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All Blacks vs England : What we learned from a dramatic day out at Twickenham
Stephen Foote • November 11th, 2024 10:26 pm
The All Blacks escaped at Twickenham on Sunday with a victory that presented plenty of talking points, as Scott Robertson's troops salvaged a result from a performance with its fair share of shakiness but plenty of positives - albeit somewhat overshadowed by the contest's dramatic conclusion.
Let's take a closer look at some key takeaways from a morning that left a slew of sweaty palms clutching coffees across Aotearoa.
__Return the No. 9 jersey to Roigard now please__
There's no denying it - Cortez Ratima has been one of the revelations of the Test season for the All Blacks.
It took a few matches longer than it should have for Scott Robertson to see through his haze of sentimentality and hand the keys over from TJ Perenara, but once he had his opportunity, Ratima quickly established himself as the All Blacks best available No. 9.
However, Sunday quickly served up a reminder that the jersey was only ever open for temporary lease, and that its mortgage and any owing interest belongs to the Cam Roigard.
Back to his electrifying full speed after a long injury hiatus, Roigard's introduction resulted in an instant injection of liveliness to the All Blacks attack, turning the tempo dial up and allowing them to play with the kind of width critical to the team's cause, particularly in Europe.
His rare combination of power and pace at the position demands so much more from opposition defences, especially around the fringes of the ruck, and his urgency in delivery and stout defence the same undeniable impact in Twickenham as it did in France last year.
Intercept try aside, Ratima didn't play poorly. But Roigard has generational talent at the position, and the Chiefs sparkplug would make the ideal backup off the bench.
__Mark Tele'a is officially back__
It's been a strange old season for Mark Tele'a.
New Zealand rugby's breakthrough player of 2023, he was noticeably less prominent for the Blues during their march to the title operating under Vern Cotter's relentless forward-based regime.
Perhaps that's part of the reason he seemed relatively out of rhythm once he donned the black jersey, failing to make his mark against England then enduring a torrid time during the Cape Town defeat to the Springboks.
But whetting his appetite for the tryline during the stopover in Japan appeared to be just the antidote, and Telea's was back to his defence-defying best against the English.
Each of the tries in Tele'a's brace carried the hallmarks of what we've come to expect from him. That juke to free up space on the outside for the first. That remarkable tip-toeing effort down the sideline, where he somehow generated enough power to finish in the corner under duress. Just when you think you've got him, you don't.
With Caleb Clarke continuing his superb campaign on the opposite wing and Will Jordan's game-breaking talents as custodian, Razor has to be feeling great about his outside back trio's long-term prospects.
__Back-up hooker is an issue__
Codie Taylor's departure in the opening minutes against the English immediately had All Blacks fans sweating, and with good reason.
The Crusaders veteran has been back to his best this season, rock solid in the tight and rampaging in the loose, while his lineout delivery has been - for the most part - laser accurate.
It's no coincidence that the All Blacks' well publicised late-game struggles have come after Taylor has clocked off, and that gulf with his back-up was put under the spotlight at Twickenham, where Asafo Aumua was completely out of sync with his locks as part of a consistently shambolic lineout. The Canes No. 2 is highly effective in general play, particularly with ball in hand, but not enough to supplement his inaccurate throwing at the game's highest level.
The outlook for the rest of the tour remains sketchy, with Taylor now sidelined for next week's test against Ireland due to concussion protocols, bringing the promising but green George Bell - or the even greener Brodie McAlister - into the fold for a potential baptism of fire in a crucial bench role in Dublin.
Murkiness still surrounds Samisoni Taukei'aho's recovery from a long-term calf injury, but Robertson will have both fingers crossed the Chiefs rake gets back to his best in 2025.
__Pasilio Tosi is a keeper__
Props can be a mysterious breed at the best of times, but Pasilio Tosi's inclusion in Scott Robertson's maiden All Blacks squad had plenty of rushing to their Google machines to discover more about the debutant.
As it turns out, the man mountain is pure bred for Test rugby. Tosi had every inch of his 6ft 4in frame and every last ounce of his 146kg running at full power at Twickenham.
From the moment he took the paddock, Tosi almost single handedly reversed the fortunes of an All Black scrum that had previously been penalised to near oblivion - to an extent where it threatened to cost them the match.
The Steamers sensation flipped that script completely. He may well have forced his opposite Dan Cole into retirement, a prospect which is likely top of the 37-year-old's mind.
Tosi's influence was highlighted by the final scrum of the match, where his shunt rocked the English pack to a degree they couldn't find a foundation to deliver George Ford clean ball to take a direct snap for a potentially game-winning drop goal at near point-blank range.
Add Tosi to the list that includes the prodigious Wallace Sititi and Ratima. Say what you will about Robertson's debut season at the helm, you can't deny his eye for talent.
Let's take a closer look at some key takeaways from a morning that left a slew of sweaty palms clutching coffees across Aotearoa.
__Return the No. 9 jersey to Roigard now please__
There's no denying it - Cortez Ratima has been one of the revelations of the Test season for the All Blacks.
It took a few matches longer than it should have for Scott Robertson to see through his haze of sentimentality and hand the keys over from TJ Perenara, but once he had his opportunity, Ratima quickly established himself as the All Blacks best available No. 9.
However, Sunday quickly served up a reminder that the jersey was only ever open for temporary lease, and that its mortgage and any owing interest belongs to the Cam Roigard.
Back to his electrifying full speed after a long injury hiatus, Roigard's introduction resulted in an instant injection of liveliness to the All Blacks attack, turning the tempo dial up and allowing them to play with the kind of width critical to the team's cause, particularly in Europe.
His rare combination of power and pace at the position demands so much more from opposition defences, especially around the fringes of the ruck, and his urgency in delivery and stout defence the same undeniable impact in Twickenham as it did in France last year.
Intercept try aside, Ratima didn't play poorly. But Roigard has generational talent at the position, and the Chiefs sparkplug would make the ideal backup off the bench.
__Mark Tele'a is officially back__
It's been a strange old season for Mark Tele'a.
New Zealand rugby's breakthrough player of 2023, he was noticeably less prominent for the Blues during their march to the title operating under Vern Cotter's relentless forward-based regime.
Perhaps that's part of the reason he seemed relatively out of rhythm once he donned the black jersey, failing to make his mark against England then enduring a torrid time during the Cape Town defeat to the Springboks.
But whetting his appetite for the tryline during the stopover in Japan appeared to be just the antidote, and Telea's was back to his defence-defying best against the English.
Each of the tries in Tele'a's brace carried the hallmarks of what we've come to expect from him. That juke to free up space on the outside for the first. That remarkable tip-toeing effort down the sideline, where he somehow generated enough power to finish in the corner under duress. Just when you think you've got him, you don't.
With Caleb Clarke continuing his superb campaign on the opposite wing and Will Jordan's game-breaking talents as custodian, Razor has to be feeling great about his outside back trio's long-term prospects.
__Back-up hooker is an issue__
Codie Taylor's departure in the opening minutes against the English immediately had All Blacks fans sweating, and with good reason.
The Crusaders veteran has been back to his best this season, rock solid in the tight and rampaging in the loose, while his lineout delivery has been - for the most part - laser accurate.
It's no coincidence that the All Blacks' well publicised late-game struggles have come after Taylor has clocked off, and that gulf with his back-up was put under the spotlight at Twickenham, where Asafo Aumua was completely out of sync with his locks as part of a consistently shambolic lineout. The Canes No. 2 is highly effective in general play, particularly with ball in hand, but not enough to supplement his inaccurate throwing at the game's highest level.
The outlook for the rest of the tour remains sketchy, with Taylor now sidelined for next week's test against Ireland due to concussion protocols, bringing the promising but green George Bell - or the even greener Brodie McAlister - into the fold for a potential baptism of fire in a crucial bench role in Dublin.
Murkiness still surrounds Samisoni Taukei'aho's recovery from a long-term calf injury, but Robertson will have both fingers crossed the Chiefs rake gets back to his best in 2025.
__Pasilio Tosi is a keeper__
Props can be a mysterious breed at the best of times, but Pasilio Tosi's inclusion in Scott Robertson's maiden All Blacks squad had plenty of rushing to their Google machines to discover more about the debutant.
As it turns out, the man mountain is pure bred for Test rugby. Tosi had every inch of his 6ft 4in frame and every last ounce of his 146kg running at full power at Twickenham.
From the moment he took the paddock, Tosi almost single handedly reversed the fortunes of an All Black scrum that had previously been penalised to near oblivion - to an extent where it threatened to cost them the match.
The Steamers sensation flipped that script completely. He may well have forced his opposite Dan Cole into retirement, a prospect which is likely top of the 37-year-old's mind.
Tosi's influence was highlighted by the final scrum of the match, where his shunt rocked the English pack to a degree they couldn't find a foundation to deliver George Ford clean ball to take a direct snap for a potentially game-winning drop goal at near point-blank range.
Add Tosi to the list that includes the prodigious Wallace Sititi and Ratima. Say what you will about Robertson's debut season at the helm, you can't deny his eye for talent.
