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'Owned the situation': Robertson happy with All Blacks response at Eden Park

Beauden Barrett of New Zealand runs home a try during The Rugby Championship match between New Zealand All Blacks and Argentina at Eden Park on August 17, 2024 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Dave Rowland/Getty Images)

All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson is happy his team “owned the situation” and responded in the right way after suffering a loss at the hands of the Pumas last week.

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An early try to Damian McKenzie, who Robertson said praised as having his best game so far at No 10, sparked a first half blitz that had 35 points up by half-time.

Savea scored next from a pick and go try before the All Blacks showed some dazzling skills with tries to outside backs Caleb Clarke, Will Jordan and Beauden Barrett.

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“Happy, because we owned the situation we put ourselves in from last week to this week,” Robertson said of the win.

“We talked about having a response, and we did tonight, especially the first 40.

“We created more opportunities and executed them,” Robertson said.

“Our timing was a little bit better. We created a bit more. We played through the front door – we banged that down quite nicely – which created opportunities out the back.”

Robertson was overall pleased but a second half slump once the reserves were sent in early, just 10 minutes into the second half, was something that “just happens”.

The All Blacks were able to experiment with their selections in the final half hour but it didn’t pay any dividends as they failed to score a point in that time.

“We wanted to bury them in the Garden,” Robertson said.

“We wanted to make sure that we finished them off. Sometimes it happens.

“The great thing about that is we got Beauden [Barrett] to 10 and Rieko [Ioane] to left wing and got Anton [Lienert-Brown] on. We played the whole squad – we just lost a little bit of rhythm doing it.

“When we got down there, into the 22, we just didn’t finish a couple (of opportunities) off, which would have probably made it a bit sweeter.

“But the efforts were there that created those opportunities.”

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Comments

3 Comments
W
Willie 229 days ago

What concerns me with the ABs over the last 3-4 years is the inconsistency. Under both Foster and now Robertson, it seems a loss is necessary to provoke a good performance. Whilst Foster shouldered the blame during his term it seems the problem might be with the players.

As a friend who owned a bakery once said to his baker, "if it takes the same amount of time, effort and ingredients to make either a good or bad pie, why don't you make good pies all the time?".

J
JW 229 days ago

An early try to Damian McKenzie, who Robertson said praised as having his best game so far at No 10, sparked a first half blitz that had 35 points up by half-time.

Savea scored next from a pick and go try before the All Blacks showed some dazzling skills with tries to outside backs Caleb Clarke, Will Jordan and Beauden Barrett.

What a circle jerk, he was no better than normal, actually more ineffectual than against England, and Jordans was the only really good try, and even that was just stuck in the mud defending from a team who love hard grounds like SA.

H
HA 229 days ago

I dont know what a circle jerk means, but that aside your comment boils down to Robertson saw things to praise and you saw basically nothing to praise, I think I prefer Robertsons way of seeing things.

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I
IkeaBoy 3 hours ago
Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

“Why are you so insistent on being wrong? Man United won in 2008 (beating Chelsea in the final). In 2009 Barcelona won, beating United.”

Good lad, just checking. So you’re not a bot! Chelsea bombed the 2008 final more than United won it. John Terry… couldn’t happen to a nicer fella.


“The gap between wins ignores the finals contested. 2 in 2 years with his City Triumph. The most recent put him in the elite company of managers to have won it with multiple clubs. Yet more late career success and history.”

Again - you’re not correct. City won the CL in 2023, and made the final in 2021. Those are the only two CL finals they have made.”

So the difference between 2021 and 2023 would of course be TWO YEARS. 24 months would account for 3 different seasons. They contested ECL finals twice in two years. The first in 2021 - which they lost - was still the first elite European final in the clubs then 141 year history. Explain clearly how that’s not an achievement? Guess what age he was then…


“I think your take on Gatland is pretty silly. Gatland was without Edwards in the 2013 and 2017 Lions tours and managed to do alright.”

I thought you don’t care what certain managers did 10 years ago…

Why would I address Eddie Jones? Why would he be deserving of a single sentence?


“I am aware Les Kiss has achieved great things in his career, but I don’t care what he did over ten years ago. Rugby was a different sport back then.”

So you haven’t watched even a minute of Super Rugby this year?


“lol u really need to chill out”

Simply frightful! If you’re not a bot you’re at least Gen-Z?

171 Go to comments
f
fl 4 hours ago
Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

“Pep didn’t win the ECL in 2009. It was 2008 with Barca”

Why are you so insistent on being wrong? Man United won in 2008 (beating Chelsea in the final). In 2009 Barcelona won, beating United.


“The gap between wins ignores the finals contested. 2 in 2 years with his City Triumph. The most recent put him in the elite company of managers to have won it with multiple clubs. Yet more late career success and history.”

Again - you’re not correct. City won the CL in 2023, and made the final in 2021. Those are the only two CL finals they have made. With Barcelona, Pep made the semi final four consecutive times - with City he’s managed only 3 in 8 years. This year they didn’t even make the round of 16.


To re-cap, you wrote that Pep “has gotten better with age. By every measure.” There are some measures that support what you’re saying, but the vast majority of the measures that you have highlighted actually show the opposite.


I am aware Les Kiss has achieved great things in his career, but I don’t care what he did over ten years ago. Rugby was a different sport back then.


I think your take on Gatland is pretty silly. Gatland was without Edwards in the 2013 and 2017 Lions tours and managed to do alright. You’ve also not addressed Eddie Jones.


I agree wrt Schmidt. He would ideally be retained, but it wouldn’t work to have a remote head coach. He should definitely be hired as a consultant/analyst/selector though.


“Look at the talent that would be discarded in Schmidt and Kiss if your age Nazism was applied.”

lol u really need to chill out lad. Kiss and Schmidt would both be great members of the coaching set up in 2025, but it would be ridiculous to bank on either to retain the head coach role until 2031.

171 Go to comments
I
IkeaBoy 5 hours ago
Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

Pep didn’t win the ECL in 2009. It was 2008 with Barca. The gap between wins ignores the finals contested. 2 in 2 years with his City Triumph. The most recent put him in the elite company of managers to have won it with multiple clubs. Yet more late career success and history.


His time with City - a lower win ratio compared to Bayern Munich as you say - includes a 100 PT season. A feat that will likely never be surpassed. I appreciate you don’t follow soccer too closely but even casual fans refer to the sport in ‘pre and post Pep’ terms and all because of what he has achieved and is continuing to achieve, late career. There is a reason that even U10’s play out from the back now at every level of the game. That’s also a fairly recent development.


How refreshing to return to rugby on a rugby forum.


Ireland won a long over due slam in 2009. The last embers of a golden generation was kicked on by a handful of young new players and a new senior coach. Kiss was brought in as defence coach and was the reason they won it. They’d the best defence in the game at the time. He all but invented the choke tackle. Fittingly they backed it up in the next world cup in their 2011 pool match against… Australia. The instantly iconic image of Will Genia getting rag-dolled by Stephen Ferris.


His career since has even included director of rugby positions. He would have an extremely good idea of where the game is at and where it is going in addition to governance experience and dealings. Not least in Oz were many of the players will have come via or across Rugby League pathways.


Gatland isn’t a valid coach to compare too. He only ever over-achieved and was barely schools level without Shaun Edwards at club or test level. His return to Wales simply exposed his limitations and a chaotic union. It wasn’t age.


Schmidt is open to staying involved in a remote capacity which I think deserves more attention. It would be a brain drain to lose him. He stepped in to coach the ABs in the first 2022 test against Ireland when Foster was laid out with Covid. They mullered Ireland 42-19. He was still heavily involved in the RWC 2023 quarter final. Same story.


Look at the talent that would be discarded in Schmidt and Kiss if your age Nazism was applied.

171 Go to comments
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