All Blacks aren’t ‘sugarcoating’ failure against Springboks, ‘pretty confident’ of fix

The All Blacks are aware of their shortcomings in the final quarter of Test matches after their defeat to the Springboks at Ellis Park.

That’s the word from New Zealand’s forward coach Jason Ryan and flanker Ethan Blackadder who both rued the team’s failure to defend their 10-point lead in the final stages of the clash in Johannesburg.

Heading into the final 15 minutes of the match, the All Blacks held a 17-27 lead before Ofa Tu’ungafasi’s yellow card gave the Springboks a sniff and Rassie Erasmus’ charges took full advantage with Kwagga Smith and Grant Williams crossing the whitewash to clinch the win.

All Blacks confident that they can find a fix

The 2011-2015 vintage All Blacks were renowned for their ability to finish games strongly but that has not been the case in 2024 with Scott Robertson’s side failing to score in the final 20 minutes of their last three Test matches in the Rugby Championship.

Ryan believes that their issue in finishing games well is down to selection and tactics but also inexperience in the squad following the retirements of several stalwarts after the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

Still, the forward coach says they are addressing the issue and have had frank conversations about it.

“It’s a fair question, we didn’t finish that game as well as we could have, it was talked about in our review and we have got some younger men starting their Test careers as well,” Ryan told reporters in Cape Town.

“So, we were honest around the reality of where we are at with that part of it but by no means are we sugarcoating it and overlooking it. We are acknowledging it and we’ll look to improve it definitely.

“I think it could be a little bit of both to be fair [tactical or selection], we have got guys coming on that have played a handful of Tests and she’s some atmosphere, especially at Ellis Park against the best team in the world.

“But now we’re also pretty confident that we’re making some progress in our game where we need to be as well so there’s always something to work on.”

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Flanker Blackadder also rued the team’s inability to close out the game and giving the Springboks a route back into the contest.

“We started the game well and then let the Springboks – whether it was through errors or discipline – they got back into the game and got down on our half,” he said.

“So I think for us it’s nullifying that being squeaky clean to not let them play the way they want in terms of that second half.”

Changes expected

Ryan suggested that the All Blacks would be making changes to their matchday 23 for the second clash against the Springboks as they look to bounce back from the defeat in Johannesburg.

“It’s a balance between keeping consistency in your squad and in your selections but also being brave and giving guys an opportunity so they can actually live what this sort of intensity is like because it’s a lot bigger contest mentally and physically,” he added.

“Every Test match is different and this Test match, the collision side of it and the intensity and physicality was right up there.

“But the encouraging thing is we did show signs where we can play some footy that’s what we want to do, we want to play some footy and if all goes well we’ll be able to do that again and and keep our game going.

“But we’re just looking to build consistency in our week and in our game. We can stand here and say we want to respond and all that but we should respond to every Test match, so we’re just challenging the group to be better as much as we can every day.”

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Best in the world

One big positive the All Blacks’ forward coach did take from the defeat to South Africa was the fact that they were able to score four tries against the Boks’ renowned defence.

The four five-pointers meant that the All Blacks collected two bonus points from the defeat but according to Ryan, it gives them a boost for the rematch at DHL Stadium.

“We see them as the best in the world and well they are, they are big rocks and it gave us a bit of confidence [to score that many tries] and the boys worked pretty hard at that plan last week,” he said.

“We knew what we wanted to do and how we wanted to go about it and I think we took a lot of positive thoughts from that and encouragement.”

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