Marc Hinton is a senior Stuff rugby writer who has been covering the All Blacks since 1996.
ANALYSIS: Forget the comeback of the second part. Forget the incomprehensible yellow card of Wayne Barnes. The All Blacks are in a lot of trouble just over a year from the World Cup, and a drastic change seems like the only answer.
What other conclusions can you reach after another defeat to Ireland at Skyington Stadium in Wellington on Saturday night, the third in the last four in the last seven months against the Emerald Island men?
This is probably the best team in Ireland in its history, and this 2-1 win in the series, one down, is arguably their biggest achievement. Let’s get it out from the beginning. From Johnny Sexton to Tadhg Beirne to Peter O’Mahony to Robbie Henshaw to Andrew Porter and Josh van de Flier, and all his teammates in between, this was a magnificent achievement on one side who knows exactly who they are. and dances wonderfully this melody. .
Joe Allison / Getty Images
Robbie Henshaw is going to test the way to Ireland’s series win over the All Blacks on Saturday night.
But it must be acknowledged that something is not working drastically in these All Blacks who now, with Saturday’s 32-22 defeat, have lost four of their last five Test games. It’s not just that the fear factor, or whatever they once had about their opponents, is gone. The truth is that it probably disappeared last November in the north.
READ MORE: * All Blacks suffer series defeat to Ireland after 32-22 defeat at Wellington * All Blacks coach Ian Foster refuses to talk about his future after series defeat * Ireland coach Andy Farrell celebrates “the best he’s ever done” after All Blacks victory * All Blacks player ratings: failed side exposed by Ireland in almost every position
But the performance on this side is so poor, so unresponsive when subjected to any similar pressure, something needs to be done. What do they say? The definition of madness is to repeat the same mistake over and over again.
The All Blacks should have been good enough to sideline an Irish team at the end of their long season, on a tour that included more or less five tests. Painfully they were not. His first 40 minutes on Saturday night, when they dug a hole they just couldn’t get out of, were some of the most unfortunate in recent memory.
What are the answers? Well, now at least a change of coach has to be considered. Ian Foster’s control over his job should be tenuous at best. I’ve been suggested that a change from some of the attendees might be the answer, but you have to think that the man in charge of the shots should be on the firing line. That just doesn’t work, and the NZ Rugby board owes its people to delving into that.
Elias Rodríguez / Photosport
Akira Ioane scores during the All Blacks ’second-leg comeback in Wellington on Saturday night.
The captain must also go under the microscope.
Sam Cane is a good teammate and a robust player, but after collapsing in his first home defeat in the professional era (2-0 in 1994 at the hands of France, the last stumble), nothing it cannot be considered beyond valuation. Something needs to change in the makeup and gameplay of All Blacks, or next year will follow a similarly depressing script.
Of course, the rubbing of the green didn’t come out of them. Andrew Porter’s yellow card, at the start of the second spell, looked identical to the red handed to All Blacks Angus Ta’avao a week earlier. They can rightly claim that they are the victim of a blatant inconsistency.
But you have to be good enough to get hit in the chin, so to speak.
They were not. They returned to competition with a withered third quarter, and then allowed the Irish to regain ancestry at the time. Again, mistakes and shortcomings cost men in black dearly.
The All Blacks had dug a powerful hole after the top 40, in part because they produced a weird half of rugby that almost boosted visitors; and partly because Ireland was simply excellent in its execution and its ability to punish New Zealanders for their laziness and poor discipline.
Elias Rodríguez / Photosport
Hugo Keenan crosses for Ireland as they secure their first series win against the All Blacks in New Zealand.
The All Blacks lost four lineups on their pitch in the first half, not the precision you need when you’re under the bomb like these guys were. That, after Foster stated at the start that the ball had run smoothly and prostitute Codie Taylor “was in a very good place.”
But this nonsense, this waste, this nonsense was not limited to the time of alignment. Sam Cane was given a gift! The ref dubiously awarded them a penalty 27 minutes into the match, which was neatly put away by Josh van der Flier.
Beauden Barrett was similarly penalized for pulling an Irish player beyond the ruck: bang, Sexton knocked three from nearly half. Then, as the break approached, Nepo Laulala attempted a risky unloading from 15 yards, lost it forward and, bang, Henshaw ended up with an exceptional short pass from the visitors.
With a 22-3 at halftime, this was a team that ran with all efficiency, with ruthless precision, and another died of a painful death courtesy of his own ineptitude.
The New Zealanders have been better in the second half. They had to be, or that would have been embarrassing. Led by the incomparable Savea, and a bit of Will Jordan’s brilliance, they roared again with a trio of rehearsals that put them back on right away. Akira Ioane also contributed strongly, albeit with an error or two.
Then his career ended. The question that needs to be asked now is Foster’s soon too?