Damian McKenzie and a backline including heavy-hitting wings Leicester Fainga’anuku and Caleb Clarke have been given their usual licence to attack against Namibia on Saturday morning but the All Blacks’ overwhelming priority is fixing a wobbling set piece that contributed to their final-quarter collapse against France.
The All Blacks, in Toulouse for the first time since the 2007 World Cup, want to get back to basics against the African nation they have played in the past two global tournaments in the United Kingdom and Japan.
The Tier 2 side, beaten 52-8 by Italy in their first match in Saint Etienne, will likely have pragmatic goals at the Stadium de Toulouse.
And the All Blacks will have a similar mindset, at least to start with. For them, the match they are overwhelming favourites to win well gives them an opportunity to prove they can use the scrummaging and lineout lessons dished out by France during the 27-13 defeat in Paris.
Ian Foster has selected a strong starting front row of Nepo Laulala, Samisoni Taukei'aho and Ofa Tu'ungafasi, with Dane Coles, Ethan de Groot and Fletcher Newell on the reserves bench.
Namibia are unlikely to possess the scrummaging trickery and consistent power possessed by the French, but those four All Black props in particular will be under scrutiny to perform.
“We still want to play [an attacking game] but we also know in those big games that you’ve got to get some basic things right,” head Foster said in naming a side which includes a start for 34-year-old Sam Whitelock, who will equal Richie McCaw’s 148 caps for the All Blacks.
“You’ve got to get your set piece right. If you start to creak there or you misinterpret what the refs want, then that generates pressure. That was one of the big lessons in that France game.
“I’ve probably given you a big clue about what our focus is for Friday [in] sticking with the selection of the four props largely that we used and we need to fix up there.
“Once you get consistency in those ‘big rock’ parts of your game, I think the rest of our game is sitting there ready to go but we’ve got to show that.”
Skipper Ardie Savea, who has retained his position due to Sam Cane’s continued absence with a back problem, said the Namibian forwards liked to “run downhill” when carrying the ball which would present the All Blacks with a different challenge to the alternative (elusive big men running at gaps).
It’s one Savea and fellow loose forwards Dalton Papali’i and Luke Jacobson will likely relish because it will give them turnover opportunities.
Wing Clarke, preparing for his first World Cup match, said a piece of advice from his former All Black midfielder dad, Eroni, (“hurt All Black team is a dangerous All Black team”) is likely to apply here but, again, many assumed that would be the case last week when Foster’s men went into the French match on the back of a record thumping by the Springboks.
And while Namibia, beaten 71-9 by the All Blacks four years ago and 58-14 in London in 2015, will probably struggle to maintain the required intensity for 80 minutes, the All Blacks must show they can after failing to do so in their past two defeats.
There is also the unique matter of a looming weekend off after this match for Foster’s men due to a bye week added to this edition of the World Cup which gives this match added importance.
Lock Sam Whitelock will equal Richie McCaw's New Zealand caps record in a much-changed side facing Namibia in the Rugby World Cup on Saturday. (Source: 1News)
Their next game against Italy, a hugely important one after the All Blacks’ defeat to France, isn’t until September 30. Uruguay are their final pool opposition before the potentially formidable assignment of a quarter-final against the world champion South Africans or Ireland.
First-five McKenzie and rookie halfback Cam Roigard, both also playing their first World Cup matches, will likely reap the benefit of more time and space on Saturday and, given the All Blacks’ recent misfiring attack, good performances could see them in bench roles against Italy. The 22-year-old Roigard’s battle with Finlay Christie to be Aaron Smith’s back-up is shaping as particularly interesting at this tournament.
“We’re always given the green light to play and trust our skillset,” McKenzie said. “There might be opportunities this Friday to do that and for us we need to make sure we’re disciplined and clinical around our game plan.
“If the opportunity is on to run, we run. Obviously the big boys like us putting the ball in front of them through our kicking game. Clearly that was a learning from last weekend.
“We’ve got plenty of lethal wingers here to get the ball to and we’ll be trying to do that. We’ll back our instincts which we’re always given licence to do.”
Lineups:
New Zealand: Beauden Barrett, Caleb Clarke, Anton Lienert-Brown, David Havili, Leicester Fainaga’auku, Damian McKenzie, Cam Roigard; Ardie Savea (captain), Dalton Papali'i, Luke Jacobson, Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Nepo Laulala, Samisoni Taukei'aho, Ofa Tu'ungafasi.
Reserves: Dane Coles, Ethan de Groot, Fletcher Newell, Scott Barrett, Tupou Vaa'i, Aaron Smith, Richie Mo'unga, Rieko Ioane.
Namibia: Cliven Loubser, Gerswin Mouton, Johan Deysel (captain), Le Roux Malan, Divan Rossouw, Tiaan Swanepoel, Damian Stevens; Richard Hardwick, Prince Gaoseb, Wian Conradie, Tjiuee Uanivi, Johan Retief, Johan Coetzee, Torsten van Jaarsveld, Jason Benade.
Reserves: Louis van der Westhuizen, Desiderius Sethie, Haitembu Shifuka, PJ van Lill, Adriaan Booysen, Max Katjijeko, Jacques Theron, JC Greyling.
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