Rugby: All Blacks prepare for 'organised chaos'

Kieran Read of New Zealand. Photo / Getty Images.

Argentina likely to bring much more than just formidable pack to the test arena.

The All Blacks know what they're going to get from Argentina, and it's not a forward-oriented battle, it's a helter-skelter strategy involving all 15 players which loose forward Jerome Kaino described as "organised chaos".

"It's hard to study how they're playing," Kaino said. "We like to call it 'organised chaos' - with their offloads and how they chip from anywhere and it comes off. A lot of what we do is just basics done well. That's how we see their game. They back themselves from anywhere and throw their offloads. For them, they are their basics, so for us it's about expecting anything when they run the ball."

Of the key attacking measure-ments of carries, offloads, defenders beaten and metres run after two Rugby Championship tests, Argentina are second behind the All Blacks.

The key for them will be knowing when to give that offload, which could put a player through the All Black defence, or which could be fumbled and result in Beauden Barrett or one of his teammates running in between the posts.

It's a discipline which the Jaguares had to learn the hard way in their inaugural Super Rugby season after the Pumas impressed with their ambition and offloading ability at the World Cup, memorably against the All Blacks in their 26-16 pool defeat at Wembley, and especially in their 43-20 quarter-final victory over Ireland in Cardiff.

"Even though the results were not what we wanted, Super Rugby was really hard for us and that's helped us to feel comfortable as a team and also comfortable in playing a style of game that we were not playing before," skipper Agustin Creevy said.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said: "They've been a formidable foe for a long time. The last time we played them it was a real battle, wasn't it, in the World Cup?

"They seem pretty clear on what style they want to play. They've always been very combative up front, but I've always thought they've had really talented backs and probably haven't used them as much as that talent warrants.

"They seem to want to use the ball. Their forwards offload in the tackle as well. They're very difficult to contain because of that and they seem to be a happy group."

Skipper Kieran Read said: "We've prepared as if they're a real threat. They're coming in under the radar and have certainly got a bit of confidence about them.

"They played together for the Jaguares so the combinations are strong. They are a quality side."

With Nicholas Sanchez at No10, the Pumas have a player capable of plotting a conservative game as well as a more ambitious one.

And the All Blacks haven't forgotten the way hooker Creevy scored two tries from lineout drives in a 39-18 victory for the home side in Christchurch last year.

The set piece has not been neglected this week.

"Their scrum is a big part of their game," hooker Dane Coles said. "We knew when we came in on Sunday that that was going to be a massive focus. We've been working hard to try to match that.

"You give these guys dominance at scrum time and the drive, and they've got some world-class backs who have some great offloading ability.

"We need to really to front up. The scrum against the Aussies probably wasn't too flash.

"We didn't adapt as quickly as we should have so we need to make sure we're on from the start to help our backs out," said Coles.

"They probably see [the lineout] as a big attacking platform for our team and if they can stop that then it limits our chances."