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'Our strongest team': All Blacks give 'few bodies coming back' update
A 68-point victory over Namibia has sent the All Blacks into their bye week on a positive note, but there is no escaping the criticism of recent losses that hang over the team.
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As if being in a World Cup wasn’t enough pressure as it is, New Zealand find themselves in the unfamiliar position of sitting in second place in their pool, after France ended their all-time win streak in the opening stage of the World Cup.
The loss leaves the All Blacks with no room for error in the hunt for a quarter-final birth, with the upcoming clash against Italy a decisive contest in the pool.
There is no mistaking the bye week for a rest week with the nature of the upcoming schedule keeping the New Zealand camp very much on their toes.
“The good thing about this week is that we’ve got a few bodies coming back training which is great,” All Blacks forwards coach Jason Ryan told The Breakdown.
“We head off to Bordeaux for a few weeks, our language is definitely that it’s not a week off, it’s a week to freshen up a few areas in our game which we know we need to.
“It gives us a chance to put a lot of work into ourselves before we really start having too much of a look at Italy.”
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Head-to-Head
Last 4 Meetings
Wins
4
Draws
0
Wins
0
Average Points scored
69
10
First try wins
75%
Home team wins
25%
The return of some first-choice starters will bring much-needed punch to an under-pressure forward pack, with injuries to multiple loose forwards forcing selectors to bring in versatile forward Ethan Blackadder as a replacement for injured winger Emoni Narawa.
“We’re just looking forward to getting all our bodies back and getting our strongest team out there,” Ryan added. “It’s been a bit of a mix for us and we know that.
“When you look at Italy, this is a big Test match. Make no mistake, this is a final. We will prepare accordingly.
“Just making sure the boys are fresh, sharp and happy more than anything. But, challenging them.”
Challenging the players is a trademark of Ryan’s coaching style.
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The former Crusaders forwards guru was brought into the squad following the Ireland series loss in 2022 and immediately demanded an environment of accountability within the camp.
There’s no room for procrastination or beating around the bush with Ryan at the helm.
“I don’t need them 100 per cent edgey on the Monday or next week when we’re training in Bordeaux, but I need them to be really accountable in meetings so we can fix things straight away.
“If we’re at training and we’re doing different scenarios, we’ve got to fix it. We can’t walk past it, we can’t avoid it, we fix it there and then. So, that’s when the edge comes.”
A gruesome injury in the Namibia Test resulted in a wholesome rugby moment when Namibian second five-eighth Le Roux Malan was visited in hospital by New Zealand midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown, proving the comradery that exists throughout the highest level of the sport.
The respect for Malan was expressed also by fans who applauded the 24-year-old as he was taken from the field.
“It’s a credit to France and how they’re getting in behind it,” Ryan said of the crowds. “Hopefully, that player from Naimiba is okay, it was great to see their boys come in the shed (after the game), there was a few selfies going on, a few flags being signed. One guy brought in about 10 hats that we signed,” he laughed.
“It was all good, it’s all part of it.”
Comments on RugbyPass
The game was changing too much with teams trying to role the dice drawing fouls. Would be better if scrums and the adjudicating problems were resolved but this is a good immediate fix.
37 Go to commentsLike many here I am encouraged by this post. Our forwards are where the real rewards and improvements must come from. With a 50/50 pack against any opposition, our backs could ensure more than 50% of the games will be won. We need Valetini at 6 and Cale at 8 to make the most or a good tight 5, McWright will add to the effectiveness of the pack BUT must get a very good tight 5 out there first.
97 Go to commentsThe key point I think that is missing is that if Joseph wants to guarantee a Lions spot, he really has to play wing in his first year. He is easily going to nail down whatever he wants to do, but with just half a season, how much of a factor he proves to be in the Lions series could be dictated by this initial choice of playing position.
8 Go to commentsthe game was 2 weeks before the challenge cup final. I really don’t believe they needed to rest that many players.
1 Go to commentsI really feel like neither of the Vunipolas is given the respect they deserve. I would have liked to see both of them get a few more caps than they have gotten in the past couple of years, but unfortunately the fact that they both peaked young has meant that for a number of years they have been perceived as disappointments. When they are both retired, in the cold light of day they will be recognised as two of the best players of their generation of any nation.
2 Go to commentsthis generation of saracens players could produce some really incredible coaches. When Farrell retires he could walk into any premiership team as a defence, attack, or kicking coach. Itoje could make it as a defence or a lineout coach, and Jamie George as a lineout or scrum coach. The problem the Vunipolas are going to have is that its not clear what their coaching speciality would be. Neither are great in the set piece, and while they were good in attack and defence, they were never tactical masterminds. Perhaps contact skills would be their ideal brief? Mako perhaps could work in strength & conditioning, but Billy has a bit of a reputation for not taking that side of the game seriously.
2 Go to commentsA very good player.We are finally getting some balance in our team. Plummer..Heem ..Lam a solid..experienced combo who take the sensible options consistently. Clarke was a grt impact of the bench option until Lam moved to 13 to replace an injured Reiko. Cotter is doing a grt job building his team. .
1 Go to commentsSaturday was last straw. Terrible record in Premiership since Jan 23. Capitulation against Bath at home. There are 3 conclusions. Players aren't good enough. Coaching team aren't good enough or combination of both.
2 Go to commentsAs you say in your article Brett, the point was Hamish and his vanity - plain and simple. The crazy bit is that sua’ali’i has to be probably twice the player of mark N, no easy feat, just for RA to get their money's worth!?! And as you say, tahs aren't short of wingers, props on the other hand id like to see $1.6m spent on. I still shake my head at the absolute carry on in the media and comments section around the boon of getting sua’ali’i and the revenue it'd generate. It was all such hogwash imo and short sighted, real sugar hit stuff. And wasnt Waugh (and others) on the board at the time this money was spent? You say silver bullet, I'd say sugar hit but without the flavour.
8 Go to commentsNZR should play hard all a bit with some of these players and make them sign up to the next world cup. If they won’t, offer it to someone who will. Because what happens is the NH (especially France) swoop on a bunch of nz players coming off contract, weakening their depth, and nz scrambles less than 2 years out trying to get replacements up to speed.
1 Go to commentsNo thanks. Savea almost always leaves easy points out there and goes for the corner, no matter how many times it’s not working. He claimed he took “the learnings” from this when he kept making the same mistake against the Boks a few years ago. Then went out the very next week and did the same thing and SA snatched victory because of it. Years later he still does it, right up to and including the world cup final. Great player, not so great rugby nous.
10 Go to commentsIt certainly wasn't a rhetorical masterpiece coming from big E …. (just as a side remark: Eben is the better player, Siya by far the better talker - maybe that's why they don't seem to like each other very much) …. but could we please move on?
66 Go to commentsMan who wasn't there and hasn't held a conversation with those who were present weighs in on dead rubber debate and is presented as representative of the Irish Rugby Union’s spokesperson on subject he has no apparent knowledge of whatsoever.
66 Go to commentsanybody who bends at the waist when they tackle
4 Go to commentsThe evidence is not strong that this is necessary. Mounga choked on clutch kicks in the WRC final and lost the match by not performing his core goal kicking role to the level required. He also choked in the Semi final against England and was targeted as the weak point in the defence allowing them to score. Not a test great frankly. Why bend the rules for a player that is competent but not brilliant at test level?
11 Go to commentsDear Robbie, Please return to the Crusaders next season. Sincerely, Scott
1 Go to commentsDid the big E call the Irish the ‘White Can’ts’? That would’ve been good
66 Go to commentsDalton Papalii will be lucky to be selected on the Matchday 23. Ardie Savea, Ethan Blackadder, Luke Jacobson, and Peter Lauki are all as good or better openside flankers
10 Go to commentsScott Barrett is a lock and they have a much longer shelf life than a loose forward. Far more likely that Barrett will still demand a starting position based on performance at age 33 at RWC 2027 than Savea, whose explosive athleticism will have declined and he will in all likelihood have been surpassed by Hoskins Sotutu, Wallace Siti, Peter Lauki and Brayden Iose.
10 Go to commentsExtremely frustrating to get yet more speculation over whether or not Eben actually counted 12 players or not, but honestly big respect to McCloskey for keeping it classy and not pointing out Etzebeth’s hypocrisy. The Irish are a popular team outside of Ireland because they do their talking on the pitch, and its honestly a PR masterclass that they’re keeping it that way following Etzebeth’s provocation.
66 Go to comments