'We'll have to be very smart': What the All Blacks expect from Wales
Regardless of how many players Wales are missing ahead of this week’s clash with the All Blacks in Cardiff, the Kiwis aren’t taking the Six Nations champions lightly.
That’s the verdict from All Blacks assistant coach John Plumtree, who refused to minimalise the threat posed by the Welsh, even though they are bereft of numerous headline stars.
With the match being held outside of World Rugby’s November test window, Wales boss Wayne Pivac is unable to call upon British and Irish Lions trio Louis Rees-Zammit, Dan Biggar and Taulupe Faletau, all of whom will play for their Premiership clubs in England this weekend.
Pivac also has to contend with the injuries of other frontline players such as Justin Tipuric, Liam Williams, Josh Navidi, Leigh Halfpenny, George North and Dan Lydiate, among others.
The recent news of Willis Halaholo’s positive Covid test has thrown a further spanner in the works, meaning the Welsh are tasked with taking down the All Blacks for the first time since 1953 with a vastly understrength team on Sunday [NZT].
However, Plumtree told reporters on Wednesday [NZT] that the All Blacks have dismissed the fanfare over the stretched Welsh player pool and maintained that his young side are in for a tactical war at Principality Stadium.
“I’m sure the game is going to be very physical. We expect that coming from them. Every game you play against Wales, it’s always been a tough task,” Plumtree said.
“A couple of the leaders have stood up and talked to the boys that haven’t been here before about the challenge. Wales are a side that you’ve got to be very patient with, you’ve got to punch your way, and you’ve got to work very hard for a victory.
“We haven’t really read too much into the players they haven’t got available. In my time as a coach, when three or four players aren’t available, there’s another three or four that come in that always want to give their very best.
“I’m sure those players that do come in for Wales that are taking maybe some of the bigger names’ places will want to prove what they’re worth in their jersey.
“That can make life tough for us, so we understand the challenge and we’re preparing for a real tough one.”
The All Blacks aren’t without their own injury concerns after Angus Ta’avao dislocated his elbow in training, leaving the 31-year-old prop in doubt for the second match of his side’s end-of-year tour.
It’s not often someone can literally look down their nose at Brodie Retallick ? https://t.co/FY3y0fV9k5
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 26, 2021
After his two-try showing in New Zealand’s 104-14 thrashing of the USA Eagles in Washington DC last weekend, Ta’avao may have come into contention to face Wales.
However, the fact that Nepo Laulala and Ofa Tuungafasi were among the 11 players who travelled to the United Kingdom a day before the USA test is perhaps an indication that they are the frontrunners to feature in the Welsh capital.
Should they play, Laulala and Tuungafasi are two of many players the All Blacks will heavily rely on to lay a solid foundation at the set piece as Plumtree expects a “slug fight” in potentially wet conditions, should the Principality Stadium roof be opened.
Playing against a team like the All Blacks, who like to play in all areas of the park, on a soggy turf could play into Welsh hands given, according to Plumtree, their ball-running threat in the tight channels and strong kicking game.
That doesn’t even take into account the emotional factor of taking on the All Blacks in front of a sold-out, 74,000-capacity home crowd, which Plumtree said will lift the spirits of the Welsh players.
“The psyche of the Welsh boys is that they’ll be really up for this game, they’ll be really excited about it. They know it’ll be a pretty big challenge, but they will be very motivated,” he said.
“Certainly what you can expect is every individual will play above their game that they normally play, and that will make them pretty tough [to beat].
“If you watch the Welsh play, they’re a very patient side, they build a lot of pressure through carrying the ball off 9, particularly, and they’ll be patient with their kicking game as well, so they use that to gain territory.
“If it’s a little bit wet at the stadium and the roof’s open, then, for want of a better word, it’ll be a real slug fight, potentially on a pretty soft ground.
“Tactically, we’ll have to be very smart and take our opportunities when we do get territory because we know that they’ll be working really hard defensively and they’ll be looking to build pressure with that ball.”
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
27 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 commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
27 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
27 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
27 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
27 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments