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All Blacks coach Ian Foster has hinted that he was not entirely happy with some of the kicks against the Pumas, but was satisfied with the overall strategy in Saturday’s 38-0 win.
A dominant scrum and lineout, along with an aggressive defensive line, produced many of the All Blacks ‘points, including two late attempts to Will Jordan on Pumas’ errors.
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Richie Mo’unga makes a break against Argentina in Newcastle on Saturday.
But the sight of Aaron Smith grimacing as Richie Mo’unga’s cross kick went over the head of wing Caleb Clarke summed up the frustrations of some fans, who wondered if a ball-in-hand approach would have been better at times. .
After the game, Foster revealed that the All Blacks’ “respect” for the Pumas defense had shaped the strategy.
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“I think we’re against Argentina,” Foster said when asked if the All Blacks were a better team when they kicked more.
“And in a way we may have kicked a couple times, particularly in the first half.
“But it’s about showing respect for what the opposition does.
“The key to attacking is that you can really do what they allow you to do.
“Two weeks ago we went in there and tried to do what we wanted to do, and they were good enough to stop that.”
Brendon Thorne / Getty Images
Beauden Barrett tries to break through the Pumas’ tough defense on Saturday.
Statistics from the test showed that the All Blacks kicked from the hand 28 times, which is not particularly high given that they dominated possession.
The All Blacks also brought variety to their kicks, with Mo’unga, Beauden Barrett and Jordie Barrett playing prominent roles, while even Ardie Savea took the lead after a second-half charge from the scrum base.
There were subtle kicks to the top, several cross kicks for wings Jordie Barrett and Clarke, and huge ups and downs straight from Ireland’s playbook in an early afternoon in Dublin in November.
Foster said the options helped keep Argentina off balance and made room elsewhere.
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Will Jordan scored two late attempts for the All Blacks after Argentina’s mistakes.
“We make better decisions, so suddenly the ball transport becomes a little easier, the cleanup, and we start to see the space for our skills work,” he said.
“I think it just changed the image. I guess they knew it was coming, but it gave us a better balance, no question about that. “
Still, there were enough imperfections in the kicks to give the All Blacks management something to ponder over the summer break.
At times, the All Blacks appeared to have the Pumas on the shelf and still went to the trunk, suggesting that the game’s drivers were too attached to pre-game plans rather than playing what they had in front of them.
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The All Blacks looked dangerous when Caleb Clarke left his wing in search of work.
Striking that difficult balance will be necessary for Mio’unga and Barrett for years to come, while it could also be argued that this tour has left the door ajar for other No. 10s wanting to make the team.
However, there wasn’t as much uncertainty about the All Blacks’ scrum work.
With Nepo Laulala and Joe Moody presenting straight backs and great leg drive, the All Blacks punished the Pumas almost from start to finish, and assistant coach John Plumtree later revealed that they had targeted the Argentine set piece.
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Nepo Laulala, the tighthead for the All Blacks, had a great night at scrum time.
“We put a lot of pressure on his scrum,” Plumtree said. “It was obviously a big part of our plan this week.
“Hats off to ‘Feeky’ [scrum coach Greg Feek]. He has worked really hard with the front rowers and came out with a really good plan.
“And obviously our [lineout] The drive has been pretty consistent in terms of how it’s worked over the last five or six weeks, so it was good to see the guys apply pressure during the set piece. “
The victory means the All Blacks are almost done with the Tri Nations, but they are not making laps in Australia.
They were to fly home on Sunday and go through their quarantine requirements before finally logging out after a grueling year.
