Though unbeaten, what did the All Blacks’ July campaign actually show?
After two wobbly wins against England to begin his All Blacks career, Scott Robertson gave himself a generous “good pass mark”. Looking back at the beginning of this new era, that grade can be provisionally increased when the All Blacks finished their first month under Robertson with their tour to the United States, where they easily defeated Fiji. Starting with the positive outlook, let’s go on.
It was always going to be difficult to try and replace a huge group of significant post-World Cup departures, including Richie Mo’unga, Sam Whitelock, Aaron Smith, Brodie Retallick, Dane Coles, and Shannon Frizell, while also organizing the biggest All Blacks management change in 20 years. Robertson’s nervous, talkative start against a rejuvenating England side made sense given the shortened time limit. The fact that the All Blacks survived two intense Test matches against England said far more about their resiliency than the caliber of their play.
The All Blacks were lucky in Dunedin that English playmaker Marcus Smith had a bad game with the boot. And in Auckland, if Beauden Barrett hadn’t delivered his game-winning, “back to the future” masterclass off the bench, fortress Eden Park very well may have collapsed. There were few areas that Robertson’s All Blacks could highlight in their match against England. But one is the scrum. The All Blacks have amassed a group of elite players over the past two years, to the extent that they feel capable of matching any front-row in the competition. Leading the attack are Tyrel Lomax and Ethan de Groot, whose platform the All Blacks will use as a true weapon in both good and bad times.
The propping power of the All Blacks is currently one of their best strengths, with Fletcher Newell, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Tamaiti Williams, and rookie heavyweight Pasilio Tosi among their supporting cast. The irony for Robertson’s All Blacks is that they will be just as happy to live up to their reputation as the greatest performers in the game as they will toiling away at triumph. The boarding passes that were given to Tosi, Hurricanes center Billy Proctor, Crusaders halfback Noah Hotham, Chiefs No. 8 Wallace Sititi, Blues lock Sam Darry, and Crusaders hooker George Bell are the other notable positive to come out of the third July Test.
Throughout the two Test matches against England, Robertson unwaveringly favored experience, starting with an injury-forced substitution at halfback after TJ Perenara withdrew. Back then, he supported Finlay Christie over Cortez Ratima, a rookie for the Chiefs, who has since made it clear that he wants to keep the starting job. The rookie All Blacks players in San Diego took full use of their opportunities against Fiji. With a starting position next to Anton Lienert-Brown, Proctor carried over his incredible Super Rugby performance with the Hurricanes into the test match. The way he distributed the ball, in particular, consistently spread his wings, increased the pressure on starting center Rieko Ioane.
Sititi and Tosi demonstrated their explosive ball-carrying abilities. During his brief time off the bench, Darry demonstrated the importance of having true size at lock. Furthermore, Hotham, 21, stated that he will eventually enjoy a lengthy career battling against Ratima and Cam Roigard after his injury heals.
In theory, the All Blacks’ dominant 47–5 win over Fiji seems like a huge improvement over their implausible 2-0 thumping of England. In actuality, though, the opposition and pressure points gave way a lot, and the All Blacks’ clinical finishing needs to be strengthened. In light of this, it’s still unclear if the All Blacks’ lineout, breakdown, and attack—which has been continuously smothered by England’s relentless rush defense—have undergone any changes or if the opportunity to break free against Fiji was really a mirage.
Robertson announces his 36-man Rugby Championship team on Sunday. The All Blacks’ home Test series against Argentina starts on August 10 in Wellington. The team selects itself for the most part, however there are selection issues at halfback and in the packed loose forward area. Hotham or Christie will have to be dropped by the All Blacks due to Perenara’s anticipated comeback from injury. The choice is simple in terms of growth, but both Robertson and former All Blacks coach Ian Foster, at least thus far, have placed a great importance on Christie’s defensive prowess.
In the aftermath of Whitelock and Retallick, depth at lock is a critical concern. Darry’s first-ever appearance allayed some of those worries, although Chiefs lock Josh Lord may be included for the Rugby Championship if he continues to make progress in the NPC preseason with Taranaki. The most prominent addition is going to be Will Jordan, who had shoulder surgery and missed the entire Super Rugby Pacific season. After playing all but one of his 31 Tests on the wing, fullback Jordan will most likely be the one to unleash Robertson’s formidable attacking threats.
The All Blacks pack lacked a destructive ball carrier in Sititi, and his rise to prominence puts additional pressure on them to strike their best loose forward balance. Ardie Savea is a given, but there is fierce competition for the other two back-row spots. When the All Blacks are up against the best thieves in the league, their combined breakdown skills demand notice.