be the best years of his career, hard to imagine him not sticking around for a couple more after for a Lions tour and one more world cup. He has the potential to become the most capped AB of all time. A much better outcome than him leaving NZ for a minimum of 3 years at the age of 27, unlikely to ever play for the ABs again, which would be the likely alternative.
3 Go to commentsJake White talks more sense than anything I've read in the last 5 years. Hope someone's listening.
16 Go to commentsThe Springboks tried going down the road of only picking home-based players and it was an unmitigated disaster in 2016 and 2017. Picking overseas-based players has been one of the main reason the Boks have done so well since 2018, not only because of the quality Rassie could call on, but because of the knowledge and experience those players brought into camp from England, France and Japan. With some of the big names playing abroad it also gave younger players in SA the chance to break through at franchise level. Would we have seen the emergence of a Ruan Nortje if RG and Lood were still at the Bulls? Not so sure. I understand why Jake would want to block players leaving since his job depends on good results but it’s an approach that would take Bok rugby back to the bad old days and no South African wants to see that.
16 Go to commentsExeter were thumped by 38 points. And they only had to hop on a train.
39 Go to commentsI am De Groot.
1 Go to comments