OPINION
Six talking points as the All Blacks head into their final dress rehearsal before the World Cup.
NOT A TIME TO HOLD BACK
As predicted by the Herald’s Liam Napier the All Blacks have gone full noise with their team to play South Africa
Rugby World Cup 2023: Phil Gifford - why we should see more of the All Blacks’ daring attack
Richie Mo’unga and Aaron Smith celebrate a try. Photo / photosport.nz
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The forward battle will be titanic. A South African front row built around hooker Malcolm Marx, who has always looked and played as if his second job is being a bouncer at the toughest night club in Johannesburg, will make for a fascinating scrum confrontation.
The All Blacks pack is now as technically expert, and as hard-nosed, as any in the world, and should provide quick, clean ball. So we could see more of the daring attack that’s starting to be a feature of this New Zealand team.
NOT AS RISKY AS IT LOOKS
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Having just two back reserves, Anton Lienert-Brown and Cam Roigard, is a reflection of the fact there’s huge versatility in the All Blacks backline.
Fullback Beauden Barrett covers first-five. Wing Will Jordan is a transplanted fullback. Jordie Barrett has played more tests at fullback than second-five, just as Rieko Ioane has played more on the wing than at centre. Lienert-Brown is at home at second-five or centre. And in a real injury crisis Dalton Papali’i wouldn’t look totally amiss on the wing.
HOW MUCH DOES A WIN MATTER?
The rugby world won’t end if the All Blacks lose, but the confidence there already is in their ranks will benefit from victory.
One thing I can guarantee. If the All Blacks do have a convincing win, there’s no chance of complacency or arrogance creeping in.
Men like captain Sam Cane, Scott Barrett, Ardie Savea, Aaron Smith, and Richie Mo’unga will remember clearly how four games after a 23-13 win over South Africa in Yokohama, in their opening match of the 2019 Cup campaign, the All Blacks were well beaten, 19-7, by England in their semifinal.
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HOME AWAY FROM HOME
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A sellout crowd at Twickenham for an All Blacks-South Africa test is always going to be a safe bet.
English rugby fans know that the game will be a good contest, and there are an estimated 60,000 Kiwis and 53,000 South Africans living in London. In 2015 the trains from Waterloo to London for the semifinal between the All Blacks and the Boks were packed, and almost everyone on board was bedecked in green and gold or black.
HANDS ACROSS THE DITCH
All Black Dane Coles’ startled reaction to learning Steve Hansen was giving Eddie Jones a hand with the Wallabies before they play France on Monday morning was initially echoed by a lot of Kiwis.
When more details emerged it was easy to take a deep breath and settle down. Six days only with the Ockers, no cash changing hands, and not remotely a deep dive from Hansen into what the All Blacks might be up to. At first the timing felt a little weird, but when you examine the draw for the Cup, the earliest the All Blacks and Australia could face each other is in a semifinal, and by then the visit by Hansen would be way back in the rearview mirror.
IT’S ALL IN THE ARMS
The wheels ground slowly, but eventually common sense has seen Owen Farrell and Billy Vunipola both ruled out of England’s opening game of the World Cup against Argentina.
How the Farrell case became so complicated is one of life’s mysteries. Farrell didn’t tackle Welshman Taine Basham. He shoulder charged him. Vunipola did the same when he hit Ireland’s Andrew Porter head with his shoulder.
In 2017 Sonny Bill Williams was red carded for a shoulder charge in the second test in Wellington on Lions wing Anthony Watson. In an interesting contrast to the legal contortions Farrell went through at his first hearing after the Basham incident, Williams basically said “Fair cop Guv”, immediately pleaded guilty, and was banned for four matches.
All Blacks v Springboks: Follow the match at nzherald.co.nz
Elliott Smith’s live commentary on GoldSport, Newstalk ZB and iHeartradio
Alternative Commentary Collective: iHeart Radio, Radio Hauraki and SKY Sport 9
