All Blacks: 15. Beauden Barrett, 14. Will Jordan, 13. Rieko Ioane, 12. Jordie Barrett, 11. Caleb Clarke, 10. Damian McKenzie, 9. TJ Perenara, 8. Ardie Savea (c), 7. Dalton Papali’i, 6. Ethan Blackadder, 5. Sam Darry, 4. Tupou Vaa’i, 3. Tyrel Lomax, 2. Codie Taylor, 1. Tamaiti Williams
Reserves: 16. Asafo Aumua, 17. Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 18. Fletcher Newell, 19. Josh Lord, 20. Sam Cane, 21. Cortez Ratima, 22. Anton Lienert-Brown, 23. Mark Tele’a
Liam Napier assesses the challenging calls facing Scott Robertson and his coaching team.
Selection changes are expected from the All Blacks as they seek redemption in the rematch with the Pumas at Eden Park, but that lever only forms part of the equation.
Regardless of who the All Blacks entrust to deliver the response, they must grasp these solutions or Scott Robertson’s teetering tenure will further derail.
Loose forward balance:
The All Blacks must ask themselves the pressing question reverberating outside the team: is it time to shift Ardie Savea to openside flanker?
The balance of the All Blacks’ loose forward trio is unquestionably off as a sameness and the lack of ball-carrying punch hurts their ability to deliver the desired go-forward platform.
Ball carrying doesn’t solely rest with the loose forwards but with it is among their designated duties.
Ethan Blackadder and Dalton Papali’i are similar players. So, too, Luke Jacobson. They all boast high work rates, particularly on defence. No one in last week’s starting loose forward trio, though, is a bend-and-break-the-line ball-carrying proposition. Savea is the most likely candidate – yet even he is more of a post-contact metre-eater than a power carrier.
After two starts against England last month, the All Blacks quickly lost faith in Samipeni Finau at blindside flanker. It is, however, worth remembering Jerome Kaino needed a number of years before he developed a true sense of belonging to consistently impose his physical presence on the test scene. In time, Finau could mould into delivering ball-carrying punch and defensive hurt from the six jersey too.
Savea was rightly recognised as the best player in the world last year from the back of the scrum. He found a home at eight predominantly due to Sam Cane’s previous presence as All Blacks captain from openside. Savea could, though, deliver many of the same qualities from openside which would allow a bigger body such as Wallace Sititi to add more size and power to the loose forward trio from No 8.
The All Blacks are clearly keen to manage the 21-year-old Sititi’s development. He has, after all, only played two tests off the bench after impressing in his maiden Super Rugby season with the Chiefs.
The Pumas loose forwards outplaying their counterparts last week, though, accelerates the focus on the lack of contrasting balance in the All Blacks backrow.
In the wake of the first defeat of his tenure, Scott Robertson is unlikely to usher in a radical selection rethink but shifting Savea from eight to seven must be strongly considered this year. So, too, harnessing Finau and Sititi’s clear points of difference.
Not so flash:
Expect the All Blacks to replicate Vern Cotter’s Blues and go up the guts to target the heart of the Pumas defence.
The simple pick-and-drive approach brought rewards in the form of tries to Mark Tele’a and Anton Lienert-Brown in last week’s defeat – yet the All Blacks didn’t grasp the direct route enough.
Later in the contest, following Will Jordan’s injection, the All Blacks savoured success exposing the Pumas’ tiring ruck defence through inside balls.
As All Blacks halfback Cortez Ratima explains, one of the headline takeaways is the need to suck in defenders and earn the right to use the ball.
“We’re really disappointed in the loss but we’ve taken the lessons about being more direct as a team, as an attack, and our forwards being brutal there and winning collisions,” Ratima said. “Being patient around that will give our backs a chance to strike if we’re doing the work through the middle.
“We thought our attack inside the 22 was really good and that’s because our forwards were rolling up their sleeves and our backs were able to feed off that. That’s the major focus going into this week, not being too fancy and going out the back but being more direct and trying to test those shoulders when they’re trying to drift off.
“Forwards every chance they get to have a carry they’ll love it. We’ve got to feed their game; give them a chance to be brutal and aggressive.”
Minimise brain explosions, fix transition defence:
The main reason the Pumas recorded 38 points, their highest total against the All Blacks, is they feasted on errors and moments of madness.
Three of the four Pumas tries came directly in transition from defence to attack. The Pumas scored following a strip on Tyrel Lomax; Sevu Reece’s baffling bat back and a breakdown turnover.
Argentina’s fourth try to former captain Agustín Creevy resulted from the double Savea-Damian McKenzie pass meltdown that coughed up 50 metres to gift the Pumas a scrum on the All Blacks line.
Minimising turnovers is the easiest way to mitigate these chances. No team is ever perfect, though. The All Blacks must therefore improve their unstructured, scrambling defence after being exposed on multiple occasions in Wellington.
Exit strategy:
Repeat kickoffs have been a feature of the All Blacks training this week. Deep kickoffs to be exact. Their failure to adjust to Argentina’s strategy of kicking long from restarts, often to pin Tele’a in the corner, allowed the Pumas to frequently strike back after the All Blacks scored points. TJ Perenara was twice charged attempting to clear from his left foot after taking multiple steps from the base. Vastly improving these exits, with better protection and presentation from the forwards, and execution of the clearance kicks is a major focus to avoid similar smothering tactics.
Impact from and faith in the bench:
The final quarter malaise from the All Blacks last week was partly due to their lack of impact from the bench. Asafo Aumua’s throwing remains a pressing concern after two costly lost lineouts. The Pumas won two late scrum infringements that proved pivotal too. The 6-2 forward favoured bench split paid off for the Pumas which may necessitate a rethink for the All Blacks, possibly injecting the likes of prop Tamaiti Williams to seek greater impact. Rieko Ioane and Sititi were injected for all of 16 minutes which is barely enough time to find your feet.
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