Rugby Direct Episode 259: The South African reality check

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1:04elevating you and your business to a higher level Elliott Smith. Talking to himself on Rugby Direct, we didn't have time before we left Baltimore and Washington and Maryland of Virginia to pop in with an episode of Rugby Direct. Hopefully this will satiate your need for some Rugby analysis before we get back to the usual pod. Hopefully at some point next week. Thursday morning, the dust has set a little bit on Rugby's greatest rivalry tour. I think for the all blacks, there's a sense of what might have been. Now obviously they were not as good as South Africa over the course of those four test matches. I think that was especially the case in the fourth which was perhaps a bridge too far. The touring around the world and the amount of games that played etc etc and some of that had been true for South Africa as well but it felt like a bridge too far against the same opponent for the all blacks to play for straights. I think the Baltimore defeat was probably

2:10the most the meekest of the lot. Just for the sense that they were not able to find a way into the game for long periods of the time it felt like South Africa when they scored would score again and that's a fact that Sean on the scoreboard the way they went about the scored in clusters. The all blacks were in it but they at half time down by three, 17, 14 needed to be the team that came out of the blocks quickest in the second spell and they just weren't able to to do that. South Africa scored with a couple of quick tries and put the game beyond even when New Zealand got back to ace and could the Arons that goes through in schools and New Zealand probably should have got a penalty then but not to be but they can only really blame themselves. The 2povi silly clear out that was completely and utterly unnecessary when the all blacks were down by eight and on the attack that's something in symptomatic of the dumbass penalties that the

3:14all blacks need to get rid of outs of the game. There are a number of issues that have come out of the series of course but that to me is one other teams don't seem to concede those sort of penalties that the all blacks are finding themselves in yes they want to push the limits yes that is the style that Dave Rennie has asked to be aggressive at the breakdown but there are some silly penalties that this all blacks team can see that others in world rugby really do so so that is one. As I said when I got back to the game and and got with two with an ace at a certain point there was a sense that maybe the momentum even was swinging a little bit that's what I sort of felt at the game that they had to come back into it when blackout I got the try around the hour mark and they got back to 29-21 they had a little bit of my men's and but what this team is not good good enough that is building pressure and we've seen that time and again now going back to the 2 by VIE instance they were building pressure they're on attack inside the 22 then they will leave

4:17it that's happened a number of other times we saw in the first bell when they stick together 30 odd faces and will draw in the squads at the hands that patience counted and the defensive questions they're asking of South Africa while South Africa's defense was very good at some point it was going to crack and it did and this all blacks team seems to want to score on first and second phase and I get that is a real strength about and we've seen that throughout the the series so far but I think they need to be better at finding ways to to build pressure inside the opposition red zone that's what South Africa has been utterly good at this series when they get the ball inside the all blacks 22 more often than not they score or leave with some points now South Africa on the weekend entered the all blacks 22 meter zone 13 times they've really said prior to the first test that they need to close down the amount of 22 entries that's how that fricking gets over the course of the series they were simply not able to do that and they weren't able to get enough of

5:19their own the all blacks had seven in that game they average four points scoring from each visits now the all blacks are not quite as dearly as South Africa with each 22 entry or the average points from that game suggest otherwise but South Africa when they get in there very very hard to stop and so out of this tour there are a long list I think of issues that the all blacks need to fix yeah it's scrum is certainly one of them although I think it'll fear better touch wood again it's a strategy in a few weeks time I suspect it'll probably go okay up north as well England are probably the biggest test there when it comes to discouraging so I suspect it would go better there but South Africa were able to twist them and work them around and show pictures that the referees clearly wanted to see at scrum time and were willing to reward now the all blacks have talked a lot about South Africa walking around and other issues at scrum time at the end of the day that's not what the referees have been seeing and the all blacks have to adjust

6:23and I think that's the the theme of the last couple of points are made that the penalties and the scrums the all blacks have been wanting when it comes to adjustments that are required another one is obviously the high ball reception I don't know why this is continuing to be an issue for the all blacks but this is not just a daver any issue it's a scot robins an issue that they haven't been able to take the high ball regularly enough now the escort rules change the way that it develops and it's become somewhat of a lottery but South Africa seem to be doing it a right England seem to be doing it a right Ireland seem to be doing it a right so the all blacks need to be better at doing so and I do wonder just thinking out loud whether there needs to be a a certain sense of pragmatism here at the moment with the all blacks and the players that are suggesting that they're selecting rather on the wing now there are few and far high ball exponents in the game now calibre clock is one of them for the all blacks he's obviously out for

7:26the rest of the year but I wonder with the vulnerabilities the all blacks are shined under the high ball and opposition teams willingness to exploit that which will continue maybe not against Australia although who knows that they need to be a little bit pragmatic about who was who they're selecting on the wing now don't have a great deal of suggestions for that but perhaps you better off you know selecting someone that is efficient under the high ball versus someone that is going to give you the pace and power that otherwise ordinarily you would associate with all blacks teams so I think that's a big question mark for the all blacks we're not seeing them settle on a wing combination obviously will Jordan is locked down the 14 Jews although his work under the high ball has been questionable Damien McKenzie's at fullback as well he throws himself into everything although still an issue with the high ball reception but just wonder whether the make up of the back three could be tweak somewhat to bring in high ball exponents issue would probably lose a little bit with

8:28pace or power yeah I've talked a little bit and you know listeners and Liam if he's listening to roll his eyes around shea fihaki but he's a good high ball exponent but is he a test player well probably not but maybe you just could be a little bit pragmatic and I'm sure it applies in the NPC that are proficient under the high ball not the point of need to plucked out of the NPC but maybe with the test will cut on the horizon next year whether you can get players that are already in the all blacks up to speak with the high ball or with you select high ball exponents and look to to bring them through that way so that's something that I am quite hot on and obviously it's going to be something that the all blacks will be tested in the northern league of the nation's championship in a few weeks time well a couple of months time but not too far away from that happening scrum obviously an issue as I mentioned before the high ball an issue the penalties and issue there are a few other questions I think around the make up of the team now Dave Rene

9:30spoke to media away from the media conference to the New Zealand media gather on the ground in a sort of separate media pod scenario which was embargo and he suggested that Scott Barrett could be back for the bled is low cup series potentially um listifying a nuku maybe an option as well Anton Segner the the jury was still out on Anton then at brown um when we spoke to him this is only an hour or so after the Baltimore game but they're going to be some interesting selection decisions for the all blacks will take 34 for the bled is low as my understanding um and some of those players will come back in I think there'll be a squeeze around certain parts of the game I think lock will be fascinating because if Scott Barrett does come through an NPC game or maybe two does he come straight back into the all blacks and who for I don't think Patrick Doye Palotto had his best series necessarily I would like to see him go back to being a bench impact option for the all blacks I think that's been where he's played his best rugby over the last couple of years Sam Dary I think there's some question marks defensively over him he didn't have a great game I didn't think

10:34in Baltimore Sam so there is some work to do there so maybe Scott Barrett does come back into the the second row for for one or if not both of those players um elsewhere I think the squeeze will come on the outside backs obviously we didn't see a lot of Finney on the Norfolk on this tour or a money Nutterwa Ligam's favorite pet project player um will they be carried for the bled is low cup series don't know um you suspect the way that Fiji ran over the wall of the the Australian Super rugby teams um earlier in the year that he could do quite nicely against those players um when it comes to the test level but we just haven't seen enough of him uh to Morthy Tava Tava now I I think the jury is still out on um on where he's at in terms of a test player I don't know that he'll be part of the planning for the the individual tour when you add back in players like Fying a Nuku um maybe there's a time we full out scenarios one all the time we're

11:34full as a midfield a bit of majest see here uh Tava Tava now why potentially be squeezed out so some interesting conversations coming for Dave Rennie and the selectors as they um sought out this team for the bled is low and for the ends of year tour at some point the squeeze is going to come on the tens as well with Moonga starting in Baltimore obviously Ruben Love being the incumbent ten for the season so far Damien McKinsey boat and Barrett the question will be asked as to whether you can carry all of them not only for the World Cup next year but whether they can be carried in the squad of 34 um and into the bled is like don't know about that maybe boat and Barrett is better served playing for Taranaki over the next few weeks and trying to find some form uh head of the individual to a rather than carrying tackle bags or being part of the all blacks Max I don't know I think that's a uh a live discussion for uh for Dave Rennie and and co so some interesting conversations to be had over the next week or two when it comes to um the all blacks and um the

12:36squad and the tactics that they put together uh for the final six test matches of the year two against Australia and four as they go up north uh at the start of november uh that all about doors for a quick rugby direct obviously a couple of other things on the go the NPC uh as well and the black fans with a great win over France on the weekend uh look to dive a little bit deeper into that black fans have England of course next weekend and probably the showcase game will definitely the showcase game of that element of the tour but as I say that all about doors for rugby directs and me uh drawing on in your ears for uh 12 and a half minutes or so hopefully we'll leave them in for a podcast at some point next week and fully review uh the all blacks tour of south africa my thanks to mark kelly for producing we are powered by access solutions elevating you in your business to a higher level for more from news talks at b listen live on air or online and

13:38keep our shows with you wherever you go with our podcasts on iHard radio hey sports fans Dennis Robbin talking with you join me at betus.com my only sports book and casino same game parlay's os boost live in game betting plus a 200 percent welcome bonus for sports book and casino join me today at betus.com tell them Dennis Robbin sent you