Test coaches get extraordinary insights from in-house
video analysis. But even in the artificial intelligence age, nothing reveals more than an actual game, happening in real time. Now the two teams have thoroughly tested each other out in Dunedin, the next clash at Eden Park on Saturday will be the true measure of where the All Blacks and England stand.
On Sunday morning, New Zealand coach Scott Robertson talked about looking forward to the Auckland test, now the new group had experienced “the reality of test footy.”
The fascination for the second test is in what changes in tactics the All Blacks might use. (With the exception of T.J. Perenara, whose knee injury may rule him out, it’d seem unlikely there will be any changes to the hosts’ line-up).
After good performances in the Six Nations competition, it had seemed England coach Steve Borthwick was producing a much better team than the disjointed group he inherited from Eddie Jones. After the nerve-racking 16-15 win on Saturday, which with a little luck could have seen an English victory, we know for sure that England are now hugely competitive.
The hardest yards
There is one sure way to negate a rush defence, which England used to very good effect in Dunedin. Powerful one-off runners who can break the advantage line mean eager defenders are back-pedalling, even having to leave their positions to assist teammates struggling to contain runners near the breakdown. Think of the sort of impact Shannon Frizell or, in a previous generation, Jerome Kaino made as they smashed into would-be tacklers.
This English team has big, powerful, well-organised defenders, whose speed off the line is as good as any in the game. To rattle them will no doubt be a major topic within the All Blacks’ brains trust this week.
Given some room to move it is possible to get the better of England’s defenders. Even one of their best players, No 8 Ben Earl, was well beaten in the 24th minute by All Black fullback Stephen Perofeta, who had the luxury of a little breathing space. Perofeta then calmly set up Ardie Savea for a try.
Creating that sort of space will be the difference between another nerve-racking night for the All Blacks, or a triumphant return to the fortress Eden Park has become for New Zealand.
Were these the best-disciplined sides in test history?
After checking with four Kiwi and three English reporters, I say with some certainty that in Dunedin, just one penalty was awarded for players being offside in the defensive line at a breakdown. The 53rd-minute penalty from Damian McKenzie was after an offside ruling against England.
With the speed tests are played at, margins between being legal and breaking the offside rules are always going to be paper-thin. Think of the frequent campaigns waged by some English critics to dub Richie McCaw a cheat. But even with that caveat, at the ground in Dunedin on the night it was difficult not to feel that the lack of whistle for offside wasn’t so much astounding discipline, but a reluctance by the assistant referees to alert the referee to small, but vital, infringements.
Man of the match
All Blacks wing Sevu Reece. In the struggling Crusaders he was a constant ray of sunshine and Reece stepped back into test rugby as if he’d been away from the international arena for two weeks, not almost two years. There was a terrific try in the 45th minute, which Reece, in old-school, time-honoured fashion, attributed to “great work from the guys inside me”. Just as impressive were a couple of entirely legal, rib-shaking tackles late in the game, as Reece, his energy levels never faltering, sprinted after high kicks into English territory.
Experiments that worked
The most interesting selections in the All Blacks were Stephen Perofeta at fullback and Damian McKenzie at first five-eighths. Between them they kept a hugely gifted, 123 test All Black in Beauden Barrett on the bench.
It all paid off. Perofeta didn’t put a foot wrong. McKenzie reprised the control he’s shown with the Chiefs this year and Barrett was cool and elusive when he was subbed on for Perofeta.
Of course there should be a shot clock
Asked if there should be a shot clock to avoid the bizarre sight of Damian McKenzie losing the chance to kick for goal in the 77th minute, Scott Robertson said “Yes.” It was inevitable that England’s coach, Steve Borthwick, while managing a polite tone, would disagree. “I’m not concerned by it... [The kickers] know the time they have.”
Like most rugby followers, I vehemently oppose anything that holds up the game. There’s nothing entertaining about lengthy discussion between a referee and a television match official. But the idea of a 60-second countdown appearing on the big screens that are now at all major grounds is surely just common sense.
