All Blacks’ latest victory a ‘blunt reminder’ as New Zealand media claim Rassie Erasmus will not be ‘shivering with fear’
Sharks and All Blacks going head-to-head and Jordie Barrett scoring a try.
Planet Rugby takes a look at how the New Zealand media reacted to the All Blacks’ 54-0 victory over the Sharks in their second Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour match.
After struggling in their opener against the Stormers, Dave Rennie’s men produced a much more convincing display by hammering the Durban outfit on Tuesday.
Rennie picked a side which will much more closely resemble the 23 that will take to the field for the first Test against the Springboks and it showed.
While they were once again slow to start, taking a 14-0 advantage into the break, the All Blacks managed to pull away after the interval, scoring at a point a minute.
However, New Zealand writers are not quite convinced that the tourists have truly hit their stride just yet despite an improvement in the recent win.
All Blacks require ‘plenty of polish’
“While coach Rennie has a reputation for being methodical and not daunted by difficult tasks, he’s also pragmatic, and after watching his All Blacks struggle to control the soapy ball and not give away penalties in the first 40 minutes, he may have peered into the murky night sky and wondered if his boys were slow learners,” Stuff’s Richard Knowler wrote.
“It was a blunt reminder that this squad remains a project that still requires plenty of polish.
“Yes, the All Blacks exploded into action in the second stanza – wing Fehi Fineanganofo grabbed two tries, and Ruben Love was excellent off the tee by kicking seven of his eight conversions, but the tourists took a long time to light the fuse and it’s unlikely they made Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus and his squad shiver with fear ahead of the four-test series.
“Having loaded this team with men likely to play in the first test against the Springboks in Johannesburg on August 23, Rennie had every right to expect it to be more accurate and clinical than the second-string side that battled to put away the tenacious Stormers in Cape Town last Saturday.
“Maybe it was the drenched arena, or the multitude of empty seats that made the game seem like it was an afterthought on the itinerary of the ‘Greatest Rivalry’ tour, but the All Blacks took an eternity to impose themselves on a Sharks team that had been stripped of its Springboks.”
New Zealand Herald’s Gregor Paul, who was scathing of the All Blacks following their Stormers performance, was more positive this time around.
“In what were unseasonably cold and wet conditions, the All Blacks sploshed and splashed their way to a victory that ticked just about every box,” Paul wrote.
“They didn’t look properly in command and bully-boy dominant until the final 20 minutes, but there was enough accuracy, intensity and energy about their performance across the 80 minutes to feel they are ready for what lies ahead.
“They didn’t drop a marker down warning the Springboks they are ready and roaring, but they certainly played with enough poise and panache to suggest they are tracking upwards from their previous outing in the first game of the tour.
“By the end, they were flowing nicely – the pass and catch was sharp in what were horrendous conditions, the attacking structure held its shape and there was a confidence and certainty about the movement.
“It was by no means vintage All Blacks, but there was a swagger about the team in the way they so effortlessly passed before and out of contact and found ways to keep the ball alive.”
Jordie Barrett brilliance
Paul also namechecked Jordie Barrett’s display with the centre one of the All Blacks’ best in their triumph over the Sharks.
“Jordie Barrett deserves a mention, too, for the way he took control as a second – and sometimes primary – playmaker,” he added.
“His contribution was mature, using his boot well to turn the Sharks and he’s grown into the best second five-eighths the All Blacks have had since Ma’a Nonu was in his pomp 15 years ago.”
Alex Powell, also writing in the Herald, was similarly impressed by Barrett, who is set to go head-to-head with Springboks powerhouse Damian de Allende in a mouth-watering match-up.
“Barrett’s match-up against Damian de Allende when the tests begin is going to be something special,” Powell wrote.
“The All Blacks midfielders fired a warning shot Rassie Erasmus’ way.”