The All Blacks should edge the Pacific Islanders at set pieces but believe countering their swarming play at the breakdown will be a different matter in Saturday’s rugby test at North Harbour stadium.
The tackle and ruck areas have been areas of concern for New Zealand in their past two tests, after their convincing wins over Argentina and England.
Assistant coach Steve Hansen noted the Pacific Islanders struggled to win their lineout ball last Saturday in the 14-29 loss to the Wallabies –‘although Australia are a good defensive lineout†— but were very effective in general play at turning over possession.
”They’re very physical, everything’s 100% and we have to match that,” Hansen said.
”We just have to put our own physical being on them.”
Central to the All Blacks’ cause will be flanker Marty Holah, who gets another chance to impress in the first choice 15, with Richie McCaw still sidelined suffering from headaches.
Holah had also noted the combined island team’s methods at the breakdown and said he was expecting a test that would be little short of brutal. Contesting the ball would be a more physical challenge than they faced against world champions England, he said.
”The English were definitely into us but I think these guys are just going to try to smash us over,” Holah said.
”I don’t think it will be anything personal, I think they’re just keen to have a crack at us.
”From what I saw against the Aussies, they definitely fought the rucks a lot harder, they were pretty competitive over the ball trying to steal it… that was maybe a weak point of our performance against Argentina as well.
”Our launch moves are pretty critical to us. If we don’t get those clean rucks it makes it pretty tough.”
Blindside flank specialist Jerry Collins is Holah’s only backup on the openside on Saturday, suggesting he will get a rare chance to play the full 80 minutes of a test. The bulk of his 27 tests have been as a replacement for McCaw.
”I’m one of those players who gets confidence from playing, so when you don’t play for a while you tend to lose a bit of confidence. I found that leading into the World Cup last year,” he said.
Holah said he had been working hard on his defence and on running with the ball in hand, an area where he didn’t achieve what he wanted against England.
Meanwhile, Pacific Islanders coach John Boe said his team had worked hard on countering the driving maul, an area where the Wallabies made good headway at Adelaide. He said the key was stopping it before it could get any momentum going.
”I think the All Blacks will be better than the Australians at that aspect of play. So we have to be better there,” Boe said.
”We’ve done some work on that and our tough Tongan forwards are looking forward to that challenge.” – Sapa-NZPA