Phil Gifford looks at the biggest talking points from the Rugby World Cup.
A statement match?
To say not only a place in the World Cup quarter-finals, but also the reputation of the All Blacks, is at stake in the test with Italy in Lyon is
All Blacks v Italy: The five biggest talking points at Rugby World Cup - Phil Gifford
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There are more than enough signs that the All Blacks are as itchy and scratchy about this test as the rest of us are. If that nervous energy is channelled sensibly, this will hopefully be more than a victory and a path to the knockout, but a signal too of a return to the form they showed in that 35-20 belting of South Africa in July at Mt Smart.
The Jordan question
As expected, the All Blacks have left Will Jordan on the wing, rather than moving him to fullback.
My belief that Jordan is best placed at fullback is unshaken. As one former top-level coach expressed to me during the week: “On the wing his job now seems to be to just chase kicks. He offers so many more options at fullback.”
I’d suggest the unluckiest man in the decision to stick with the same back three of Jordan and Mark Telea on the wings, and Beauden Barrett at fullback, is wing Leicester Fainga’anuku, who after a stellar performance against Namibia can’t even make the reserves’ bench. He and Telea are potentially stunning attacking forces on the flanks.
Echoes of Wayne
Jordan is far from the first All Black to be shunted out of his best position.
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My favourite condemnation of not playing a man in his best spot was recorded in Richie McCaw’s 2012 book, The Open Side.
After the quarter-final debacle at the 2007 Cup, the NZRU organised an All Blacks leadership seminar in Auckland early in 2008.
In the middle of generally feel-good presentations, the crusty Queensland league coach, the great Wayne Bennett, offered a verbal hand grenade.
“Why were you playing guys out of position?” he asked the coaches. He then walked over to Mils Muliaina, who McCaw says was “kind of scrunched down in his seat”.
Muliaina had been played at centre during the Cup.
“Did you want to play 13?” Bennett asked him. “Ah...” said Muliaina. “Where do you want to play son?” pressed Bennett. “Ah, fullback,” said Muliaina.
“Well,” snapped Bennett, “what the **** were you doing playing centre?”
Ask Dave Rennie about Italy
Italy are no longer the walkovers we used to beat at the Cup 101-3 (1999) and 76-14 (2007).
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Under coach Kieran Crowley, a man so grounded he makes Steve Hansen look flighty, they’ve developed to a point where they scared the merde out of France in the Six Nations this year.
They effectively finished the coaching career of Dave Rennie with the Wallabies by beating Australia, 28-27, in Florence last November.
Discipline will count in Lyon. The Azzuri’s goalkicker, first-five Tommaso Allan, hasn’t missed a shot at goal at the Cup so far, kicking 13 out of 13.
Putting the team first
Sentimentality should never play a part in team selection, so while Sam Whitelock’s remarkable achievement of playing a record 149 All Black tests in the furnace of the middle row will come as a replacement off the bench, it shouldn’t be considered a snub.
Whitelock’s depth of character, which has been most publically expressed as an iconic captain in the Crusaders, is such that you could safely put money on the fact he won’t be sulking or offended about not starting, but will instead put, as he always does, 100 per cent into a historic game in his career.
It may be a long morning
Don’t expect your Saturday morning to be free earlier than expected if you’re watching the Italian game. Referee Matthew Carley is the English whistler who presided over the test against the Springboks at Twickenham, when he allowed so much time wasting the first half took 60 minutes.
Tough time for investors
The dollar’s slumping, the share market’s erratic, and for All Black fans, the TAB is offering $1.01 for every dollar backing the All Blacks against Italy. Such certainty revives memories of Ireland’s biggest bookmakers, Paddy Power, paying out on the All Blacks before the 2011 Cup final against France was played. Who knows how nerve wracked the bookies in Dublin were when the All Blacks had to cling to a one point lead for the last 36 minutes of that game?
All Blacks v Italy: Kickoff 8am on Saturday
Follow the match at nzherald.co.nz
Elliott Smith’s live commentary on Newstalk ZB, Gold Sport and iHeartRadio
Alternative Commentary Collective: iHeartRadio and Radio Hauraki
