Where Mark Telea’s absence will hurt the All Blacks the most

A breach in team protocol has landed Mark Telea a stint on the sideline for the All Blacks’ biggest Test in four years.

In his place steps the imposing figure of Leicester Fainga’anuku. It’s a replacement that doesn’t compromise much in the way of X-factor, but of course, it’s not the only piece of the puzzle to reshuffle.

The impact unit, which was likely to include Fainga’anuku in the 23 jersey, now features Anton Lienert-Brown as midfield cover. Against Uruguay, Fainga’anuku was handed some late minutes in the midfield as an audition for that final bench spot in the quarter-final. 

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The winger was superb throughout the match and upon shifting into the centres, continued his demolition of the Uruguayan defence. The position amplified his defensive strengths – reading the play and getting over the ball – while better hiding his defensive weakness – lateral quickness and getting burnt on the outside.

The performance didn’t guarantee Fainga’anuku’s bench role as predominantly midfield cover, but it did offer some peace of mind for the coaches should an injury or a red card sideline Jordie Barrett or Rieko Ioane.

The 24-year-old’s form is simply too good to ignore and demanded a place in the matchday 23.

Elsewhere, in the final round of pool play, Scotland were dismissed by the All Blacks’ quarter-final opponent, Ireland.

It was clinical and ruthless by the Irish, who resisted phase after phase of Scottish attack, surrendering very few metres before ultimately winning a breakdown turnover – as they do better than any team in the world.

At one point, Scotland ran up 18 phases only to have the ball stolen and any direct reward for their efforts ripped away by the patient and disciplined Irish defence.

It wasn’t until the 63rd minute when Scotland scored, and then again one minute later. Those tries were earned half an hour earlier, through each one of those gruelling 18 phases.

That is the blueprint for an All Blacks win.

Defence is exhausting, Ireland may be the world’s best at it, but they are human, and absorbing the kind of firepower New Zealand possesses will take its toll.

And so, the challenge for New Zealand in the first 60 minutes will be securing the ball for enough phases to slowly empty the green machine’s tank, without leaking too many points before an onslaught in the final quarter.

The All Blacks are yet to concede a try in the first half of their Rugby World Cup games, and as thorough as their loss to South Africa was at Twickenham, their opening period of defence repelled the Springboks’ red zone attack for a respectable time.

It’s a significant stat, because if the All Blacks can withstand the early pressure and head into the final quarter within one or two tries of the lead, they’ll sniff opportunity.

Team Form

Last 5 Games

43 - 21

27 - 17

21 - 42

20 - 13

36 - 14

26 - 52

33 - 19

17 - 25

13 - 26

14 - 28

4

Wins

4

4

Streak

1

20

Tries Scored

21

38

Points Difference

47

4/5

First Try

4/5

4/5

First Points

3/5

3/5

Race To 10 Points

4/5

While Anton Lienert-Brown is a world-class midfielder and will add energy and proven defensive prowess to the All Blacks backline, there is no substitute for power, and Leicester Fainga’anuku brings a lot of it.

Along with the mercurial running threat of Damian McKenzie, Fainga’anuku has the potential to turn a match on its head and punish tiring defenders with elite finishing ability.

Mark Telea deserves his starting role, he is the best all-around option for New Zealand on the left wing. His aerial skills and defence are both superior to Fainga’anuku’s, while his ability to make metres out of nowhere is at times alien.

An All Blacks outfit complete with the danger of their first-choice starting unit, along with the reserve impact of the hat-trick hero of the Uruguay match would have the best chance of pushing Ireland to the very brink. Whether it would have been enough, we’ll never know.

The objective of tiring the Irish defence demands a far more efficient breakdown and kicking game than the All Blacks have shown to date.

Fainga’anuku’s work carrying around the breakdown will win front foot ball, provided his teammates can secure it. Telea’s snipes and extra metres around the ruck have, on many occasions, resulted in a turnover due to the All Blacks’ less polished skillset in more dynamic breakdown situations. Fainga’anuku is likely to find the same fate if there hasn’t been significant growth in that area since the France Test.

New Zealand’s best chance of beating Ireland lies in the final 20 minutes of the quarter-final. Unfortunately, their ability to execute in that final quarter just lost a major spark.