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LONG READ Rugby fans are about to find out what Robertson's All Blacks are made of

Rugby fans are about to find out what Robertson's All Blacks are made of
1 week ago

The All Blacks have arrived in London with a definitive sense that they are going to be tested in ways they have not yet been tested this year.

Which may seem odd given they start their tour with a Test against England who they have already played twice this year.

But the England team the All Blacks played in July, despite not having played since then, will present an entirely different proposition in London to the one they did in Dunedin and Auckland.

It’s just the way the international rugby is – that it’s incredibly tough for the North to perform well in the South in July and likewise, that much harder for the South to do it when they travel North.

The All Blacks know that they met a team on its last legs in July, with many of England’s players having been on the go for 12 months solid due to the World Cup.

They met a team that was trying to dig out two big performances in the depths of the New Zealand winter when maybe, all they wanted to do was be back home in the English summer.

And yet more specifically the All Blacks know there is the Twickenham factor to consider – that England on their home patch have this rare capacity to enjoy these incredible momentum surges that can change the game in minutes.

New Zealand have had too much first-hand experience of the Twickenham surge factor to dismiss it as myth. They felt it in 2012 when England went on a 10-minute rampage in the second half, threatening to win by a lot more than the 38-21 final score.

All Blacks England
The All Blacks narrowly won two Tests in June but after a further seven Tests under Scott Robertson, have they improved? (Photo Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

Then there was the last time they played England at Twickenham. That was yet more incredible as England were 25-6 down with nine minutes remaining and seemingly no show whatsoever of mounting any kind of comeback.

But out of nowhere they clicked into gear and became unstoppable. The unthinkable became the thinkable when three tries were scored in nine minutes and if England had been afforded just one more minute, they would have got the job done and won and instead of drawn.

Just how deadly England can be on their home patch is something All Blacks vice-captain Ardie Savea felt the need to acknowledge shortly after arriving in London.

“I think England not only bring the physical game, but they have got a bit of razzle and swag to their game as well and with Marcus Smith at 10 they can play from anywhere,” said Savea.

“We saw that the last time we played them at Twickenham. We got up and they came back and drew for us, we have just got to be clinical, nail our job, our role, every moment or try to.

“We have grown a lot since the two tests in New Zealand. It is just a matter of coming together on Saturday and nailing it under pressure. “We understand how important the crowd is and the noise that comes with it.

“There will be times when England get up and have the momentum and we have to get back in the moment.

“We have to expect that and when it does come breathe and try to nail our next moment.”

Savea’s references to staying in the momentum and remembering to breathe are likely to have been key messages that the All Blacks senior players and coaching staff have been banging into the squad since they arrived in the UK.

And they will have been doing this because the All Blacks have been plagued by one key failing all season – which has been their inability to hold their structure, attacking shape and discipline through the full 80 minutes.

There was an incredible statistic five games into the Rugby Championship that the All Blacks hadn’t scored a single point in the final quarter. Combine that with the three losses they suffered and it’s not easy to know what to make of the All Blacks.

They have improved since they beat England in July, but the difficultly is knowing by how much. They have lost three tests, but at the same time, they gave themselves a golden opportunity to win all three – the two defeats in South Africa being particularly painful as the All Blacks had the Boks in big trouble but couldn’t finish them off.

But only once this year have they produced a second half surge where they have turned the screws and squeezed an opponent into submission.

That was against Australia in Wellington in September – a performance that easily ranks as their best of 2024 for the simple reason they didn’t drift out the game in the final quarter.

So on the face of it, it’s not apparent how much, if at all, the All Blacks have improved since they beat England in July. The main failing they had in July of not being able to hold their structure and discipline, has largely stuck with them and the question is how much weighting to place on that performance in Wellington?

Was that the moment the All Blacks came of age? Was that the sign that they are now finding a level of confidence with their game and an ability to implement it more effectively?

Savea thinks so, or at least he says he’s confident the team has grown significantly since July. “It has been a journey of growth,” he said. “Connecting and coming together as a team and as a family.

Ardie Savea
All Blacks captain Ardie Savea says the side has been ‘growing’, but there’s no doubt they’ve been usurped by rivals, South Africa (Photo PHILL MAGAKOE/Getty Images)

“There is a lot of new personnel coming together and I feel we are starting to understand what our game is. We are starting to understand the players around us and hopefully we can connect this week.

“You are always evolving if you think you can stay the same from the start of the year to now you are kidding yourself. As a team we are always evolving.

“Those first two games of the year we were not just trying to tick a box we were trying to win. That’s the great thing about time you get to bond and connect and understand your gameplan.”

What sways the thinking more towards Savea being right, and that the All Blacks are a better, more cohesive team now than they were back in July, is the volume of personnel that has changed.

Since July, Tupou Vai’i has become a world class lock. He’s found himself at this level – becoming a more dominant lineout force and more impactful ball carrier.

In July, Partick Tuipulotu wasn’t match fit so the All Blacks lacked the locking punch they do now. Sam Cane wasn’t available in July because of injury and Wallace Sititi has emerged as a thunderous loose forward with explosive power on both sides of the ball.

Cam Roigard has returned from injury to give the All Blacks variety at halfback and Caleb Clarke has made himself the first choice wing, because he has tightened his defence and added accurate aerial ability to his repertoire.

And maybe the two biggest changes of all – Will Jordan is back from injury and as sharp as ever and Beauden Barrett has been shifted to No 10 where his maturity and experience have given the team greater composure and tactical control.

With these players having developed, some having returned and others having been shifted to their rightful positions, the All Blacks do present as a different – better – team to the one that only just managed to scrape past England.

“They have either had someone senior that has taken them under their wing and they are now stepping into a position where they are having to lead and to step forward and be that guy and they are showing it,” Savea said of the generation of emerging players such as Vai’I, Clarke, and Sititi, the latter who he has personally mentored.

Wallace Sititi
There are high hopes Wallace Sititi could be another All Black superstar In the back row (Photo Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

“ We are close. He’s been amazing coming into this environment, he has found what works for him and he’s playing great footy and that is testament to him, his preparations, his level headedness and the calmness he has. He’s inspiring and that is special.

“With the way he is playing he can play six, seven or eight he is quality and I think Wally and I have the same mindset we are just grateful wherever we are playing and grateful to be starting.

“He can play 8 and be awesome. Six and be awesome even seven. He is only 21 and it is something he has got and that is something you want to flourish and for him to keep playing the way he is playing.”

Comments

33 Comments
S
SM 9 days ago

It all hinges on selections, seems like it's hard to get dropped in the last few years no matter who's the coach.

S
SK 10 days ago

Tough matches against Ireland and France will be touch and go. Reckon they will struggle in both especially with the defensive quality and line speed both sides bring. The England game will be vitally important for them. A win is almost non negotiable as a loss could set the whole tour up for failure. Three losses on this tour would see them 8 from 14 this year which is just about as bad as it gets. Two wins must be the minimum for them. P.S. Everyone is discounting Italy but if they get it right on the day and the AB's are playing a second string outfit who have a disjointed performance then who knows what could be possible. Italy showed up against France and rand them close. They beat both Scotland and Wales in the last Six Nations so don't discount them.

N
Nickers 10 days ago

If Italy are as good as they were in the 6N, and the ABs play like they did against Japan, the ABs will make history for all the wrong reasons.

M
MakeOllieMathisAnAB 10 days ago

My gut feeling is

- England : a close win/loss

- Ireland: a frustrating one score loss like we got against SA

- France: reasonably ok win.


That’s if I was a betting man. (Which I am not. ABs will annihilate all three of these teams).

N
Nickers 10 days ago

I wish I had this confidence.


One score loss to England. We seem to have 50/50 after 50/50 games against them so they are due to beat us. We could catch them out a bit rusty, but as the article points out once they get their tails up at Twickenham it's hard to stop them, and they actually have ball players and x factor across the park now - so they won't be shy. I don't think we have developed the leadership or discipline to take the wind out of their sails yet.


Ireland game has the potential to be a blow out we could lose this by 14+. Ireland are too relentless and too well drilled to give much up. They have progressed meaningfully since the World Cup I think. I can't see our D sticking with them for extended periods. I can see us giving away a huge number of penalties and having at least two yellow cards dished out.


France game is more 50/50. They were average in the 6N, sent a B team to Argentina, it's hard to know where they are at. If they go back to what worked for them from 2021 - 2023 I can't see us beating them at the moment. But if they play like they did in the 6N we will beat them.

B
Bull Shark 10 days ago

I have it the other way. A reasonably okay win against England. A frustrating loss to Ireland. A bigger loss to France.


I think France are going to emerge the best NH team next year.

D
DS 10 days ago

The ABs have gone from finishing over the top of teams in the last 20 mins to staggering home. Increased fitness by the opposition, the amount of stoppages - both real and fake, the number and use of replacements; are all contributors to this change.

Also, as some (mostly non Crusaders) predicted about the new coaching setup, Test rugby is not Super rugby.

N
Nickers 10 days ago

ABs have not been fit enough. Too many players coming back from long lay offs due to injury or extended down time on the back of Japan season. Match fitness nowhere near where it needed to be.

J
JW 10 days ago

It’s just the way the international rugby is – that it’s incredibly tough for the North to perform well in the South in July and likewise, that much harder for the South to do it when they travel North.

Bollocks


I don't think you have been able to see the small changes because you've been following the team week to week and they pass you bye (but you do go on to name a few of the positional ones and let Ardie explain the others), ask England after this week.

D
DS 10 days ago

Do those "small changes" include losing the Rugby Championship which the much maligned Foster managed to do every year?

M
Mamba 10 days ago

Razor is the problem - yet nobody wants to say it out loud…

Test rugby is not SuperRugby and the bloke is out of his depth. Lose more than one game on this tour and you’ll see what happens…

d
d 8 days ago

tbh this is the only match the ABs might win. Razor does seem to be the problem, flinging subs on incoherently around the 50 minute mark hasn't and won't work with a side that struggles to maintain structure at the best of times. I suspect we might well see 0/3 against the top sides this tour, and the murmurings that Vern Cotter would do better will become deafening.

N
Nickers 9 days ago

The mistake he has made is his assistants IMO. Ryan is proven, but imagine if some combination of Cotter, Joseph, Tony Brown were his assistants. Decades if international experience vs 0.


The coach selection process is deeply flawed. One guy should apply then get the assistants after. Basically something worked well once (reappointment of Henry/Hansen) and the whole process has been built around that despite it not working for the past 8 years.

B
Bull Shark 10 days ago

And I’d add or counter that Razor isn’t the problem. NZRU is the problem. They call the shots. Razor didn’t employ himself.

B
Bull Shark 10 days ago

I’ll be cheering for the ABs all the way. But 2/3 tour would be a good result for them. To be fair, Razor has to be given time by his employers to settle in since he had been appointed without test level coaching experience. And other challenges to overcome. Razor is the first NZ coach since Henry to “rebuild”.


But a 1/3 or 0/3 is also quite possible given the quality of opposition they’re up against - and the question becomes: will the NZ public be that patient?

B
BH 10 days ago

I now believe that an All Black coach should have already been a head coach for another country beforehand. Foster was also out of his depth but managed to grind out some key victories at important times (while also losing games they should've won).

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