Gregor Paul: All Blacks spending time at the maul

Adam Thompson. Photo / Getty Images

Opinion

The key objective at this week's All Black camp is to begin work on the driving maul and focus minds on the need for exemplary execution of the basics.

The transition from Super 14 to tests has been problematic in the last two years for the All Blacks. The country's best players have struggled to switch into confrontational mode. The bonus-point culture of Super rugby was dragged into the early tests of 2008 and 2009- and France pounced last year to inflict defeat on a shambolic All Black side in Dunedin.

The coaches, too, were slow in previous years to determine the true landscape of test rugby. In 2008, they didn't have any handle initially on how to play under the ELVs and last year they didn't realise the value of kick-and-chase until it was too late.

Conscious of those failings, head coach Graham Henry has spent the last few months poring over videos and statistics to determine trends and strategies that are clearly working. The All Black coaches also decided 12 months ago to put all 140 professional players on personal development programmes.

Each player has specific targets to meet, specific skills to improve and the All Black panel, in conjunction with the respective Super 14 coaches, have monitored progress.

Theoretically at least, the All Black coaches should have a good grip on the tactical set-up of the current game and also the mental and physical shape of their players.

The success the Bulls and Stormers have enjoyed with the maul has led the All Black panel to believe they need to develop a similar weapon and much time will be spent on that this week.

They also need to work on ways to disrupt opposition mauls.

On a more general level, this week is also about attention to detail. Much of the work produced by New Zealand Super 14 teams around the set-piece was a little sloppy. Mistakes were a big problem for all five sides and Henry will press home the need to take kickoffs cleanly; to chase every kick; to be accurate under the high ball and to throw straight at the lineout.

The positives have been the ball-carrying form of the loose forwards. It was apparent midway through the campaign that Victor Vito and Adam Thomson had been encouraged to get their hands on the ball and use their pace and strength to create holes.

That's how the All Blacks want to use them. There was also some effective counter- attacking throughout the competition - something the All Blacks are desperate to bring back into their game.

Unlike the previous two years, the All Black coaches understand the game they have been watching and have a tactical base from which they can work.