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'It's something you don't really plan for': All Blacks reflect on hectic final minutes

By Ned Lester
Richie Mo'unga and Jordie Barrett. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

The All Blacks were understandably ecstatic after their last gasp win in Melbourne, securing another Bledisloe Cup as well as solidifying their spot atop the Rugby Championship.

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The team provided an insight into the changing rooms post-game, with squad second-rower Tupou Vaa’i speaking to a handful of players in the aftermath of the 39-37 win.

“It was what Bledisloe is all about, quite tough, they didn’t go away, they were hanging on till the end so just really happy we came out with the win,” man-of-the-match Samisoni Taukei’aho told his Chiefs and All Blacks teammate when questioned how he felt the game unfolded.

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Vaa’i jokingly asked Taueki’aho if he was going for a hattrick, with the hooker nabbing two tries throughout the match.

“Na, I think I was just quite lucky with the maul obviously and that second one was just a fluke I guess so I wouldn’t take any credit for that,” responded Taukei’aho.

“Do you know how to pass?” Vaa’i joked, in reference to Taukei’aho’s blistering run for his second score, which saw him cut infield and pull a handful of defenders over the line when he had All Blacks standing unmarked outside him.

“Yea I actually do know how to pass, it just doesn’t come out too often,” Taukei’aho said.

Vaa’i was also able to grab the thoughts of reserve hooker Dane Coles, who was on the field for the final quarter of the match.

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“I wouldn’t say relieved, but pretty stoked,” Coles said of the emotions after the game. “Was a pretty tough but gutsy win. [There were] a lot of changes in that last five minutes but that’s rugby, you’ve got to play to the 80th minute and [I’m] happy we get to keep the Bledisloe for another year so it’s a good team effort.”

Coles was on hand to send the ball into the crucial final lineout – which was eventually successfully sacked by the Wallabies – and was somewhat surprised that captain Sam Whitelock opted for a front-of-the-line delivery.

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“He told me the call and I was like, ‘Got to do my job’ – all those line-outs during the week, I just had to trust it,” Coles said. “I thought when we went to ground and they got the turnover, I didn’t think we’d get the ball back but funnily enough, got the scrum and then Jordie scored in the corner.

“You know what it’s like, just got to go on and do your job, hope the old circus can still throw a seed.”

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The man of the hour, try-scorer Jordie Barrett, also revealed what went through his head when he was asked to shift into the midfield from fullback – and what it was like to be on the end of the match-winning score.

“It was certainly a big change, it’s something you don’t really plan for,” he said of the positional shift. “I do a few mental reps in the back of my mind but I was just doing those mental reps for wing positions this week.

“It was enjoyable, pretty lucky to get a win at the end there but yeah, enjoyed it.”

Barrett downplayed his role in the match-winner, giving much of the credit to first five-eighth Richie Mo’unga and wing Will Jordan.

“[I was just the] end of the chain,” he said. “I had my hand up for a little while there as soon as the referee signalled for advantage; I thought that this would be a great opportunity to do a cross-kick so I had my hand up for Richie. He went through the hands which was a smart play so Will drew two players and dished it off. It was outstanding and got the Bled – so how good?”

The All Blacks and Wallabies will again take the field next weekend when the two sides meet at Eden Park.

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Jon 2 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 4 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

15 Go to comments
A
Adrian 6 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

15 Go to comments
T
Trevor 9 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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