That’s it. Another All Blacks’ season is over.
It’s been a long year, starting with the three tests against Tonga and Fiji in New Zealand. Finally, it ended in Paris, and not exactly on the sweetest of notes.
It’s time to put a lid on it but not before some questions are asked, ahead of 2022.
1 Given the All Blacks tapered off their year on such an underwhelming note in Paris and Dublin, can you provide reasons to feel optimistic about what lies ahead in 2022?
The rest is about trust. All Blacks supporters simply have to believe coach Ian Foster can select and upskill players to function at a much higher-level in pressure situations.
They are called test matches for a reason. And the All Blacks failed their major exams against France and Ireland.
It’s up to Foster and company to ensure the players are tooled-up, and capable, of finding solutions as the countdown to the 2023 World Cup begins.
When your shortcomings are laid as bare as theirs were against Ireland and France, and even the Boks, clearly there’s a lot to fix. But better to find out now, mid-RWC cycle, than a few months from the tournament.
The tight five, subtleties attacking rush defence, physicality, skillsets with ball in hand … they’re all things that just be addressed in 2022. If not … well, it could be a long couple of years until Razor rides to the rescue.
2 If you were All Blacks coach Ian Foster what kind of message would you write in the Christmas card sent to the players?
RK: Feel the pain. Reflect on the defeats to France and Ireland and ask what more could have been done to prevent them, and how you, as a player, can improve.
Also be prepared to grow a harder shell. Because if this team is to regenerate ahead of the World Cup in 2023, there may be some more tough love messages to be dropped into the mail box.
MH: “Rest up fellas, because there is a lot of work in front of you.” Simple as that. The reality is these All Blacks right now just aren’t that good. But they can be, if they address their shortcomings. That’s where that work comes in.
3 Should Foster stick with Sam Cane, the man he appointed as skipper when he became boss in 2020, or look at other options ahead of the World Cup?
RK: Stay the course.
Let’s rewind to 2020 when Cane, in his first year as captain, was in tremendous form.
He used the leadership job to take his game to a higher plane, and in doing so, led by example. Motivating team-mates, regardless of the sport, is not always easy.
Often the best way to encourage others to push their needles into the danger zone is to buckle up, and work at a furious rate yourself. Cane did that in 2020.
He still has plenty to offer.
But it’s harsh to judge Cane on 2021, most of which was spent rehabbing from surgery. Foster needs to reassess this post-Super Rugby, but alternative options are thin on the ground. Sam Whitelock’s in the same boat, and Savea is best left doing his thing.
4 The performance of the All Blacks’ tight five came under intense scrutiny following the consecutive defeats to France and Ireland. Was that just a couple of hiccups, or does Foster need to urgently address the issues that cropped up at Stade de France and Aviva Stadium?
RK: I blame the Wallabies.
No, don’t laugh. The All Blacks pack imitated King Kong in the Bledisloe Cup tests; the strategy of stretching the Aussies out wide suited the fit, athletic forwards from the Land of the Long White Cloud.
In hindsight, you do wonder if the All Blacks fooled themselves, that they believed the Wallabies were the benchmark.
Then along came the stronger South African, Ireland and French packs. Their super-charged intensity showed. Whether it was their aggression and body position when they hit the rucks, used the ball (especially the Irish), or worked off set-pieces (the lineouts were Cape Canaveral for South Africa and France), those teams looked great against the All Blacks.
New Zealanders are also big, strong men, but they were forced to bow to their opponents’ superior technique and aggression against that lot. Solutions are needed.
MH: How can I put this delicately? IT’S A BIG PROBLEM! And has been for a while.
Remember the World Cup semi? And pretty much every test of late against the Boks? The best teams now know the All Blacks have a soft underbelly, and they’re targeting it.
Solutions aren’t easy. The props have skill deficiencies. The senior locks are getting long in the tooth. No 1 on the fix-it list.
5 Watching France score two tries off lineout drives against the All Blacks at Stade de France was a shock.
Is this weakness in the All Blacks’ game a consequence of South African teams, who love driving off lineouts, no longer being involved in Super Rugby or is that too simplistic?
The question that needs to be asked is why this part of their game couldn’t be rectified during the European leg.
But there will be a broader price to pay for the reduction in regular play against South Africans.
It’s just too early to say if it’s this area specifically already.
RK: Sounds good, but no.
Barrett should be groomed to start at lock for the World Cup in 2023. He was clearly missed after he returned home early following the Rugby Championship.
Shannon Frizell was excellent for the Highlanders until his year began to fall apart. He avoided conviction when two charges of assault in a Dunedin bar in May were dismissed after he completed diversion.
Frizell made only four appearances, one as a starter, in tests this year. His height, size, and athleticism could provide balance to the pack.
MH: Maybe. His size and physicality would be useful. But Barrett would need to commit to a permanent move.
And is that what the Crusaders want? He might be needed in the second row anyway, with a refresh there potentially on the cards for 2022.
Anybody’s spot for next season.
RK: Barrett has made it more difficult for Mo’unga – at this point. The rest is a mystery until we assess both players’ form in Super Rugby.
It’s also worthwhile noting that the style the All Blacks want to play next year could determine who gets first crack at No 10.
If the forwards are asked to secure possession for longer periods, and cart the ball up around the rucks, the first five-eighth could be required to stand up in the front line and draw defenders before passing back inside.
Mo’unga is more than capable of doing that.
MH: Of course he can. But right now he has a lot of ground to make up after a poor tour.
The theory that Mo’unga does not fare well when his pack isn’t serving up a dream ride gained weight, for sure. But this is a talented player who has it in him to respond. Right now Barrett is simply much better in the art of game-plan management.
8 Should Jordie Barrett be shunted into the midfield – he has indicated it could interest him – or remain at fullback?
RK: Leave him at No 15. Jack Goodhue, Anton Lienert-Brown, Quinn Tupaea and David Havili are capable operators at second five-eighth. Barring the dud performance in the season finale against France, Barrett was excellent at fullback this year.
With Damian McKenzie electing to give the Chiefs a swerve, and stuff his Christmas stocking with yen in Japan, Barrett can use Super Rugby to build on his reputation as New Zealand’s best at the back.
MH: It was a concern to hear Barrett verbalise his desire to shift to No 12. He has only just nailed down the fullback’s role, now he’s already talking about his next spot?
I’m not sure he has the dexterity and speed of movement and thought to cope with the demands of that spot either. Stick to your knitting, young man.
9 What position should Rieko Ioane play in 2022?
RK: Centre. Ioane did enough against France in Paris, before the backline was reshuffled in the second spell, to warrant another shot in this position.
Big, fast and capable of making line-breaks, Ioane was one of the best backs for the All Blacks in 2021.
MH: Wherever there’s a spot for him. He’s that good. That influential. Foster will need to nail down his midfield combination next year, so if that includes Ioane as centre then that’s where he should stay. But he’s equally as lethal on the left wing, so it does allow some flexibility.
10 Remember Caleb Clarke? Can the wing force his way back into the All Blacks after focusing on sevens this year?
Picking players on reputation rather than form, as was the case with George Bridge this season, can be perilous.
MH: Absolutely. The sevens tilt was a fiasco, and the young man needs to rebuild form, confidence and momentum through a Super Rugby campaign. But it was only a year ago he was the best wing in the Kiwi game, and his power and X-factor were sorely missed in 2021.
RK: It depends on the chemistry between Foster and Schmidt which, we must assume, is deemed suitable for this exercise.
The buck stops with Foster. It was difficult to dispute the majority of selections this year, barring a few misfires; what was most disappointing, was that experienced test players didn’t meet expectations in the crunch games.
To extract maximum value from Schmidt, Foster needs to be open-minded and willing to listen during discussions. Ultimately, however, it’s his head on the block.
One ship, one captain. That’s Foster’s lot.
MH: According to some he’s the second coming of Wayne Smith. I’m not so sure he wields that level of influence. But if Foster is prepared to expand his role beyond talent-spotting, and tap into his knowledge, maybe he brings some tactical genius to the plate.
Lord knows they need a rethink of their attack.
12 Finally, tell us which player will be worth keeping an eye on in 2022?
RK: Colossus prop Tamaiti Williams is about to embark on a quest to be a specialist tighthead for the Crusaders.
At around 140kg, Williams is clearly a force to be reckoned with, but switching from the other side of the front row is never easy. If this works it could have positive spin-offs for the player and the Crusaders.
Potentially, the All Blacks too. Depth is needed up front.
MH: Given all the above, there is plenty to watch for. But how about Roger Tuivasa-Sheck?
Midfield remains a work in progress, but if he forms a formidable combination with Ioane at the Blues, and brings those qualities we all know he possesses to his new code, maybe he’s the answer at No 12.
Plenty of unknowns, but should be a fun process to train the binoculars on