With the Dave Gallaher Trophy secured, the All Blacks have a chance to provide opportunities for squad members to play in Saturday’s third Lipovitan-D Test against France in Hamilton.
Part of that will also be the result of injuries sustained in another physical contest in the 43-17 win in Wellington at the weekend.
All Blacks assistant coach Jason Holland said the side finished things in the game they hadn’t finished in the first Test, which was an improvement, but the coaches felt they could have finished better in the last quarter.
“We’ve got to be nailing simple skill sets around catch and pass, and our offloads and kicking.
“The group is pretty aligned in how we want to play, we have got to keep striving more and more.”
The forwards showed good variations in their lineout attacks and were providing good platforms for the backline.
Keeping a step ahead of opponents is essential.
“We’ve got to have variations that don’t overcomplicate things. That’s the challenging culture these days, around the clarity, so the boys can be clear and just play and show different pictures to the opposition.
“We play Argentina after the [third] French game; they’ll be different, and then the South Africans will be different again. We need to keep evolving in small ways, but our skill sets are massive in how we operate.”
Holland said wing Caleb Clarke’s training ground injury would keep him out for five or six weeks.
Flanker/lock Tupou Vaa’i failed his HIA after his head knock in the late stages of Saturday’s Test, and lock Patrick Tuipulotu and fullback Will Jordan have both suffered niggling knee injuries.
However, centre Anton Lienert-Brown and loose forward Luke Jacobson are available for consideration after recovering from injuries.
“There’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes with some of the young guys and their game management. These boys have been training well behind the scenes and preparing the 15 or the 23 every week. Everyone understands their roles.
“We will need to be better, and there’ll be no lack of motivation to keep getting better.
“Ruben Love has been unbelievable in training and setting us up well. You saw the way the French play with their kicking game and their control, and how they try to hurt you in the air.
“Ruben has run an absolute gem of a French cutter for the last two weeks training against us and is working hard behind the scenes and is good to go when he gives this opportunity.”
Coach Scott Robertson said in the post-game press conference that he was pleased with the performance.
“We wanted to play fast, keep the ball alive, score some good tries, which we did. There were some great performances.
The set piece was great again for the majority, and that dictates opportunities somewhere else when you turn them around.
“It was good to see the referee making the calls and keep the flow of the game fast. We have to make sure we keep trusting ourselves in our skill set; give it, see it and back that skill.”
Robertson said with the series tied up, there would be no lessening in preparation.
“This is a series. We might have won two, but the third is just as important to us.”
Robertson paid credit to his lineout coach, Bryn Evans.
“He didn’t know he was getting a job interview when I sat down with him. He thanked me afterwards for not letting him know. We talked for half an hour, and I knew he was the right man.
“He’s innovative, he’s been an All Black which counts. It’s important he understands what’s required. He’s played around the world and knows the opposition. He does his homework and has added to our group.”
Captain Ardie Savea said the side had worked on their first Test shortcomings and performed well.
“We were ruthless.”
Having set a goal of playing with freedom, Savea said that it starts with clarity in preparation and encouraging the side to go out and play on their instincts.
“All Blacks are at their best when they’re just playing. Our forwards rolled our sleeves and through some more driving and pick and goes through the middle, and our backs finished. But there is still a little bit out there where we be more ruthless in that space.”
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