Where the All Blacks got it absolutely wrong and played right into Eddie's hands
Right from the get-go on Saturday night, the All Blacks played into England’s hands.
New Zealand’s first exit kick from Aaron Smith was launched down the line into touch near halfway, giving England their first lineout of the game.
Less than a minute later, Manu Tuilagi was diving over next to the posts to shellshock the 70,000 fans packed into Yokohama Stadium as England took a 7-0 ascendency they would never give up.
This recipe would be repeated over and over as the All Blacks failed to adopt a kicking strategy around contested kicking, which left them high and dry of meaningful possession in the right areas of the field.
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The second clearing kick by a retreating George Bridge gave England an attacking lineout 25-metres out. The long 55-metre driving kick he caught on the full from Owen Farrell on his own 6 may have gone dead if he’d left it. Instead, England launched another white wave.
They breached the All Blacks’ 22 four times in the first 10 minutes, and six times within the first quarter.
The All Blacks’ preference for lineouts over aerial challenges coming out of their exit zone cost them as their investment in jumping prowess never pulled in the steals that Hansen envisioned when he selected Scott Barrett at 6.
On attack, at the other end of the field, the kicking was just poor.
The All Blacks’ first pair of offensive lineouts from halfway ended with grubbers by Beauden Barrett and Richie Mo’unga that were expertly read by Elliot Daly in the backfield and covered. Space was not there inviting a grubber, but they kicked anyway.
Mo’unga’s one luckily paid off giving the All Blacks their first attacking lineout on the edge of England’s 22, which after one phase Aaron Smith hoisted a box kick.
A box kick on the edge of England’s 22? Was this the All Blacks we were watching? Not even England would employ such a tactic; they have power rugby to play.
The kick was uncontested, resulting in a regulation mark for Jonny May. England quickly restarted the game with a quick tap and Farrell hammered the ball downfield towards halfway for a New Zealand net loss of 30-metres and a blown opportunity to attack and return serve after nearly 15-minutes of English onslaught.
To make matters worse, the next lineout was sacked and the ball stripped by Maro Itoje, turning the screws back on New Zealand as England smashed there way down the field over a wilting Kiwi pack for their 5th entry into the 22 with ball-in-hand.
At this point only one side was looking to play attacking rugby, it is sad to say, with only excellent last-ditch scrambling defence spoiling England’s work.
Again after a timely turnover, Aaron Smith smashes it into touch for another England lineout 30-metres out.
The All Blacks had zero contested kicks coming out of their end of the field in the first half unless you count one half-attempt from Sevu Reece on a Barrett midfield bomb.
Both sides had eight kicks inside their own 40 in the first half. England kept 63% in play while New Zealand kicked 75% into touch.
One team wanted the game to keep going and one didn’t. This is a bizarre strategy, as anyone who has studied England at all knows that they only open up the playbook once they get a lineout inside the opposition 40. Everything is else is designed to kick downfield methodically to earn a lineout, even if it takes 20-minutes to do so.
New Zealand continually gave them that platform instead of steering the game away from it. Stacking your forward pack with lineout options doesn’t mean you have to continually invite the opposition to throw.
England earned clean throws on their own ball and it was actually New Zealand who struggled. England caused fits for Codie Taylor, nabbing two steals and sacking the maul two times for four turnovers in the first half.
Credit to England’s coaching team, they had Read, Retallick, Barrett, and Whitelock jumping at ghosts and trying to contest with one-man lifts with a vast array of well-drilled plays.
Doubling down on the lineout and inviting England to play from there made this All Blacks’ game plan a tactical disaster, ending up heavily on the wrong side of the territory and possession stats.
The complete sea change in the second half was also too skewed in the other direction.
Playing from their own end led to three turnovers inside or on the edge of their own 22 within the first five minutes. England eventually put over three points to stretch the lead out to 13-0.
It was actually an unintentional kick kept in play that allowed the All Blacks back into the game.
After trying to play expansive phases inside their own 22, a popgun Mo’unga clearing kick that may have taken a deflection found Slade isolated by Savea on the kick return, who then won a piggyback penalty downfield that eventually led to the overthrow try.
Three points were shipped straight back after a Jordie Barrett error moments later, playing Wallaby rugby inside the 22 that would have made Michael Cheika proud.
The All Blacks were tactically outplayed on many levels but were still able to hang in the game with pure determination and guts. Unfortunately, smarts will end you if the other team is as tough and determined as you are.
On the day, England outsmarted an All Blacks side, proving to be more than their equal and their differing approaches to the kicking game played a big part in that.
Eddie Jones post-match press conference after beating New Zealand:
Comments on RugbyPass
Should'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.
19 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.
19 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?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to comments