Analysis: The talk about a lack of impact from the bench at Ellis Park probably misses the point given the All Blacks' wastefulness, writes Patrick McKendry.
Questions have been raised about the relative ineffectiveness of the All Blacks’ bench in the wake of their collapse against South Africa at Ellis Park but the decision making by the team’s key thinkers in the final 20 minutes should also be in the spotlight.
Before the All Blacks let slip a 10-point lead during a final, frantic 12 minutes in Johannesburg, the Boks making the most of Ofa Tu’ungafasi’s yellow card to launch a predictable final assault via their infamous Bomb Squad, they had several prime opportunities to put the game out of reach.
The first came via a stolen lineout on halfway, Codie Taylor claiming a Malcolm Marx overthrow, the All Blacks hooker passing to Caleb Clarke, who fed Ardie Savea.
Savea threw a miss pass to Jordie Barrett only for the All Blacks vice-captain to kick the ball straight to fullback Aphelele Fassi despite having a two-on-one situation outside him in the form of key attackers Beauden Barrett and Will Jordan.
The second opportunity came soon after and again put Jordie Barrett’s decision-making into question, although it was a better result.
From a lineout near halfway, Damian McKenzie launched a high, contestable kick which Clarke did brilliantly to win. The ball went to the right where Taylor and Tupou Vaa’i combined well with Jordan, and, when the ball came back to the left, Jordie Barrett kicked it into touch inside the Boks’ 22.
While it wasn’t a bad decision, he did have Savea and Clarke outside him in another two-on-one attacking situation.
The All Blacks did well to attack the resulting lineout, with Ethan Blackadder forcing halfback Grant Williams back into traffic where Scott Barrett made the tackle and Vaa’i won a penalty turnover.
Skipper Barrett was adamant the All Blacks kick the ball into touch to launch a lineout drive and they did well to set up a series of promising rucks, only for TJ Perenara to be caught out of position, the halfback leaving the ball unprotected and loose forward Kwagga Smith stealing it.
There were other decisions that will come into focus as the All Blacks chased the game after the Boks took the lead via tries from Smith and Williams, including why Beauden Barrett twice chipped over the defence in low-percentage plays when keeping the ball in hand may have been better options.
The coaches’ decision to replace Blackadder, who put in an outstanding defensive performance, with Samipeni Finau straight after Smith’s try should also be examined. Blackadder still looked relatively fresh and Finau was guilty of giving up the maul penalty – despite two warnings from the referee – that led to the lineout for Williams’ try.
The morning after the Test, head coach Scott Robertson appeared relatively buoyant despite the defeat, the second under his reign.
“We gave ourselves an opportunity to win probably the biggest Test at the hardest place to win a Test in world rugby which is Jo’burg,” he said. “There was so much good and then a couple of moments that didn’t quite go our way: a couple of swing moments. That’s Test footy, it’s a big stage.”
He knows the All Blacks' attack fired - they were clinical over that first 55 minutes in scoring four tries - and that they were close to doing something special at Ellis Park. He is also clearly playing a long game, referring at one point to the four-year World Cup cycle.
But another defeat at Cape Town will increase the pressure ahead of the first Bledisloe Cup Test in Sydney on September 21.
It will add an extra layer of intrigue to his selections this week and it may be that he cannot resist the urge to replace Beauden Barrett at fullback with Jordan as he searches for a spark from his bench.
Asked whether he would potentially make changes, Robertson said: “You always look at the squad and think what’s the best for this weekend… you also have to look long term.
“We have depth in our squad. We have to have guys who can make impacts off the bench, we have to have guys who can play in a couple of positions. You do that over this four-year period so the guys have experienced different situations.”
Robertson acknowledged that in Marx and company the Boks had highly experienced players on the bench, and it may be the right formula for the All Blacks on Sunday morning NZT.
Do the All Blacks respond in kind by putting out their own fresh front row at the same time? Or do they put their faith in game-changing pace in the form of Beauden Barrett there?
“It is an advantage for them… when you look over the last couple of years you have a Dane Coles or Sam Whitelock come off the bench [for the All Blacks], or whoever the example is," Robertson said. "That’s part of this group, guys to come off [the bench] and learn and they have to learn really quickly.
“It’s part of their strength and DNA, the Springboks, but we still should have been better and won that game at the end.”
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