New Zealand’s Rugby Championship Test against South Africa at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday is a game from which the All Blacks need to get some confidence. To go there and play well will be an important part of their Rugby World Cup preparation.
There are things they will be seeking in the game.
In particular, their lineout defence will be getting a lot of attention this week. It’s all very well for Steve Hansen to be critical of the rolling maul laws, but the reality is that nothing is going to change this side of the World Cup. And there’re a whole lot of northern hemisphere teams who are not going to share Hansen’s views of the rolling maul. New Zealand is in isolation in that regard. Australia might side with us, but no-one else will. Can you see England, France and South Africa getting rid of the rolling maul? Not likely.
In so far as the rolling mauls are concerned, I thought the All Blacks were technically very poor in the way they tried to stop the Pumas’ drives. Argentina’s lineout was very good, but the way New Zealand tried to stop the Pumas’ rolling maul was poor; the All Blacks were too high and they weren’t working in unison for a whole lot of technical reasons.
Steve Hansen said it was boring; but if you understand how the rolling maul works, it is not boring. You have got to have the right attitude and you have got to work together, and you have got three seconds to stop the rolling maul. You either put it down, you put it out or you get it going backwards. If you don’t do that, and do it together as a pack, then you are going to be in trouble.
Hansen’s comment that no-one has been hurt dropping a maul would draw a disagreement from me. I believe they looked at that when using the Experimental Law Variations, when they allowed the maul to be dropped, and there were too many injuries. We know what the laws are regarding rolling mauls; so just stop the drive. If you are good enough at stopping the maul, what is the problem? The fact is that New Zealand just weren’t good enough.
The All Blacks, meanwhile, need to build on the tight five in Johannesburg. They were good in Christchurch last weekend, as noted in the Scrum5 podcast, and they need to be good again at Ellis Park. New Zealand need consistency from them and to have their cohesion back.
The Test also provides an opportunity for Beauden Barrett to push his case. He has come under criticism for his play in the Super Rugby final, and this is his first game since; he needs to prove the doubters wrong. He has shown he can go well whenever he has worn the black jersey, but Lima Sopoaga has gone over to South Africa and I would like to see him get a chance at some stage in the game. He’s someone with a great kicking percentage and he has proven himself this year.
A lot of All Blacks are still pushing for positions, and now all the Highlanders and Hurricanes are back for the game; with three players left at home, there are players in South Africa who are pushing for their spot in the side.
We still don’t know how good South Africa are this year; nor, for that matter, do we know how good Australia are. South Africa went very close to winning in Brisbane but they have a vulnerable look about them.
