All Blacks: Backs told to stand tall

All Blacks first five-eighth Stephen Donald will need quicker service to combat the French rush defence on Saturday. Photo / Getty Images

The All Blacks' under-fire players are being told to take personal responsibility for turning around a forgettable first test rugby performance against France.

Assistant coach Wayne Smith has tweaked up the temperature in his field of expertise, telling the backs to accept there were faults in the 27-22 loss in Dunedin.

Those from halfback out have largely escaped criticism, with much analysis ahead of the second test in Wellington on Saturday devoted to the weak forward display at Carisbrook.

Yet a disjointed three-quarter line barely managed a line break between them while halves Jimmy Cowan and Stephen Donald seemed to operate in slow motion at times, making them easy pickings for the tourists.

Smith, who last week reached a century of tests as either the All Blacks head coach or assistant, has asked his backs this week to ignore a time-honoured maxim that the rugby battle is always won up front.

"The forwards are never going to win the physical battle if they're going backwards," he said.

"That's simply the challenge. We (backs) are the ones that drive the game and we've got to get them going forward."

Smith encouraged his players to take the reins themselves when it comes to plotting France's downfall.

That view was borne out in his response when asked whether injured first five-eighth Daniel Carter had been helpful this week.

Carter has just returned from a six-month stint with French champions Perpignan and will have up-to-date knowledge of France's premier backs.

"We've spoken to Daniel a wee bit but the players have to do their own homework," Smith said.

"They've got to scout the players they're playing against themselves, you can't spoon-feed these guys."

Smith also warned the players not to ease up just because world class centre Conrad Smith had returned to full fitness. He replaces Isaia Toeava, who had a nervous night with his handling.

"Conrad's an experienced player and a good player but you can't put the pressure on him to come back and be the messiah. There's no hiding out there, everyone's got to step up to the mark and the time's coming."

A key element of the test will be how the All Blacks' handle the French rush defence, something that sent jitters through a group of players accustomed to the open spaces of Super 14 rugby.

First five-eighth Donald was often under pressure because of slow service and a lack of communication around him.

"If a team's up flat and fast and pushing the boundaries there, you've got to adapt to it," Smith said.

"We struggled to adapt. Whether that's experience, or a lack of coaching time, I don't know.

"That's what we're working on at the moment, you need time with the guys."

Smith denied the All Blacks players were too programmed in their approach and couldn't react well when opponents threw something unexpected at them like a rush defence.

He reckoned in the five years under the current coaching regime, the players had been instructed to find the best way to create space. They had been given a licence to play what was in front of them but admitted the green nature of the team and their lack of buildup time had worked against them in Dunedin.

"It's the same every year. You get groups of players in from diverse teams playing diverse styles of rugby," he said.

"Rugby's a game of understanding what you see and having an instantaneous option that you've worked at trained and which guys inside you and outside you know.

"Your errors, your slow ball, your turnovers are generally errors of decision-making.

"I think we'll be better simply because we've had another week together."

- NZPA