mens
international
After weeks of discussion, deliberation and “stone-kicking” about their 3-1 series defeat to the Springboks in rugby’s biggest game, All black people head coach Dave Rennie is ready to redeem himself.
Rennie’s side tried to implement a new aerial strategy during the four-Test, eight-game tour of the Republic, where the wings, or any player for that matter, trying to secure a shot in play, would pull back instead of attacking the ball in front.
During the first Test at Ellis Park, the All Blacks’ only triumph in the four-Test series, they made small strides in that area, but Rassie Erasmus and the Springboks countered in Tests two, three and four.
Jason Pine he Newstalk ZB’s Weekend Sport asked Rennie if the All Blacks are committed to a strategy of pulling back to catch the ball and why.
“yes, I means a a little year before, that was a quite a bit simple process because you could to have three or four guys running a screen, which denies chasers the opportunity that get up and to compete. I so the an idea is that you get a high the ball it is undeniable, and you are catching 95% of those,” said Rennie Newstalk ZB.
“The way things to have changed now, it is ironic-you I can to be running back even if you try it and get out of the way, but you run in the road of someone is coming of a differently direction. You I can get punished and so the concept of retreating is that you I can actually escort and to catch the the ball.
“So in general, when the blows are a a little bit deeper, that allows you that then feed the quarterback or ten, and then we get that to play immediately, try it and movement the the ball away of that congested area.
“But when the blows are shorter, it is a a little bit harder for the guys at the back that come forward in any case. So it is a combination of both of them. For blows that are overkicked a a little bit, yor I want the guys is coming forward.
“I still think about it guys retreating gives us a a chance that stop theirs chasers getting directly at the the ball. I if we I can link and connect of there, then we get that to use the the ball now.”
When it comes to team selection, especially for the back three positions, the All Blacks head coach explained that the attributes of the high ball certainly matter.
“Yes, we do a huge job at it, and people may question it, but yes, look, it’s part of the game, but it’s not the only part of the game.
“We pick outside guys for a number of reasons and some of them are their defensive ability or their ability to finish, their work ethic to get all over the court, and we always play Will Jordan much on the wing.
“He’s played a lot of full-back, which is a real asset, I think. And if you look at the guys we’ve used on the wing, they’re on both sides of the park, so it suits our game.”
“That’s definitely part of it, and it’s an area where guys put a lot of time into. But yeah, listen, we’re committed. We understand when you play teams like South Africa, you’re going to be tested, so we’re going to be better.”