Back to basics for All Blacks
The evolution of the All Blacks’ game under Scott Robertson can wait, the first test against England on Saturday will be built on the basics.
All Blacks assistant coach Scott Hansen yesterday outlined the no-frills approach ahead of the clash at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin, and also gave a hint that they saw an “opportunity” to target England No 9-No 10 pairing Alex Mitchell and Marcus Smith.
“They’re good players with attacking instinct, and very dangerous near the line,” Hansen said.
“[I’ve been], really impressed with the English attack and the No 9 and No 10 govern a lot of that.
“We have to have high alertness around them ... and we've had a good look at them around what their strengths are.
“We see opportunity also, but full respect to them.”
But Hansen was under no illusion that the key to the test would be the All Blacks’ ability to nail the basics.
While there has been a lot of anticipation about what innovation Robertson might bring, the All Blacks coaches themselves have been consistent in paying respect to the fundamentals of test rugby, and Hansen didn’t deviate from that messaging.
“We'll choose our moments around what momentum looks like for us and how we regain it,” Hansen said.
“This match is going to come down to a number of things and fundamentally, it's going to be around our set-piece, our ability to create momentum and apply pressure.
“So, that will still be our DNA. That is All Black rugby.
“And then you look at our skillset within our game, the ability to play through our forwards from No 1 to No 8 and our ability to find space with our backs.
“So we're excited to see the team come together for the first time.”
The All Blacks gameplan will undoubtedly have the fingerprints of the new coaching team over it, but the reality is that it will be a light touch due to the limited time they’ve had together.
“We will take this test for what it is and we will evolve during the year,” Hansen said.
“It's important for us to be decisive this weekend. So that's what we should expect to see from the All Blacks this weekend - a decisive team.“
Hansen was also keen to point out that while Robertson was bringing his trademark energy to the camp, the All Blacks were a two-way street that relied on the input from senior players.
He spoke glowingly of Beauden Barrett’s composure, Sam Cane’s institutional knowledge and experience, and TJ Perenara’s ability to connect the team on attack and defence.
“This is the boys’ team, this is the All Blacks,” Hansen said.
“It's about the 15, it's about the 23, it’s about the squad. They are the ones that need to be at the front leading it.”
The All Blacks will announce their team on Thursday and the value Hansen put in the senior players suggests that experience will be crucial in tight selection calls.
Beauden Barrett, therefore, is likely to keep the No 15 jersey he wore at the Rugby World Cup, while Perenara is the logical choice as the senior halfback.
Hansen said he was deeply impressed with how Perenara had fought back from a career-threatening Achilles injury to perform strongly for the Hurricanes this year.
“What I've seen is a man and a family being challenged and they had to show resilience,” Hansen said.
“He thought in his dark moments it was possibly over and he had to go through a number of those moments to get back.
“So for him to show the resilience and for him to be picked up by his family and told keep going, it's a great story around what it is to want to play for your country.
“It started with him going back to the Hurricanes but he's got a competitive streak that meant he wanted to be back as an All Black.
“And now the narrative is this: be a really good one because the effort and time you've put in to be back is not so much the end of the story, it should be the start,” Hansen said.
“This match is going to come down to a number of things and fundamentally, it's going to be around our set-piece, our ability to create momentum and apply pressure.’’
All Blacks assistant coach Scott Hansen