Fast. Be in no doubt about how the All Blacks want to play this year starting on Saturday against France on a dry pitch under the roof in Dunedin – speed is the key.
Head coach Scott Robertson said it on Monday.
“We want to play fast,” Robertson said. “We think the game is in a great place for us – quick scrums, quick lineouts, quick taps. Our skill set trends to us playing fast and creating so that’s what we’ll push all week.”
And assistant coach Jason Holland said it again yesterday.
“I don’t think the style will change,” Holland said. “The fundamentals will stay the same as last year. We want to play fast so we’ll stay nice and clear in our minds to make sure that we can play fast. So the style probably won’t be too different, but we’ll be nice and brave about how we play.”
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Some of the messaging may be designed to encourage the match officials to allow the Test to be played at a pace that the All Blacks are comfortable with but, regardless, it is clear.
The All Blacks want the ball-in-play time to be high and stoppages low. They are backing their fitness against a below-strength squad travelling at the end of the Northern Hemisphere season and will do so again in the Rugby Championship.
The theory is not revolutionary – New Zealand coaches have traditionally wanted to play a high-tempo game in keeping with the athletes at their disposal – but it is encouraging for fans who prefer action to extended water breaks.
Enter, then, one Damian McKenzie, a man with a penchant for attacking and giving the ball some air; a player, indeed, who was described by former head coach Sir Steve Hansen as having the instincts of a “fly in a bottle”, and who has issued not necessarily a note of caution but a message that contains a lot of common sense.
“Fast isn’t always about being reckless and throwing the ball around all over the field,” McKenzie tells 1News.
“It’s about being fast with our actions and fast with our decisions – whether that’s an opportunity to kick, or our set piece – being fast there. Where we strike and where we attack, being fast on defence. The fast thing isn’t always about being loose… [but] it’s an exciting [prospect] and we definitely have the players to play that brand of rugby.”
McKenzie, who is again locked in a battle for the No.10 jersey with Beauden Barrett, started the first eight Tests of last year at first-five before moving to the bench after the All Blacks’ narrow Bledisloe Cup victory in Sydney in September.
He earned a reprieve after a head injury kept Barrett out of the Ireland Test in Dublin and McKenzie performed with distinction, before giving way again for the remaining two Test of the year.
Robertson will announce his match-day squad tomorrow and has given no clue as to who will fill the pivotal position but it may be that Barrett retains his spot – not that McKenzie would begrudge the decision.
“Beaudy is world class, as we know,” he says. “You obviously want to be starting but [last year] I had to quickly switch to ‘how do I make an impact on the game’. Obviously, I’ve had a fair bit of experience coming off the bench at Test level.
“I was fortunate to play in all 14 Tests last year. Beaudy and I have been great mates for a long time. It’s very healthy competition and that competition… allows both of us to get better. And obviously Ruben [Love] has played a lot at 10 for the Canes and had a great season.”
A final point on the All Blacks’ desire to play with pace in the hope of stretching their opponents’ fitness, skills and concentration.
Last year Robertson’s men created more line breaks on average than their opponents but a major failing was their finishing ability.
It is therefore not surprising to hear from McKenzie that finishing those opportunities was a priority.
“Last year we created a lot of opportunities through our attack… we had a couple of times when we created so much but that last piece of the puzzle we couldn’t quite finish.
“For us it’s a skill set thing and being able to finish those moments when it matters in big Tests. That’s definitely been a key message in the first few days we’ve been together.”
The requirement to execute with coolness and accuracy amidst the helter skelter of the game at the top level is obvious.
So should the demands of being a Test first-five. But, I ask McKenzie, do you think the general public underestimate the difficulties of playing in such a position?
“Yes, I think so,” he replies.
“It’s not easy but no position is easy, really. You’re the conductor of the team and when the team is going well you’re made to look good, you get a good ride. When the team is potentially not going well a lot of weight falls on your shoulders. Any position at international level is not easy… but that’s the pressure you want to be under.”
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