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'That's part of the reason why some of us play': The big change coming for the Maori All Blacks next weekend
While the All Blacks may have secured a 35-10 victory over Samoa on Saturday night, captain Ash Dixon wasn’t entirely happy with how his men performed in front of an empty stadium in Wellington.
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A change in alert levels in New Zealand’s capital in the lead-up to the match meant that fans weren’t able to attend the game, which led to a somewhat eerie atmosphere in Sky Stadium.
Despite scoring five tries on the night, the Maori All Blacks lacked continuity at times and were guilty of some a number of basic handling errors – though the wind and rain likely contributed to that.
Speaking after the match, Dixon acknowledged that while his team had managed to string some good plays together, there were also plenty of improvement opportunities for the NZ composite side.
“When you can finish like that and with a score like that, you’re always pretty happy with it,” he said. “[There was] definitely a lot of intent and endeavour in a lot of things but I felt we missed a lot of detail tonight on a few things. Even though it was a short week, I expected a little bit more from us [but] still stoked we got our game to where it was today.”
Although the team first came together as a group just a week and a half before Saturday night’s match, Dixon wasn’t willing to let the little time the squad had spent together in camp as an excuse for the errors.
“I just think we’re better than that,” he said. “We know we get short turnarounds and we know we’ve got to deal with that … and a lot of our boys have played together for a couple of years now and that same crew and the combinations are pretty similar.
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“I guess I just expected a bit more from us in terms of some of our ball control and [carrying] into contact was a bit soft. Bit of that kind of stuff. I thought we could have been a lot better. That’s just personal pride I think, more than anything. I’m sure we’ll work a bit on it this week and get our detail sorted.”
Dixon also shut down any suggestions that the lack of a crowd played any part in the less than fluid gameplay – although he acknowledged it can be tough running out to an empty stadium.
“It is tough, to be honest. I love playing in front of a crowd and hearing noise. That energy you get when you’re warming up and hearing the booing or hearing the celebrations is second to none. I think that’s part of the reason why some of us play, to play in front of people and showcase footy in New Zealand.
“But we knew there wasn’t going to be a crowd from Tuesday, Wednesday onwards so we prepared accordingly and I don’t think that really changed the way we would have played tonight because we knew during the week. I just think we could have been a bit better.
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“It would have been great to have a crowd here so let’s hope in the weekend we can have one and vibe off them and get the boys peaking for it.”
The times we live in…https://t.co/2jERxbNfL8
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 26, 2021
Coach Clayton McMillan shared similar sentiments.
“Everybody’s disappointed that we couldn’t get a crowd here tonight but that’s the nature of COVID-19, isn’t it?” he said.
“We’ve all become well accustomed to the challenges it throws us and even though rugby at this level is very public and obviously the impact [of COVID] is easy to see when there are empty seats in the stand but everyone else in the community and other business and other jobs are affected just as much.
“So we’ve just got to deal with it and hope that we’re a little luckier next week and things don’t move up north and we can get a really crowd great along and celebrate Maori rugby but also Pacific Island rugby with those teams up there and also look forward to seeing the All Blacks play for the first time this year.”
The Maori All Blacks play Samoa at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland next Saturday at 4:30pm NZT with the All Blacks then facing off against Tonga at the same ground at 7:05pm.
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
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