All Blacks: Dave Rennie’s challenges to catch the Springboks by next year’s Rugby World Cup
The article analyzes the All Blacks' recent struggles against the Springboks, focusing on tactical failures and defensive shortcomings. It suggests that despite a large player rotation, the team failed to overcome the Springboks' structured and physical approach.
Why it matters
It highlights the tactical evolution of international rugby and the challenges top-tier teams face in maintaining dominance.
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So there it is: the Springboks firmly in place at the top of world rugby. How on earth will these All Blacks beat them in the near future?
Dave Rennie and co used almost 50 All Blacks in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour so it’s not a selection issue (though Shannon Frizell had a useful 40 minutes in NPC rugby which suggested he may yet bring competition for the No 6 jersey).
The strategy of running the Boks off their feet failed. The “immovable object” prevailed against the “unstoppable force”, to paraphrase the old paradox. As this column has expressed multiple times, the modern game is built around defence ; its laws are many and complex; the All Blacks’ attacking approach depends heavily on perfection or near-perfection.
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