Patrick Tuipulotu contests a lineout during the first test at Forsyth Barr Stadium. Photo / Photosport
Patrick Tuipulotu contests a lineout during the first test at Forsyth Barr Stadium. Photo / Photosport
THREE KEY FACTS
- The All Blacks face England’s rush defence and aim to counter it with direct play and refined short-kicking strategies.
- Bench players, like Beauden Barrett and Luke Jacobson, provide a crucial advantage, often changing the game’s momentum.
- The All Blacks are unbeatenat Eden Park for 30 years with 46 wins and two draws since 1994.
Liam Napier has been a sports journalist since 2010, and his work has taken him to World Cups in rugby, netball and cricket, boxing world title fights and Commonwealth Games.
Inevitable as rain in the mild Auckland winter, the All Blacks’ domineering record at Eden Park is thrust forth into our collective consciousness once again. Nostalgia is the strongest, perhaps only other than cricket’s need for an oval venue, rational argument for maintaining Auckland’s sporting affiliation to the dated concrete jungle when a vastly more appealing downtown alternative is under consideration. The All Blacks, despite New Zealand Rugby’s support for the Te Tōangaroa Quay Street proposal, sit at the heart of Eden Park’s inflated lure.
Unbeaten at the iconic venue for 30 years, with 46 wins and two draws against the Springboks and British and Irish Lions since the last loss to France in 1994, it sure is a favoured fortress for the All Blacks.
No one knows quite why the All Blacks rise to the occasion more so there than any other ground, why they have lost 10 times to harness a 90% win record since 1921.
The largest New Zealand-based crowd is a factor. So, too, a sense of familiarity. It is the All Blacks home. While comforting, Scott Robertson’s All Blacks must now uphold that record which adds another layer of pressure. In the final outing of their long season opportunity knocks for England to create history – if they truly believe.
“We’ve not avoided it,” England assistant coach Richard Wigglesworth, who started at halfback in the 37-20 defeat at Eden Park in 2008, said. “It’s the All Blacks’ record to protect, it’s not our record to get, but they’ve done that for a long time. It will go sometime. These are young lads who shouldn’t be burdened by anything that’s gone before – and they aren’t.”
Splitting the poles
After a first test in which Damian McKenzie’s rare timed-out penalty contributed to seven missed points for the All Blacks in Dunedin and, more costly, England playmaker Marcus Smith sprayed eight points off his tee, the high-towered spotlights shine on whether the respective goal-kickers strike with greater accuracy this weekend. Last week, that proved the difference. McKenzie’s two second-half penalties were – just – enough to sneak the All Blacks through the trap door to a safe space.
Eden Park, and all-home All Blacks tests from here on, will display a shot clock on the big screen, ensuring no repeat of McKenzie’s fine line blunder. McKenzie’s non-kick has since been proven to be within the allotted 60-second limit but the referee is the sole adjudicator of time and, therefore, like parents, is always right.
Blitz, baby, blitz
It’s not a bird, a plane, or Lewis Hamilton. No, it’s another English defender shooting out of the line at warp speed. Those unaware of Felix Jones’ rush defence are well acquainted now. At this time last week, I underlined former Irish international Jones’ pressing presence as the architect of the Springboks’ World Cup-winning defence before joining England.
While the All Blacks enjoyed some success skirting around England’s midfield shooters, more often than not they were on the receiving end. England fullback George Furbank flattened Rieko Ioane on one occasion and McKenzie copped the brunt of the committed blitz from midfielder Henry Slade on several attempted second man plays. Expect the All Blacks forward pack to take the direct approach and refine their short kicking game to combat their lack of time and space.
“If you haven’t got little things around your skills or depth right you can get really hurt,” All Blacks assistant Jason Holland noted. “We’ve got a couple of ideas around making it hard to bring line speed so you have to go backwards to come forward. You’ve got to get balance in what you do. We can’t be predictable. We’ve got to have a little bit more to our game than what we had in Dunedin.”
Sevu Reece is tackled by Henry Slade during the 2019 World Cup semifinal. Photo / Andrew Cornaga / Photosport
One-two punch
The All Blacks savoured definitive advantages in two battlegrounds last week – their scrum and substitutions. Superior impact from the bench was a major factor in deciding the outcome with Beauden Barrett and Luke Jacobson making notable impressions. And in a concern for England, the All Blacks scrum lost no dominance when props Fletcher Newell and Ofa Tu’ungafasi were injected in the second half. England’s scrum will be targeted again after their loosehead prop and vice-captain Joe Marler was ruled out through injury, to leave 22-year-old one test rookie Fin Baxter under pressure to perform.
Rise up, Ratima
Last week marked the first time in 35 years the All Blacks had no debutants in their match-day squad for their maiden test of the season. This week TJ Perenara’s injury absence forces their hand to promote Chiefs halfback Cortez Ratima to the bench. While Finlay Christie is preferred to start, Ratima’s dynamic running game is a lethal prospect to unleash off the bench against tiring English bodies. Ratima will be the first of five rookies in the All Blacks official 32-man squad to debut this season.
“Cortez is one of the hardest workers,” Chiefs teammate Luke Jacobson said. “He puts in a lot of work when no one is watching. He’s grown heaps over the years but even when he first came in you could see he was going to be something special. Each year he’s been getting better and better so when he gets that opportunity I’ll be stoked for him and I’m sure he’ll take it with two hands.”
Scott Robertson has resisted any temptation to rotate his side for the All Blacks’ year-ending test against Italy, naming as strong a side as possible for Sunday’s clash.
