Next up in our series of previews of the upcoming Rugby Championship, it’s the All Blacks.
New Zealand enter the Rugby Championship as heavy favourites, and for good reason. Since the end of the last World Cup they have lost just once in this tournament, in last year’s epic Ellis Park encounter.
They will use the coming weeks as a chance to phase back in those players that competed to the end of the Super Rugby season, as their franchises decimated those of the South African and Australian varieties. More of the same in the Rugby Championship, then?
STRENGTHS
There is an innate belief amongst this All Black group, that no matter the situation they are in, they will come out on top. It is the kind of intangible quality that has seen them lose just twice since the end of the last World Cup, snatching victories on certain occasions that they had no right to. For all their technical brilliance, it is that belief that sets them apart from the rest.
Of course, the accuracy with which they execute their skills is also second to none. They have long been considered the blueprint in that all of their forwards are confident handling the ball, and enjoy running through gaps rather than over the top of defenders.
Their tactical kicking game is the best in the world, with Aaron Smith particularly excellent from scrum-half and Dan Carter also earning his wedge in this area. They often end matches with less possession than their opponents, but run out comfortable winners because they play their rugby in the right parts of the pitch and, most crucially, are consistently clinical when scoring opportunities present themselves. Allied to their staunch defence, it’s simple stuff, executed well.
Their scrum is far from the most fearsome in world rugby, but then it doesn’t need to be – the All Blacks are one of the few teams in the world that seem to take this brand of set piece as what it should be, a means to restart the game rather than look for incessant penalties through a referee’s naivety.
WEAKNESSES
It’s not strictly a weakness, but there’s a bit of doubt surrounding whether some of their hardiest stalwarts are truly the best options at the moment. Certainly, the likes of Richie McCaw and Dan Carter were not the top performers in their respective positions during the Super Rugby campaign, and will be challenged with re-finding the form that has made them previously un-droppable in an All Black shirt.
The best time to play the All Blacks is usually right at the beginning of a series, when they are rusty, but they’ll have blown away the cobwebs against Samoa and you can expect them to hit the ground running against Argentina – although they are still phasing in some of their Super Rugby finalists.
The only potential weak area of their game could be the line-out – Dane Coles is notoriously wobbly with his darts, the Hurricanes finishing 13th in Super Rugby for lineout success rate. Kevin Mealamu is a bit better, but at 36 is no spring chicken and does not offer nearly as much as Coles around the park.
KEY PLAYER
Aaron Smith was probably the best player in Super Rugby this season, and he is most certainly the top scrum-half in the world right now. What was, a few years ago, the only real problem position for the All Blacks is now one of their great strengths, thanks to this man and the emergence of several able deputies. Smith’s telepathic relationship with his entire back division at the Highlanders allowed him to seamlessly set up several scores this season, never more obvious than in his combination with the deadly Waisake Naholo. And while we’re on the subject…
WORLD CUP BOLTER
Waisake Naholo has been so deadly for the Highlanders this season that, despite having zero caps to his name, he almost doesn’t deserve the tag of bolter – it would certainly be a shock if he were to be left out of their World Cup squad now. He started the season not even in the Highlanders’ first team, sought solace in France with a contract at Clermont Auvergne, but through injuries emerged as the champions’ primary try-scoring weapon and eventually reneged on that deal to realise the dream of playing for the All Blacks. If he can add Rugby Championship and World Cup medals to that list, it would surely be the most astonishing individual season for quite some time.
Video credit: Worldrugby.co
PREDICTION
The All Blacks have never not won the Rugby Championship, in its brief three year existence to date. The last time they finished anything other than top in a Southern Hemisphere international competition was 2011 – and it’ll escape nobody’s attention that that is also the year of the last World Cup. On that occasion, they used the Tri-Nations as a proving ground for players to show what they can do, and while there will likely be plenty of rotation this time around too, you get the sense that their strength goes so deep in pretty much every position that they should still end up top of the pile. Predicted finish: 1st.
By Jamie Hosie
Follow Jamie on Twitter: @jhosie43
Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images
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I think for the All Blacks, it’ll be interesting to see what they do with the 10 shirt. I don’t think Carter is in particularly good form. Cruden has been the one in possession of the shirt for most of the test matches since 2011; will be be fit?
If not Barrett, for all his brilliance, is too unreliable in the goal kicking area to be trusted in test match knock out rugby. Then Sopoaga looks very good; but is uncapped currently.
All that being said; NZ won the last WC with Stephen Donald in the 10 shirt so I still expect they’ll be just fine!
As far as I’m aware, Cruden is definitely out of the WC. He’ll certainly miss TRC. Carter is the obvious choice, then, for the reasons you list above. Sopoaga may well miss out on the final WC squad to Slade, as he is more versatile and can cover 15 (and wing, apparently).
I thought the same about Cruden; that is a massive blow if he is! Hadn’t even considered Slade; good player but certainly not a starter at 10.
Carter could well prove me wrong (in fact probably will), but I just don’t think he is a particularly great fly half at the moment. Still kicks his goals, but his general play seems pretty average.
I’m now looking forward to him having the tournament of his life and making me feel stupid for ever doubting him.
Yeah I agree Carter is not at his best right now but is still performing better than most international 10’s and is surrounded by such quality that even when Carter isn’t firing on all cylinders the back line still purrs. I wouldn’t read too much into the Samoa game the next few weeks will tell us far more.
Not sure there has been anything in his play for 2015 to suggest that Carter is “still performing better than most international 10’s”.
Certainly not Sexton, Polland, Ford or Biggar based on simply 2015 form alone.
I’m sure he will get that back line ticking during the Rugby Championship; and I’m not suggesting it will be to NZ’s downfall. Simply the position in their team, along with hooker, where I think other nations will be looking at and seeing as a weakness (relative to the rest of their team that is).
Yes I would say that those 4 and possibly Cooper are ahead of him at the moment and thats what i meant by most. The gap between those 4 and Carter isn’t that great
I would add Cooper to that list too; as well as Sanchez.
I’m a bit confused then. How is he “performing better than most international 10s”; is we can list 5 or 6 that are performing better? Considering there are only really about 6 or 7 teams capable of challenging for the WC; that puts him pretty far down the list.
Regds Carter & McCaw being past it, weren’t the English media expressing similar sentiments about the Oz cricket team after the Cardiff test? Not so vocal yesterday or earlier today when I last looked.
Do any here ever ask why the AB selectors are picking Carter & McCaw? Well I don’k know either, but my guess is for their exp. Perhaps their aura & reps as well… not to mention their proven track records of course. They sure ain’t picking them to lose games, that’s for sure.
Perhaps that’s why these 2 have been ‘mothballed’ to an extent; in order to try & ‘protect’ them for the WC. Besides, as already mentioned they have able back up for both if nec.
As for the perception that the AB scrum is ‘ far from the most fearsome…’, well it still got the odd tight head v the Argies this morning. Their front row is plenty exp with Franks, Mealamu & Woodcock. And they can start with either Coles or Mealamu, swapping them as required. Their scrum is often another means of getting possession, not just an end in itself, but I don’t see them being shunted by too many in Sept.
The lineout too looked pretty healthy with Romano & Retellick this morning… although Coles didn’t play of course.
The area of concern was the Argentinian maul which wheeled their maul around the AB flank x2; a bit like Hannibal & Cannae v the Romans. That’s a potential issue they will work on & so it will be interesting to see how this pans out nxt up.
All the above will likely come out in the RC wash though.