All Blacks must get physical

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All Blacks

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The old Graham Henry is back.

Gone were the man-hugs, kisses and giggles from the All Blacks coach and his skipper, Mils Muliaina, as they prepared to meet France at the Cake Tin this evening.

The body language on show this week was in stark contrast to the tomfoolery last week, when Henry was in such a jovial mood ahead of the opening test against France at Carisbrook that he pecked a kiss on the side of Muliaina's head.

It was a different story yesterday.

Henry was not quite at his scratchy best, but you could sense the tension ahead of the game his team must win to prevent France claiming this series 2-0. This band-aid All Blacks side is under the pump and they know it.

"It was a big learning curve, and if we have not learned from last week's game, we are in trouble," Henry said when reflecting on the 27-22 loss. "It was just a different level of physicality and it takes a wee bit of time to get into that groove that's necessary to play at that level," he said.

In recent years, there has always been a feeling that if the All Blacks lost or under-performed in a test, they had the firepower, experience and menace to right the wrongs. With this lot, however, the doubt remains. They cannot call on the magic of Dan Carter at pivot, the raw aggression and talent of lock Ali Williams, the experience and massive work-rate of No8 Rodney So'oialo, or the follow-me-over-the-top leadership of flanker Richie McCaw.

All week, the coaches and players have guaranteed they will put up a much better showing in all facets, not least in the forward exchanges, where they were too meek in the rucks, out-foxed by the unfamiliar driving mauls, and surprisingly gazumped in the scrums.

The players should not only be worried about being the first All Blacks team to lose in New Zealand since 1994; some of them are fighting for the right to be retained for the Tri-Nations.

Among those in the firing line has to be tighthead prop Neemia Tialata, who still appears to be struggling for fitness, despite a full campaign with the Hurricanes.

Tialata's weight (127kg) has always been a hobbyhorse for his detractors, but he did himself few favours last week.

It is almost as though the back row of Jerome Kaino, Tanerau Latimer and Kieran Read have been lobbed a hospital pass and been told to make do. Read has never started a Super 14 match at No8, let alone a test, while Latimer, who made his test debut off the bench last week, is the only fit No7 after injuries felled McCaw, Adam Thomson and Scott Waldrom.

The return of centre Conrad Smith will not add pace to the backline, but that is not a worry. The positive is he provides a cool head outside Ma'a Nonu and first five-eighth Stephen Donald and should be a voice of reason if the All Blacks backline again gets rattled by the rushing French defensive line.

This week, halfback Jimmy Cowan gave his detractors a verbal tickle-up for criticising his game at Carisbrook. Fair enough; now he has to prove he deserves his spot ahead of Brendon Leonard when he returns to fitness.

Watching training this week has been former coach and selector Sir Brian Lochore, and he gave Henry a simple message after last week's match.

"He said we were ready for battle last week, but we weren't ready for war," Henry said. "The boys just don't understand what it is like and what is required, a lot of them, until they have experienced that."

Live scoring and commentary of the test at www.stuff.co.nz from kickoff.

- © Fairfax NZ News