What is 'New Zealand rugby' nowadays?

Unfortunately to much “structure” has crepted into our game in NZ. The once amazing counter attacking rugby the All Blacks played has almost disappeared under the last coaching regime. Basic things like draw and pass have been replaced with taking contact or going to ground.

That being said I do think that the new rules around blocking kick chasers have benefited teams like SA that have always had great kick chasing plays like Habana, Kolbe. It's also resulted and encouraged yet more infield kicking which is destroying the game.

What is NZ rugby?

Traditionally it’s a continuity game. Stop start rugby was anathemic to our philosophy of using the ball and keeping the game flowing. We’re not usually the biggest, strongest or most physical opponents, but our collective speed to the ball, movement of the ball and skill with the ball would be greater.

It’s a very good article. It’s exactly what I’ve been thinking for years. The identity of New Zealand rugby has been completely lost under Foster, and especially Robertson, who has ended up hammering the final nail in the coffin.

That said, I’m quite worried when I look at the style of play developed by the New Zealand teams on this first round of Super Rugby. It’s poor, robotic. We kick the ball mechanically without really knowing what we’re trying to gain. It’s concerning… New Zealand rugby is not heading in the right direction. It hasn’t created anything new for years, even though I think the player base is actually quite strong.

But all of this seems to be wasted by coaches who don’t appear to have a clear vision. They’re copying a European model (and when you only copy, you inevitably do it worse), which doesn’t match the natural New Zealand style of play.

Rugby in New Zealand is different now. The athletes are bigger, and the level of information they have on opponents is far greater.

Replace New Zealand with around the world.

It’s not like NZ are a poor team, they’re just not of the same level as the past. Much of that is through other nations being better coached and fitter than years gone by and that SA are just that good. It’s all cyclical and nothing deep rooted to suggest NZ won’t be a top side. Could be worse, could be Wales

Jeff Wilson played most of his uper Rugby with Carl Hoeft, Anton Oliver and Kees Meeuws up front. Nothing lightweight about that unit.

It must be sad to be so bitter and twisted that all you can do is write negative articles. I feel sorry for you

I agree entirely with this article. Have a look at all the teams over last weekend and see how they played. Hamish is right, there used to be a lot of heads up rugby played by NZ teams, whether provincial or international. Now days it's take a run set up a pod, recycle and do it again, then box kick. Coaches are directing players about where the pods should be for the next phase and so on.

Check the six nations and you would have seen Scotland spread the ball wide and stretch England. Sure easier to do when England were down to 14 men, however it was intelligent rugby and really pressurised the England defence. France is the other team that knows how to counter attack and stretch defences.

It's time for the All Blacks to return to the days of good movement of the ball with the backs drawing and passing to put players into space, not doing a Jordie Barrett and taking a collision and then try and recycle again. This used to be our bread and better…heads up rugby and using space and speed to beat a man.

What a ridiculous article. We have a style, just one that doesn't work under the current laws. We don’t need a new identity, just need to find the right tweaks.

Ouch. Who needs enemies?

well wait a while and we will see runnning rugby once allblacks come back and players recover from injuires

No mention of the great Canterbury and Crusaders teams. Alex Wyllie defied predictions other wise in the 1980’s. He and Doug Bruce fashioned a great backline that was based around Bruce Deans, Wayne Smith , Warwick Taylor, Victor Simpson, Craig Green and Robbie Deans . Included others like Andrew McMaster, Gary Hooper, Wayne Burleigh and others. IN 1984, Laurie Mains Otago were dismembered by Canterbury 44-3 in a Ranfurly Shield match. The platform was set up front , but that was one of the great backline displays. Canterbury had some of the hardest forwards around, Andy Earl, Dale Atkins , Don Hayes etc, but Wyllie and his Assistant Doug Bruce encouraged inventive back play. Wayne Smith makes that point in his 2023 book.

Such a negative article, much written is.

How can we grow the game when those who are supposed to be chapioning it spend most of their time bagging the very same game.