Lineout woes sum up shaky New Zealand
BY PHIL GIFFORD
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Opinion
OPINION: There were so many targets for the All Blacks in Hamilton it's a wonder the poor guys didn't run on the field with heads spinning like Linda Blair in The Exorcist.
It wasn't just the aim of keeping South Africa pointless while New Zealand scored four tries for a bonus point.
They needed to stay calm, to play the game with the cold-eyed efficiency of the professional assassin.
The trick was that the Boks had brought the Steyn boys, Morne and Francois, so, in an ironic flip-flop to the thunder of Don Clarke's kicking in Hamilton against the 1956 Springboks it was quickly obvious that any slack discipline would be fatal.
So to see Kieran Read, usually a model of consistency, having a brain fade and dropping his shoulder into Bryan Habana after the whistle was disconcerting.
So was the hash Joe Rokocoko made of the high ball last night, then knocked on by Mils Muliaina, that led to the try by Fourie du Preez.
So was the embarrassing near falcon from Sitiveni Sivivatu inside his own 22, when the ball pinged from his shoulder to the side of his head, or a wild pass he threw on defence 15 minutes into the second half.
So was the way Ma'a Nonu made potent breaks, but then lost the ball in tackles.
So was the fact that the combination of Daniel Carter and Stephen Donald looked as makeshift as it actually was.
With so little possession from lineouts the ball had to be treated like gold. Too often it was offered as loose change for South Africa.
The All Blacks needed to smash into the Boks the way the Wallabies did in Brisbane, facing their brutally effective forwards with no hint of hesitation or nerves.
No problem there, led by captain Richie McCaw, who early in the game was furiously pushing Bakkies Botha aside beside a maul, they charged relentlessly into the heart of the battle.
Look too, at Jimmy Cowan, making a try-saving tackle on Bismarck du Plessis, and then eyeballing him with a stare that could have frozen an ocean.
Look at Isaia Toeava slicing with power and guile through tackles to set up Sivivatu's try. Toeava's been given an almost limitless number of chances in test rugby, and his running gave a hint why the selectors are so often prepared to forgive handling lapses.
But despite the late flurries of frantic attack, and the amazing kick of Carter for McCaw's try, there was too much early dysfunction to hope for a home team victory.
Most notably the All Blacks needed to get the lineouts right, which should have involved, according to, for example, Ian Jones, (whose 79 test matches at lock would surely give his words some weight) attacking all the Boks' throws except those on the New Zealand line.
They got the attack side basically right. On paper, the figures on the Bok throw may not have looked impressive, but in the first half especially, at least challenging put pressure on the Springboks they didn't handle especially well.
However, if there was a glimmer of hope there, shake your head and weep when it was New Zealand's throw.
The time has come for the All Blacks' coaching group to admit the lineout has got beyond them. Maybe it's the throwing of Andrew Hore, maybe it's the calling, maybe it's the jumpers.
Whatever the issues, and the problem is so bad it may be a combination of all three, the lineout is broken, and it needs to be fixed.
Whether it's Ali Williams or a Super 14 forwards' expert that's sought for specialist coaching, the situation is now a crisis, with no real sign of getting better.
- © Fairfax NZ News
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Erm... Just a little thought guys... The AB lineout was demolished in SA twice and everyone started stressing. Then it was better against Aus, and everyone started feeling happier. Then the Boks demolished it again. Common denominator? Victor Matfield and Co... they are untouchable at the moment, and have been for a few years in the lineout. Dont feel bad, they destroy every lineout they come up against, bar none.
...this current team are clueless on the field...just like the coach off it with the poor selections and game plans
...what a load of rubbish!!!...i have just read that Hansen blames line-out, passing, handling woes etc...on poor personal skills from individual players, well... they all had the skills in the S14 to get selected...so what has happened...simple, poor coaching at this level...you gotta go Steve..... The coaches job is to built confidence in players in order to perform...and make the right decisions.
Sam #11 - mate, questions have to be asked of some of the players and Hore happens to be one of them, I think thats fair enough. Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought I heard a sound bite from a video interview with Hore who stated that the Boks had the best lineout in world rugby - you see, they were in his head even before the match, if I was coach I would have either replaced him with Aled De Mal.....or got another thrower. He is a good player but his lineout throws have been contaminated with Bok mindgames - not good !! Cheers
I don't always agree with you Mr Gifford, but this time you've hit the nail on the head. Besides the many arguments regarding Graham Henry's ability, surely the gun must be pointed towards the heads of Steve Hansen and wayne Smith. This is easily the worst lineout I have ever seen from an All Black side, and in fact it hasn't been good the whole time Hansen has been there. Except briefly during a couple of outstanding seasons by Chris Jack and Ali Williams(more to do with individual players than coaching). Its surely asking too much to ask them to right all the wrongs on their own next season?
A list of "so was's Mr Gifford - here's couple more, as I know you are a great fan of certain players so possibly you don't see the following as contributing to the poor All Blacks' showing, but I do.
So was Carter's no look pass which led to the winning try (worse than the Rokococo/Mills debacle I think)... So was Carter's terrible tactical kicking... So was McCaw's decision not to take the penalty kick... So was the call to not only play Carter out of position but also Nonu...
Why is it that poor old Andrew Hore has to wear the blame from a lot of you, all on his own, for the line-out woes?
Nonu - leave him alone. If there is one player who has been thoroughly mucked around by Wayne Smith - it's this one and it shows in his game. He, of all the players on that field on Saturday was probably the only one that looked likely (apart from Toeava and Jane when they came on) with ball in hand despite losing the ball in the tackle. Losing the ball in the tackle is a fixable problem - Nonu remains our best and most consistent line breaker.
Is it not time to substitute Brad Thorns scrumaging power for another genuine lineout forward.
hmmm so you put Donald in the mix to play like Nonu. This team is playing like scared rabbits. Scared to express themselves, scared to make a mistake, scared of losing! When you have a team that is so infused with negatives, playing like they have come together for the 1st time, without any confidence - you've gotta ask yourself what value add is the coaching team providing? Here's the thing - I bet you Robbie Deans & has settled on his team for the RWC - and anoher bet that the guys he has settled on know it! from this point it's only a matter of fine tuning maybe a couple of positions left to review, Centre and flyhalf IMO. Now where is Mr Henry at?
Ialmost gave up on them picking up any sort of score in the first half,you cant expect to win by kicking penalties if you're conceding them at the same rate.Yes, the lineout was a gift to the Boks most of the time, definitely needs help. Ball handling needs a lot of attention,Nonu needs a pair of Campo gloves perhaps, but Rokocoko has to be given a spell, does he have to have a doctor's certificate to take a day off, or what is the problem, please selectors, have a look at the video, and act accordingly. The Boks beat us because they are the best at the moment, don't let the Wallies trample us too, that'd be too much to bear.
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New Zealand has always thought itself the best. For a lot of years, it was, despite its tiny population (and that in itself deserves a doctoral dissertation). The problem is that the world -- with a lot more people and a lot more money -- has well and truly caught up. Besides which, just imagine if the US and/or Russia decided to take union seriously. Goodnight, NZ.