Five things we need to see from the All Blacks on the Northern tour
Just two months ago, before Bledisloe Two, Ian Foster had a legion of critics.
Then he was confirmed as the man to take the All Blacks to Rugby World Cup 2023 and the All Blacks are now 9-1 for the 2021 season with the Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup safely locked away for another year.
Ahead of the All Blacks first Northern tour since 2018, Campbell Burnes highlights five things that the All Blacks need to deliver against the USA, Wales, Italy, Ireland and France.
Five wins
There are still many sceptics who don’t rate Foster, especially now after they were exposed by the Springboks. However, if the All Blacks can finish 14-1 for the year off the back of the longest tour in 45 years, then those sceptics may have to swallow their pride.
If we take it that the USA and Italy will be defeated with few concerns, and France will be the toughest nut to crack on this tour, then that leaves Wayne Pivac’s Wales, who cannot call on the likes of England-based Dan Biggar and Louis Rees-Zammit, and Ireland, third in the Six Nations, as further stern challenges.
It’s a shame they will have to do it without Aaron Smith, most probably, and beefy locks Scott Barrett and Patrick Tuipulotu.
But then they won the Rugby Championship largely without Sam Whitelock, Aaron Smith and Richie Mo’unga. They are further bolstered by Sam Cane and Dane Coles, 150 caps worth of experience right there.
Five wins is certainly achievable.
An assertive lineout
The All Blacks missed Sam Whitelock perhaps even more than Aaron Smith through September.
His calm leadership was contrasted with that of Ardie Savea, who turned down shots at goal and struggled to fully connect with the referees, despite his brilliant all round play.
Whitelock will also stiffen the lineout, which was ceaselessly pressured by the Boks. They challenged just about every ball, whereas the All Blacks are less aggressive around taking on opposition ball. The arrival of Dane Coles will help the accuracy of the throwing into the lineout. This is Asafo Aumua’s Achilles Heel.
You should have four viable lineout options, but the make-up of the All Blacks’ loose trio has affected that aim. Luke Jacobson has taken on the mantle, winning ball at two, but Akira Ioane needs to be a jumper more often… if selected.
Josh Lord to lay down marker for 2023
No one can deny that the All Blacks are building strong depth two years out from France 2023.
They’ve used no less than 40 players thus far in their 10 matches this season. The 41st will be a bolter, Josh Lord. He’s a genuine bolter as no one was talking about him as the next cab off the rank. Most felt Paripari Parkinson was that man.
But Lord has been going well for an on-fire Taranaki, played five games for the Chiefs and turned out for the NZ Under 20s in 2021. Sir John Kirwan admitted he hadn’t heard of him. Watch more footy, JK.
Lord looks physically well equipped to be a future international class lock. Give him the USA and Italy tests. His fellow Taranaki lock Tupou Vaa’i, who stood tall against Argentina in Brisbane will wear the No 19 jersey in the big games.
But Lord is a worthwhile investment.
Akira Ioane to mark up every time
Ioane the Elder has started eight of the 10 tests this season in the No 6 jersey.
By my reckoning, he has played very well in six of those eight. But he was strangely flat against the Springboks, though he was not alone in this regard.
He has some stiff competition from Ethan Blackadder, and Luke Jacobson’s best position is still No 6. Now Shannon Frizell is joining the fun.
Foster needs to hand Ioane the No 6 jersey for at least three of these tests and lay down the law. This is his chance to cement that berth, if he is no longer seen as a No 8. He could have done it against the Boks. Now he has to do it against the hard men of the north.
Richie Mo’unga to stamp his class
The All Blacks missed many things against the Boks.
Richie Mo’unga’s silky playmaking skills and calm generalship, for one. He looked helpless when thrown on at 65 minutes to try and stem the rising Bok tide on the Gold Coast not long after emerging from a two-week quarantine.
Beauden Barrett played well in patches in Australia, but his lovely offload try assist against the Pumas largely disguised the fact he operated without the requisite authority under pressure in key moments. He’ll raise 100 tests during this tour, and fair play to him.
But we will surely see the best of a refreshed Mo’unga on the northern tour, as we saw the best of the best No 10 in New Zealand during July and August.
Comments on RugbyPass
The shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to comments