So far on their End Of Year Tour, the All Blacks have added 14 more tries to their tally of 60 for the Southern Hemisphere season. Here’s a slightly outdated yet still outstanding and significant “Analysis: Where have the All Blacks’ 60 tries in 2016 come from?” http://www.the42.ie/analysis-all-blacks-tries-59-2016-3056059-Nov2016/ . It’s interesting stuff brought to you by The42.ie!
Before going down to Ireland in Chicago, the All Blacks set a tier-1 test country record of 18 consecutive wins. 10 of those wins came in 2016 and involved 60 tries being scored (6 per match).
21 out of 60 tries from turnovers.
14 out of 60 tries from kick returns while another 10 came from zero ruck situations. The All Blacks are most ruthless against less organised defences and like to strike early.
30 tries were scored in the last 30 minutes = conditioning. Against the Durban test match against the Boks the score was 22-15 after 60 minutes, 29-15 after 70 minutes and bang! 57-15 just 10-minutes later.
The All Blacks are masters of passing the ball. Very importantly they made 54 offloads (passes in the tackle) in scoring their 60 tries. This offloading skillset of theirs is a defence killer. Accuracy is always vital but also important is the timing of a pass, the technique used to free up a hand or both hands and the speed at which those hands can operate to make a successful transfer happen.
One can’t say enough about the All Black support runners. They understand situations and they react quickly and according. Knowing the capabilities of teammates is vital.
I watched that Kings Park test live and was very impressed by the All Blacks’ lateral (side to side) movements. There was speed and power involved in this. Players get onto new lines which opens half-gaps and gaps and makes the jobs of would-be tacklers that much more difficult. In one-on-one situations, it’s often easier for stepping and cutting runners than straight-line ones, to find and exploit holes that lead to line-breaks or even just buy that extra second or two that is ultimately the difference between continuity and a turnover of possession.
Confidence to execute cannot be underestimated and the All Blacks ooze confidence.
@BoishaaiPa: Nice post, I do however think players can be coached to read the game. Fact is most SA players especially forwards will stand by a ruck head down watching the ball instead of the players in the other team. I always tell kids that once you drop your head and eyes you mean nothing you are out of the game, doesn’t mater what contact sport you do. How can you see what is going to happen or what is in front of you if you are not looking? Only in a tackle should you drop your head but only after you made contact. If you keep your head up in a tackle you can easily do a tip tackle. Still you have to keep your head up for as long as possible before contact, drop your head to soon and you will most likely get bumped or stepped by a good or strong player. You change level to get underneath your opponent by bending your knees not your head, you also have to change level as late as possible when you make a tackle.
There is many drills you can do with players to teach them to keep their heads facing up. There is also drills to teach players to attack space and by doing those drills players do become more aware of what is going on around them.
Creative players like CK also need players around them to create space. CK needs players that work hard on falling back and getting into a position so he can use them as decoys. If he is on his own closing him down will be easier than when he has team mates around him that he can use. Once again I think it comes down to coaching and that unfortunately is sorely missing at the Boks. I wonder as a percentage how much time a average SA schoolboy rugby player spends on his skill set like passing, catching, stepping, kicking, off loading and so on. Maybe some coaches on the forum can tell us what the boys get coached, and how they fit individual skills into their game plan.
@BoishaaiPa: Read Ian McIntosh’s book. He said exactly that of Andre Joubert.
@beet: There is no doubt “that a skillfull big oke is better than a skillfull small oke”!….But besides skill , there is another dimension to a player that is often overlooked and of which I have spoken before…Vision…That natural ability that cannot be coached that allows a player to pop up in the right place and make the right decisions most of the time. I believe CK has that vision having seen him play for many years…he must just not be coached into a pattern..same with JL du Plessis…players like that doesn’t come along often and I am afraid that our modern coaches game plans cannot always accommodate players like that. The AB’s have Barrett that is in the same mold and we have all seen what he can do given the freedom of decisions..They will give you moments of pure terror as well, but boy when the genius kicks in, it is something to behold!
@Alan Morrissey: It’s all a question about the will to succeed. I know of plenty of good SBR players who had the potential to step up to the big leagues but a combination of injuries and/or career choice made them decide to quit the game. I don’t like to forecast so much as there are way to may variables to consider in a rugby players life, but for now, based simply on his abilities and skills, I don’t see why Gianni cannot make the step up, unless there is no drive and will to succeed. Human was always to small and although a good little player, I never thought he was that exceptional in the first place. Remu Malan is studying at Maties and playing Varcity Cup for them. I dont think his focus is on becoming a prof player. Galant is with the Bulls and played Super Rugby, but injured at the moment. I have no clue what happend to vd Merwe after his stint at u/19 level with the Bulls. His brother Akker is getting more exposure lately it seems!
@Rottweiller: nothing to do with witoes, just saying Saffa coaches have had a fixation with size and utility backs, destroying a few careers in the process. Gaffie du Toit, Brent Russell, Ruan Pienaar, Francois Hougaard, Pat Lambie, Johan Goosen and others. Mallet even said to change Cheslin to a scrummie. Gio Aplon dropped many times for being too small….
Cheslin Kolbe hasn’t got a Springbok Cap where as Pocket Rocket has around 20 odd. Maybe that was thrown in to say the “Witoes” also don’t get a fair chance. The Rocket play for around 4-5 years. I think thats more than enough time to shine.
@beet: Yes of course. But why doesn’t he stay with the 7’s. He’s an amazing player, can change the game in a blink of an eye. Surely there’s enough money in 7’s. Besides the 7’s World Series is bloody Lekker. 8 months or so you are all over the World. Playing rugby for 2 days with a massive following. He would be like a Rock Star.
@beet: another was Selborne’s own Brent Russell, never given a real chance….
@Rottweiller: Sorry man. The intention wasn’t to speak in code. BHP ‘s point just better illuststed without a name. The player is Bracknfell ‘s very own Cheslin Kolbe.
@beet: If it is GA, then why doesn’t he just stay with the 7’s side.
@Playa: @BoishaaiPa: Based on form I think the player in question deserved a shot at the big times. However there is just as much evidence to suggest that rugby is a game best handled by big players especially when those players have the necessary skills:
The AB team that beat the Boks 57-15 in Durbs
@BoishaaiPa: So sad! And that it still happens is just depressing
@BoishaaiPa: I hear what you are saying. That little man is a machine. Heart the size of a Lion. He should grow a beard. Why is he not in the SA 7’s set up? He plays a few tournaments and then when the 15 man season starts he leaves. Does he want to rather play 15 man Rugby?
@BoishaaiPa: I bet Gianni Lombaard will drift into oblivion within 5 years. As with Dewald Human, saw him play a few minutes for EP. This was a great backline a few years back;
9 Remu Malan SWD Cravenweek 2012 & SA 7’s 2013
10 Dewald Human SWD Cravenweek 2012 & SA 7’s 2013
11 Duhan vd Merwe SWD Cravenweek 2012, SA Skole 2012 & SA 7’s 2013
12 Warrick Gelant SWD Cravenweek 2012, SA Skole 2012, SA 7’s 2013
beet: THIS FIRST COMMENT AS WELL AS THE NEXT 13 WERE ALL MOVED HERE FROM ANOTHER THREAD.
@Rottweiller: In 2007 I watched an u/14 Sevens tournament at Durbanville High…The big guns like Paul Roos and Paarl Boys were there alongside some local high schools…after the first rounds the teams progressed to the Cup and Plate finals…Paarl Boys eventually beat Paul Roos in the cup final, but that was not the highlight of that tournament…There was a very small boy who played in the Brackenfell team…he caught the eye of every spectator that day…by the time Brackenfell played the Plate final there were more spectators watching that game than the Cup final…all because of this little player who could step and run and offload and tackle boys three times his size. He deservedly won player of the tournament That day I got respect for that little player…two years later in 2009 and not much bigger he made the WP u/16 Grant Khomo side and in the finals played at Oakdale in Riversdal the WP played the OFS team with a certain Jan Serfontein at No 12…That little guy played at No 10 that day for WP and Serfontein kept running at his channel and he kept tackling Serfontein time after time…never giving up and when he got ball in hand proved to be a handfull for OFS defence….Nowadays he is seen playing for the WP and The Stormers at 15 and regularly gets an earfull because of his apparent lack of defensive skills…I have seen what he can do when he was 3 times smaller….the current top players are not 3 times his size anymore and yes, he does sometime slip a tackle or two, but so does a lot of bigger players as well, ..he will unfortunately never be givin a fair chance by supporters because of his size…and THAT is why we in SA wil forever struggle!