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Super Rugby Pacific

'Not New Zealand Rugby': Former All Black shocked by latest tactics

By Henry Lee

45 days ago

Sevu Reece of the Crusaders kicks the ball during the round one Super Rugby match between Highlanders and Crusaders at Forsyth Barr Stadium, on February 13, 2026, in Dunedin, New Zealand. (Photo by Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images)

Former All Black Jeff Wilson has come out and criticised the amount of kicking that was in the opening round of Super Rugby Pacific in 2o26, especially from the game between the Highlanders and the Crusaders.

Jamie Joseph and the Highlanders were victorious in the South Island derby on Friday evening in Dunedin, where first-five Cameron Millar iced the game with a penalty in the dying stages.

The All Black heavy Crusaders bench added impact in the second half, but it was the home side that managed to get the job done in front of a strong home crowd.

Joseph made a late switch before the game to move his experienced props in Angus Ta’avao and Ethan de Groot, to the bench to combat the Crusaders’ bench impact.

Rob Penney had decided to bench a full All Black front row, including George Bower, Codie Taylor, and Fletcher Newell, who all entered the game in the second half.

VIDEO

In the game on Friday evening, there were 83 in-play kicks, the highest of the opening Super Rugby Pacific weekend.

The Highlanders made 45 of them, while the away side contributed with 38 of their own.

Wilson, who played 60-Tests for the All Blacks, said on The Breakdown that 83 kicks in a game is just “not New Zealand Rugby”.

“We finished a whole season last year, at the end of the year, talking about kicking the ball away and turning possesion over,” Wilson said on The Breakdown.

“And then in the very first game, we saw 80 kicks. That’s not New Zealand Rugby. I’m sorry, keeping the ball in hand you know, you can’t play with fear.

“Because for me, the number of times the moment it broke down, teams were going to a box kick in the attacking half, not even in the defensive half, the exit.

“That’s an attacking strategy. I just I don’t accept that that’s in the best interest of our game, and given the skill sets of our players.”

Former All Black winning first-five Stephen Donald believes that the game between the Blues and Chiefs was much of the same, despite fewer kicks in general at Eden Park.

“Look at last night at Eden Park, the line speed and the focus, it was all about defence from both those teams,” Donald said on The Breakdown.

“As far as mentality, you look at mentality. You look at the Highlanders, how they came out, that was defence focused, and even the Crusaders how they’re kicking it a lot, box kicking and then trying to get defensive.

“It’s almost like the coaches knew that it was gonna be rusty.”

Comments

18 Comments

Nickers 45 days ago

Maybe the boomers on the Breakdown could be replaced by literally anyone who can provide interesting or insightful analysis of the game?

These guys who have not played for 25 years and have not coached the modern game are ruining people’s brains with this stuff.

Maybe look into why they are kicking? What are they trying to achieve? Where did it work and where did it not? What else was happening on the field at that time? How have incentives changed that are making this the dominant strategy in world rugby?

There was some horrible execution over the weekend, but we can all see that. They honestly need to hire better pundits for these shows.

Andrew Nichols 45 days ago

Boomers? They are Gen X at oldest. You dont know what a Boomer is.

SM 45 days ago

I think it's time for Jeff Wilson to grow up now

DS 45 days ago

Some of us have moaned for years about the amount of box kicks. If the old “mark” rules came back it would be gone in a week. We will see a lot more attempts at 50 / 20 this season. On the good news side; the rolling maul seems to be out of fashion?

Blackmania 45 days ago

A first matchday with a very poor level of play. The New Zealand teams did nothing but kick the ball aimlessly. And half of those kicks weren’t even executed properly… the scrum-half keeps kicking 15–20 meter balls in a robotic way, without really analyzing what he’s actually doing.

When you then compare it to the style of play developed in the Six Nations, it’s very worrying. Watching France play such intelligent, constantly moving rugby is a real pleasure, with young backs under 90 kilos, it’s exhilarating.

In New Zealand, we’re heading down the wrong path…

SB 45 days ago

One of the big differences I see with the Top 14 to Super Rugby is exit kicking. When the 9 kicks to clear, they get great distance on it and if they are going for touch more often than not they get it near halfway or the 10m mark. In SR when they exit, it’s often near the 22m line which automatically gives a massive advantage to the other team.

With the rules around escorts it obviously encourages those high kicks but in my opinion there needs to be a clear strategy around it and not just sending it up because it’s in fashion.

cw 45 days ago

Quick scan of other Super games - kicking in the 50-60 range (much like the 6N games this weekend) So perhaps an anomaly rather than a trend.

SK 45 days ago

If you are going to change the law around the 50-22 and allow even kicks taken back to count for it then why wouldnt teams kick more?

Hammer Head 45 days ago

So, are we moaning about Jamie Joseph already?

SB 45 days ago

Rugby has changed since he played. Defenses are great. Kicking opens up space on the field. Sad that a paid pundit doesn’t know this.

Icefarrow 45 days ago

So, let me get this straight… last year Wilson was moaning that we couldn’t kick strategically and were dropping the high ball, yet now he’s moaning that we’re taking steps to improve in that area. He is aware that the current laws favour kicking, right? No coach worth their weight would intentionally play a style that disadvantages the team.

JW 45 days ago

Brute force steps, the most basic and beginner level you can get. As an exponent himself, yes, I can imagine he is.

You also entirely miss his points;