mens
international
The next one Rugby World Cup South Africa will lose.
I know it’s not a particularly earth-shattering statement, but the Springboks will have to beat themselves.
She could France push them? Potentially. But everyone else will have to rely on them South Africa plays badly.
They were too good for that All black people. Only not just too good, but too big, too strong and occasionally too fast.
The problem is size and strength. I have no questions about the All Blacks’ commitment in this four-Test series. They struggled mightily, in fact, not least in a 43-28 loss in Baltimore on Sunday (NZ time).
The scrum was consistently fine and the line-up wasn’t bad at the M&T Bank Stadium either, but they became monsters around the park despite the best efforts of players like Ethan Blackadder.
Really and truly, I’m not sure there’s much you can do tactically when your opponents have such a huge physical advantage. You can try to pick different players and sort out some skill areas – with catching high balls being the most obvious – but the fundamental disparity between these two teams is clear.
Let’s start with the players.
Regardless of the absence of Ardie Save, and the need for someone else to attend the coin toss, Codie Taylor can’t start with a whore. I honestly think Asafo Aumua has passed him by and the captaincy should not come into the equation.
Ethan de Groot should also start at loosehead prop. For me, he is by far the best player in that position and we have seen that that solid figure certainly surpasses everything else that the prop can offer at this level.
I am happy with the locks and loose forward. I was delighted to see Blackadder given the chance and I thought he acquitted himself extremely well in Baltimore.
Peter Lakai would always be in my trio and I don’t care where. Without Savea, it looks like he could get an extended spell at No.8.
Another halfback would be good. Cam Roigard is usually the All Blacks’ best player, but he can’t play every minute of every match. A capable deputy would be useful, and no one has made a particularly strong case.
Ruben Love would be my top 10 pick and Richie Mo’unga’s outing in Baltimore was decent. I don’t see him commanding the stage and improving the team significantly, but he won’t lose you a game when he’s on the park.
I thought Jordie Barrett had a poor finish to the series, perhaps not helped by Anton Lienert-Brown alongside him. I’ve been a big fan of Lienert-Brown over the years, but I think he’s at a stage where he has nothing more to offer.
Nice to see Leicester Fainga’anuku is approaching full fitness again, as New Zealand needs a physical threat from the center. Quinn Tupaea has it and Billy Proctor probably doesn’t.
You have to be able to carry hard and hit hard up the middle, and to that end, it was another strange outing for Riek Ioane off the bench in Baltimore.
Ioane has all the physical tools you want in a center, but he seems to be more of an observer than a participant when he’s on the fence. I’m not entirely sure who is responsible for that.
I wouldn’t mind seeing a back three of Will Jordan, Josh Moorby and Leroy Carter at some point. Carter has a howler or two in him, but also the ball-carrying ability that the All Blacks need against a team of South Africa’s caliber.
Moorby impresses me every time I see him and I think he deserves a chance to play more regularly.
Damian McKenzie was solid at fullback, which I give him credit for. He didn’t make so many mistakes that made it difficult for him in the first five-eighth, but he didn’t ask many questions of the South African defense either.
I’d like to see what Jordan instead I can offer 15. It doesn’t have to be permanent, but it’s worth a look.
We got about what you would expect from the All Blacks on this tour. They are pretty good but not as good as the Springboks and it showed.
I still think they can be better, they’re just not going to get bigger and stronger all of a sudden and that’s what you have to be to beat the Springboks.