The All Blacks are riding high now. Will the other two SANZAR partners be able to catch up soon enough to stop the incredible wave the New Zealander’s are currently riding before next year’s World Cup?
I wonder which coach is currently under the most pressure, Peter de Villiers or Robbie Deans? One can see that Graham Henry struggles not to smile or burst out in laughter maybe, he is enjoying every minute of the suffering his team inflicts on the opponents.
The Australian press envisaged worst case scenarios for the Wallabies’ Tri-Nations campaign on Monday after their bumbling near-record loss to trans-Tasman nemesis New Zealand at the weekend.
The rampant All Blacks trotted up seven tries to demolish the Wallabies 49-28 in Melbourne last Saturday and take an iron grip on this year’s series with reigning champions South Africa yet to win a point from three Tests.
The Wallabies must quickly regroup for Saturday’s Test in Christchurch where they have to defy the odds and down the All Blacks to keep alive this year’s four-Test Bledisloe Cup.
Australia needs a history-defying three straight wins to reclaim the Bledisloe Cup, which the All Blacks have held since 2003.
The Sydney Morning Herald, under the headline “Wallabies experiment with limits of embarrassment”, said New Zealand have an enormous psychological advantage over the Wallabies and could make the homecoming for Australia’s Kiwi coach Robbie Deans a miserable event.
“The Wallabies could collapse the same way as they did last year, winning just one of six Tri-Nations matches,” the newspaper said.
“It could easily be the same horrible scenario this year. The last four Tri-Nations matches are a torture test, with the match in Christchurch followed by a fortnight in South Africa and they must then rush back to Sydney to play the All Blacks seven days later.
“If the Wallabies again manage only one win out of six Tests, John O’Neill (Australian Rugby Union CEO) and the ARU board’s patience with Deans and co may simply run out.”
But the Herald said the players must also share the heat for their run of eight defeats to the All Blacks.
Former Test hooker Brendan Cannon, writing in the Daily Telegraph, said the big difference between the two sides was that the Wallabies lose control too easily.
“At times, the Wallabies proved they have the punch in attack and muscle in defence to mix it with the big guns of New Zealand and South Africa at next year’s World Cup,” Cannon said.
“But the sustained 80-minute display is the holy grail coach Robbie Deans is searching for.”
The Australian newspaper said once again the All Blacks forced the Wallabies to rethink an entire element of their game.
“The New Zealanders completely negated the advantage of the kick-reception side, who usually enjoys being able to lift jumpers up to catch the ball, by having flyhalf Dan Carter fire in low-trajectory drop-kick ‘darts’,” the newspaper said.
“Usually, teams kicking off aim at getting as much hang time as possible to give their own players time to get under the ball, but the All Blacks opted for the more aggressive approach of lower, flatter kicks that their own chasers could deflect back to their support.
“It worked five times out of seven.”
The bulk of this article comes courtesy of News 24
Yes we can.
What is different about this All Black team? What allows them to play with such speed?
The answer is simple. They play as a cohesive unit, communicates well, understands exactly what the task is at the breakdown, kick offs etc. Because of this they have momentum and if you want to beat the All Blacks you need to stop their momentum.
During the last 3 weeks i have noticed two specific areas where they gain momentum and immediately put teams under pressure, Australia this weekend when receiving a kick off were never able to secure the ball. Against South Africa the same thing happened. The question is why.
Dan Carter aims with pin point accuracy to land the ball where the main receivers aren’t. With uncanny ability the stationary locks with their lifters weren’t in position to take these catches. The All Blacks with regularity could gain the possession and launch immediate attacks. My answer to this is to handle a kick off in the same manner as an up and under, don’t have your lock and lifters be stationary, form your normal defensive line, spread your receivers and have them run onto the ball, this way your player in the best position can nominate and be “airborne” at the time of catching the ball and can there for not be tackled, as soon as he has nominated the support players know where to secure the ensuing ruck.
At ruck time, it seems the All Blacks have realised that combinations are vital to secure quick ruck ball and every back row player knows exactly the order of priority when it comes to a ruck, the ball carrier will have at least two supporters with him, and if not he will run towards his support rather than away from it. They firstly secure the tackled ball by having a player bind over the ball, whilst still being deemed to be on his feet. Then the next guy clears opponents. The role Owen Franks played over the weekend was interesting, he seemed to flirt with being offside at almost every breakdown, and cleared opposition players not part of the ruck as a blocker, thus creating space around the ruck. This is why Weepu had never been under pressure.
To negate this momentum, the teams will have to learn a new way of taking the All Blacks on. I think the breakdown could be handled in this way, tackler tackles and rolls away, first arriving at the ruck, must solely focus on the player covering the ball, and pull him out of the ruck. The next player in then will attack the ball. But be aware of what the All Black forwards are doing around the ruck. They will often be in either a blocking position or flirting with the offside line. Don’t hesitate to inform the referee of this. The All Blacks flirt with the edge of the law, and often a word in the referee’s ear would soon have the required effect. There must be designated clearers, when the All Blacks go over the ruck lying on the wrong side, have designated players to drag them out, and then play on.
There is a saying that goes, attack is the best form of defence, and that is true in rugby, by having the ball you deprive the All Blacks of ball, no better way to halt their momentum. You also have the opportunity to play, but what is most important is what you do with ball in hand. By kicking the possession away, you immediately give momentum to the All Blacks, and you need to starve them from possession. So patience is the key, doesn’t matter how many phases you need to put together to score a try, the All Blacks doesn’t have the ball, so your first objective is reached.
Don’t ever kick deep, this gives them the opportunity to attack from deep. Rather employ little grubber kicks in behind the defence and put pressure on the cover defender racing towards the ball. Don’t run away from your support, as the All Blacks are very good at isolating the attacking player and then has more numbers to the ball at arrival and hence rights to play the ball. Variation is key, the All Blacks has the ability to learn quickly when a player has limited decision making skills, and once predictable it is all over.
This All Black team is playing scintillating rugby at the moment, they are a very well coached team, they are beatable, but currently teams are allowing them to build momentum. These guys are not super human, they are world class athletes, well coached and being allowed by the opposition to do whatever they want.
So stop their momentum, keep possession, be patient, talk nicely to the referee, communicate and lastly understand the reason the All Blacks are so good at the moment, every player trusts and knows what the guy next to him is going to do, and even if he is not the first guy at the ruck normally, knows what must be done if he is the first. So the players are adaptable to each other roles.
1@ biltongbek:
So ‘n biltongbek moet jam kry.
Rugby under the new interpretation of the Laws makes possession of cardinal importance and makes the breakdown situations the most important single aspect of the game.
Players MUST be employed to play towards the ball, to arrive 1st at breakdowns, to effectively manage those breakdowns and win those battles on the day. Body positions of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd players at breakdown situations are critical, counterrucking effectively is essential.
Because kicking, specially bad tactical kicking, inevitively results in turn-over possession… it must be used sparingly and wisely.
@ grootblousmile:GBS…jy moet rerig oorweeg on vir Biltong to reg te gee om articles te post. Ek het al baie van sy artikels op BBC gelees….die ou ken sy storie (hy is nie so bad as wat almal se hy is nie 🙂 )
YES of course we can. Has anyone forgot, we have 6 players missing from last year. That makes a massive difference. Also our players played in a S14 final then that daft game the next week in Wales, where we had to travel there and back in a week. Our players are TIRED OUT mentally and physically. No excuses they ARE DAMN TIRED. Hope they are resting for at least 10 days before the next 3 tests. Then all of our top Boks need to rest after that, no CC for them before flying off for the eoyt, or we need to take some of our exciting younsters on that tour. BUT don’t count us out yet. With FdP, Bakkies, Juan, Brussow, JPP. We will be back for sure. Through in some exciting younsters too. JdV did play the first two tests but out of position and he was awful there. So hoping to see him back at inside centre or even De Jongh.
Frans Steyn add his name to the 6 players missing. We need him back. Zane is just not in the same class as him.
Puma wrote:
Meant. Throw in some exciting youngsters. (my g on my pc not working proper. Fact….hehehehe)
3@ bos_otter:
Bossie, yip… I see Biltongbek will be able to add real value… and I like his writing style…
Dankie, bos. Maar jy comment dan nooit op my articles nie?
8@ biltongbek:
Bek, jy moet sê as jy belangstel om ook vol Artikels hier te plaas en te skrywe… ek leer jou maklik.
grootblousmile wrote:
Grootblousmile, ek sal dit graag n’ “go” gee as dit jou goedkeuring wegdra.
Ek skryf maar meer uit die hart uit. Wanneer ons te veel verloor raak ek kwaad en dan trap ek almal wie ek dink se skuld dit is uit.
Dan raak ek introspektief en kyk waar het ons foute gemaak, en dan later wanneer ek kalm is dan maak ek of ek iets van rugby weet, en maak allerlei voorstelle.
10@ biltongbek:
Kyk, hierdie web site is ons “gemeenskaps web site”, nie een van ons het formele joernalistieke opleiding nie, dis ‘n web site deur onsself, vir onsself…
Dit maak dit uniek en soveel varser en meer opreg en eerlik.
Ek gaan jou nou formeel status gee as Author, wat sal beteken dat LINKS BO op die HOME PAGE, by LOGIN / REGISTER, kry jy nou ‘n SITE ADMIN gedeelte by, dit sal jou lei na die Blad waar mens Artikels plaas.
Mail my net jou Selnommer, na webmaster@rugby-talk.com, sodat ek jou my selnommer kan stuur, vir die 1ste keer wanneer jy ‘n Artikel wil plaas, dan praat ek jou gou daardeur… en bob’s your auntie…
@ biltongbek:
Biltong….ek kon nog nooit verskil met wat jy geskryf het in die verlede nie ou maat…ek like van lees, en afgesien van so n paar jokes, en miskien dalk n vinnige remark is daai fekken wingat Wales idiots ding hulle is God’s gift to rugby ( ek kan die farking Wales mense nie staan nie…so vol van hulself) …het ek gewoontlik nie veel te se nie. Jou rugby kennis is myle bo myne. Ek like van die live game treads waar ek lekker bollie saam met die ander kan praat gedurende die game.
O..het ek gemention….ek het geen farking tyd for a Walieser nie? 🙂
Daai bbc site het my begin onderkry…ek praat al bollie saam met daai diere vir die afgelope 8 jaar….alles is goed en wel as dinge hulle kant gaan, maar oo wee…as die bokke speel daan grawe hulle aal daai opgehoopte haat uit. Daar is n paar ouenes wat hulle storie ken ek n goeie perspektief van die game en SA het, maar hulle is regtig in die minderheid.
@ grootblousmile:GBS…Biltong het al 176 articles geskryf en op die BBC se website ge-post van iewers in die begin van 2009 af. Party was net kort berigies. Hier is sy bbc profile
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/U14044738
Sorry biltong 🙂 maar jy kan skryf dude.
Ek dink ons moet daai groenmamba dude en GevilDevil ook hier op die forum kry…hulle klink na alraight ouenes 🙂
Kyk ek het al op alle ouens se komentare komentaar gelewer en ek is seker meerendeels spiteful. Net een ding as jy op so blog soos die artikels plaas doen jy dit om reaksie te lok. Ja jy kan seker soms net stats ter inligting post maar meestal soek jy reaksie.
Indien ons nie heftig met mekaar verskil nie wat soek ons hier is ons maar net bloot napraters?
bos_otter, ek weet wat jy bedoel van die Walliese rugby ondersteuners, maar dit is ook groot pret om hulle so n’ bietjie aan te vat as hulle te veel nonsens praat, jy weet daai kuns wat hulle se jy moet om diplomaties te wees. Stuur n’ ou hel toe en laat hom uitsien na die trip.
GBS, ek sal met jou kontak maak en my dietails email sodra ek iets ordentliks het om n’ mooi artikel te skryf, baie dankie vir die geleentheid.
Superbul ek stem saam. Dit is dieselfde ding wat my worry van toe PDV in sy onderhoud gese het op sondag aande sit die coaches en senior spelers bymekaar en almal is op dieselfde bladsy. As almal op dieselfde bladsy is waar kom nuwe idees vandaan?
@ superBul:Super, as jy sien watse klomp idiote soms jou al jou hel gee on BBC, is ek seker hy sal ok wees hier.Ek voel as jy enige artikel op die punt hou en nie enige iemand aanval of verkleineer nie, dan is enige response welkom en tot n seker mate konstruktief.Ons is almal hier uit die liefde vir die game aan die einde van die dag.
15@ biltongbek:
Bek, ek het so kort onderbreking gehad, kliente het hier ingewals… jou status is NOU Author… en jy het ook toegang tot die Autor bladsy onder die “About” heading bo, onder die Header Graphics.
Gooi Mieliessssssssss!
@ biltongbek:
Biltong, ek verstaan, maar ek is bevrees die bliksems het die vermoe om my gans to maklik op te skroef, so ek try rerig om my distance to hou en nie te reply nie. Hulle try mens net uitlok, en met my limited rugby kennis, het ek nie die vermoe om hulle aan te vat op die vlak soos jy en GevilDevil soms kan nie.
@ bos_otter:
ek was n ruk terug nogal in die moeilikheid met n paar kras en onvanpas posts, maar soos my groot held Bakkies kon ek nie my cool behou nie.
Maar tans is ek besig om my te verwonder oor die wat so aan die lippe van die AB,s hang. Alles gaan nou in hul guns, hulle speel goeie rugby op hul eie , nie nodig dat die skeidsregters ook hulle aanbid nie.
Baie , inteendeel alle50/50 calls gaan hul way nou, so met alles in hul guns en die hoe spelpeil lyk moerse pakke nou almal se voorland.
Bos, kennis is maklik bekombaar, jy gebruik Scrum.com vir statistieke, kyk die games en gee jou persoonlike opinie, dit is wat ek doen.
21@ biltongbek:
Nou maar toe… ek gaan nou ‘n lang vrekwarm shower vang na vanmiddag laat se serious squash sessie… en hopelik kry ek vir Handbriekie om ‘n olietjie uit te ruk en my rug te masseer….
Lykmy my lyf kan nog die squash hanteer, terwyl ek speel…. maar as ek daarna afkoel word ek moer gou styf… dis hoekom ek weer flippen fiks wil word, om al die ratte behoorlik ge-olie te kry…. en soos ‘n supercharger te kan operate!
@ superBul:Super, ek stem saam. Ding is, ons kort n handvol van ons key spelers….veral FDP en Brussow. Wanneer die outjies terug is gaan die poppe dans want die AB’s en die res van die wereld dink hulle het ons uitgevang. Tot n sekere mate is hul reg en ons het n plan B nodig as ouenes soos die van die veld afgaan, maar ffs, ons het al die ouens nie so lank terug in die S14 n goeie pak slae gegee. Ek ken nie die antwoord nie, en ja, met die nuwe reels wat die IRB ingebring het omdat daai fekking Hendry aap gemoan het oor hoe ons speel, sal ons seker n bietjie moet aanpas, maar ons het die talent….en hope van dit ook.
inbeller nou op Superrugby het gese die ABs kom met moord weg, ons kom met niks weg nie. Breek weg van skrums nog iets wat mense raaksien. Makou is n skelm blikslaer.
Kiwi’s are peaking too soon for the world cup, this is good for us…but the bigger thing is can our coaching team get their heads screwed back on before the home leg of tri nations…we cant carry on with these side shows which detracts from the game for us…the fans and the players. Big danger for the world cup is the Aussies, their timing on maturing young players is perfect.
yeah…24th
The thing PdeV must realize very quickly is that HE needs new ideas, he must do what Jake did and bring in new support. Eddie did it for Jake maybe Pieter Roussouw will do the same. But get rid of Dick.
@ biltongbek:Biltong…ek het op n plaas groot geword…ek vergeet name(straat name, familie name, verjaarsdae) you name it, maar ek vergeet nooit n gesig nie…of die pad na whatever toe nie. Ek gebruik landmerke om te kom waar ek wil wees. Draai links by die Wilge boom….ry 5km en dan draai jy weer reg by die ….bla bla bla.
Ek glo jy kan my probleem nou insien met rugby….ek onthou so paar ouenes se name, maar ek struggle om met die res. Ek ondersteun die Cheetahs nou al my hele lewe lank, maar moet my nie vra om hulle almal se name op te nie nie. Ek kan amper enige iets uitmekaar haal en weer aanmekaar sit, maar ek kan nie vir jou se wat kom ons Julie, die 7de maand is sonder om dit op my vingers af te tel nie.
Snaakse ding is, ek vergeet nie sommer n nommer nie. Ek kan my mags nommer, bank nommer, pa se koperasie nommer….ect nog alles onthou.
Boys, laat die media en die oorsese coaches hulle borste breed blaas.
Wat ons moet regmaak is eintlik flokken maklik.
Kry Frans Steyn op heelagter, JP Pietersen terug op vleuel, Jean de Villiers op binne senter en Fourie du Preez terug op skrum skakel en die “gate” in die verdediging verdwyn.
Gee vir Victor, Schalk en John smit genoeg rus. Kry Bakkies gefokus. Klap PDV warm tot hy na kritiek luister, jaag vir Dick en Gary weg. Roep vir Slaptjips en Heyeneke in, en ons is weer op top.
@ 4man:Not so sure there is such a thing as peaking to soon, but I recon is more a case of how soon you are found out and others adapt to counter your gameplan….take the boks vs nz in recent matches as an example
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