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‘Where’s the leadership’: Justin Marshall reacts to All Blacks’ ‘worrying’ defeat
Former New Zealand halfback Justin Marshall has questioned the All Blacks’ leadership after their “worrying” 35-7 loss to South Africa ahead of next month’s Rugby World Cup.
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It was one of the darkest days in the history of the All Blacks. Playing against the world champion Springboks at Twickenham on Friday, the New Zealanders fell to a record-setting defeat.
First-half tries to Siya Kolisi and Kurt-Lee Arendse set the tone for the Boks, but a red card – which was the result of two yellow cards – to Scott Barrett was the final nail in the All Blacks’ coffin.
Much to the surprise of commentator Justin Marshall, the All Blacks continued to make the same mistakes time and time again during the second term as they succumbed to a disastrous defeat.
“I was really surprised to be honest, mate, that the All Blacks struggled the way they did,” Marshall said on The Platform. “They pretty much got ambushed by a side that came out super physical, super committed, was massively positive.
“I think I said during the commentary that Siya Kolisi turned down many kicking opportunities to try and accumulate points which sometimes South Africa tend to do to go for more.
“Eventually that led to obviously yellow, red cards, and the All Blacks just not being able to maintain the intensity that South Africa brought to the game.
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“We’ve spoken for the last two weeks, three weeks mate that we needed to get our number one side out there, and needed to go out there and flex our muscles and make a statement about intent of Rugby World Cup.
“Credit to Ian Foster he named a full-strength side to a degree but they just weren’t up for it. They just mentally weren’t there and I can’t understand why.”
With coach Ian Foster at the helm, the All Blacks recorded big wins over Argentina, South Africa and Australia on their way to another Rugby Championship crown last month.
The All Blacks also claimed the Freedom Cup and Bledisloe Cup as they charged into last Friday’s Test on the back of four wins from as many starts. They looked good, very good to start their international season.
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But that’s what made the 35-7 scoreline so surprising. Nobody expected the Springboks to inflict such pain and despair about the All Blacks and their supporters, but records are made to be broken.
“There’s been too much read into how well the All Blacks went in The Rugby Championship in terms of how far they had come,” Marhsall added.
“I certainly feel that South Africa really did their homework. They looked at what happened to them at Mt Smart, they brought a completely different style of defence… they were a different beast.
“When you get that in the opposition, and there is a change in their DNA and the way that they’re playing, then you’ve got to recognise that really quickly and adjust and that’s exactly what the All Blacks didn’t do, they did the opposite.
“They looked stunned, they looked shocked, they looked clueless as to how they could find a way to break down the aggressive line speed that South Africa brought.”
Coach Foster named a near full-strength side to take on the Boks, too, which is “worrying” going into the Rugby World Cup.
All Blacks Brodie Retallick and Shannon Frizell missed the Test due to injury, but the rest of the starting side was practically at full strength.
“The All Blacks, which is worrying…the side they put out was full of experience, been to World Cups before, there’s enough personnel out there to know, ‘Okay, the opposition is doing this to us, we’ve got to adjust, we’ve got to adapt’ (and) didn’t.
“That’s the thing that really bemused me; the fact they weren’t able to combat it and just simply continued to do the same things that revolved around them making the same mistakes and getting themselves under the same pressure and huge ill-discipline because they weren’t coping.
“Where’s the leadership?”
Comments on RugbyPass
Yes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
2 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
2 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
5 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
34 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to comments