Thursday, 24 July 2008 - NZPA
Australia continue to be the innovators in world rugby back play, adding to Saturday's Bledisloe Cup challenge for an All Blacks side whose modified defence has stuttered this year, according to assistant coach Wayne Smith.
Uncharacteristic missed tackles and defensive miscommunication have marred New Zealand's start to 2008, coming to a head when Springboks halfback Ricky Januarie scored his late match-winning try at Dunedin two weeks ago.
Smith said his coaching staff were introducing multiple systems to use in defence this year but it was taking time to bed in and mistakes were being made that were not apparent in recent seasons.
"The All Black environment, because of the lack of time together, it's not a good environment to learn new things in," Smith told NZPA.
"There have been some mistakes made that we perhaps wouldn't have made in the past but I think it will benefit us in the future because we'll have a more varied defence for different situations."
Smith hoped the defensive uncertainty that cost them a 28-30 loss at Dunedin would not return against the Wallabies in Sydney on Saturday.
A more experienced side have been named this week, which will be important if the match is tight in the closing stages.
"We just have to keep working at being more composed and shutting out games when the opportunity is there. That will come with experience," Smith said.
"I always think 28 points is enough to win any test match and really that should have been enough to win."
The Wallabies' new-look five-eighths combination of Matt Giteau and Berrick Barnes made them as difficult to prepare for as any Australian side, Smith said.
He should know, having been involved in 21 Bledisloe Cup tests as either a first five-eighth, head coach or assistant coach - for an overall record of 13 wins and eight losses.
His test debut at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1980 was opposite mercurial five-eighths Mark Ella and Michael Hawker and it made an instant impression.
"When I was playing, there was always the Ellas and the Hawkers and (David) Campeses and (Brendan) Moons," Smith said.
"They were always the world leaders of their era and some of these blokes (on Saturday) are world leaders in their era."
The chief gamebreakers loom as Giteau and winger Lote Tuqiri, although Smith had respect for midfielders Ryan Cross and Barnes, who provided variety and had bulked up to good effect.
"He (Barnes) has got a lot more impact on the game than he did a couple of years ago," said Smith, who believed injured centre and captain Stirling Mortlock had been adequately replaced by first-test starter Cross.
"Obviously they'll be down on experience but in terms of style of play and ball-carries, I think Cross does a lot of the same.
"You just had to look at the Western Force against the Crusaders, I thought he had a top game that day against a lot of our blokes."
Smith predicted a high-paced game if conditions allowed.
Australia provide more challenges across the field than any other international opponents and he hoped his side could respond in kind.
"Us and them, I would say, play the most expansive rugby of all the international teams," he said.
"The French have on occasion in the past but generally the All Blacks and the Aussies play with more width and have a greater attacking attitude."
The All Blacks flew to Sydney this afternoon after a buildup in Wellington that has been marred by wet weather.
Smith said there was no concern about a lack of physical preparation, with the All Blacks taking the attitude that less was better.
They had been "storing up the energy, fastness and the freshness to unleash it on Saturday".
No comments:
Post a Comment