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Ian Smith: All Blacks save their worst for last in stumbling season finale
Ian Smith • November 25th, 2024 12:00 pm
Photo: Photosport
Well, the All Blacks - and it was the strongest team available - save their worst for last, stumbling and bumbling their way to an ugly win over Italy. To see it any other way is distorting the truth, surely.
Italy are not great. Skill wise, they are a different tier to most sides. But tactically they had a spoiler plan - they defended for their lives and scrambled with pride. They pushed the offside line to the absolute limit and they got away with it a lot. Good luck to them.
Just over 12 months ago we beat them 96-17. So, they reduced the margin from 79 down to 18. You'd have to say they've improved wouldn't you? They pushed the boundaries and tried their luck, and with the consistency of refereeing these days, why the hell wouldn't you?
So, are we a better rugby team 14 Tests down the track under Scott Robertson than we were in game one? It's hard to find many opinions to say that we are, at least not too many glossy ones.
We have some terrific backs, but do we have a functioning backline? We're either chasing box kicks, kicks from the back, or Beauden Barrett chip kicks relentlessly.
The game is won upfront, they've always said that, and we have not lost many battles there this year. We have been superb in most of our set pieces.
The All Blacks have always had a handy knack of dividing the nation with their play and their results. Now it seems they can do that with their political beliefs as well.
It's clear that every player of the 23 supported TJ Perenara's cries of support for the recent hikoi and its motivation otherwise they wouldn't have taken part, surely. Or would you just perform the haka and move on to the proper business at hand, oblivious to its meaning?
TJ had plenty to say when he came on for his final appearance as part of a largely ineffective bench, as well.
I hope his rugby career is remembered for his on-field displays, but you do sense it's not the last we will hear from him and he'll at some point head from the All Black bench to those benches in the Beehive. That, to me, is where he is destined.
This has not been a vintage year of All Blacks rugby. We have sacrificed the long term for the short term, lost a talented coach and some players along the way.
Six out of 10. Very generous. Very, very generous.
Listen to the full 'Smithy's Sermon' below:
