I can’t actually type the first words that came to mind when I idly flicked through the news this morning, as the editing staff here would probably fire me on the spot. Instead I will calmly, and eloquently state the following: The All Blacks have lost the services of Aaron Cruden AND Beauden Barret for this weekend’s Bledisloe test in Wellington. Further – because I’m not in quite enough agony here – Luke Romano is out for the rest of the series with a groin injury.
(Insert your own expletive here)
There’s a really cool internet meme going around: Curl into a ball. Try not to cry. Cry…a lot. Guess what I’m doing right now.
Dan Carter is still out for the foreseeable future which means our kicking hopes rest on the young shoulders of Otago Highlanders and Rugby World Cup player Colin Slade. Slade’s a good kid, and he certainly made his bones during a Rugby World Cup campaign similarly littered with injuries. My concern here is how much more damage can we absorb? Cruden’s gone for up to six weeks, Slade only has ten test caps to his name, and we’re facing a Wallabies team desperate to draw blood. They are going to come out all guns blazing on Saturday, and if they can get a couple of early runs in, we could well be in big trouble.
I’ve said again and again we need to be prepared for this, and yet here I am watching all my greatest horrors come to life. Getting beaten by the Wallabies on home soil is even more terrifying then that dream where you’re naked in front of your class! This is a special kind of hell that makes Dante look like children’s programming.
So now what?
Firstly, the All Blacks need to keep doing what they do best – neutralize the Wallaby key players, keep them trapped on the inside, don’t let the Wallaby forwards get the ball out to the wing to use the space. Oh, and focus on kicking the ball up, and use the likes of Ben Smith to chase. Luatua obviously wants to run, so let him. Bring Israel Dagg into play earlier, use the forward pack to move up more and get the likes of Dagg into an attacking position early. Julian Savea has amazing foot speed, maybe look to play more of a running game than a kicking game. The Australian defense was inconsistent at best in the last game, use that to our advantage, attack the gaps, create overlaps and run over them. Above all don’t give away silly penalties, and be aware of field position.
I’ve said a few times that I’m concerned that we can’t keep bouncing back. That fear is still there, but this is still winnable. We still have some great talent on the field, we know the idiosyncrasies of Westpac Stadium with it’s odd wind patterns and shifts. This is our house, and we need to stand and fight. God knows the Australians will. If we play smart and use what we have this is still a winnable series. My concern is if we fail, we are probably going to fail big. Quite frankly if that does happen, if the Wallabies do beat us on the field, I’ll let you know now my next column will probably just be 500 words on theme of “Why God, Why?????”
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