All Blacks - So ordinary, so brilliant

There were moments of magic from New Zealand in their 20-18 semi-final win over South Africa, but also instances of unworthy indiscipline and more than a few frustrating errors.

To their credit, the defending champions showed admirable composure under pressure and imposing mental strength when they were struggling. After a mostly disappointing first half in which South Africa goaled four penalties, each of them from wholly unnecessary All Black infringements, but in which the All Blacks scored a superbly constructed try from a half-chance, they came back strongly at the start of the second half when they had 14 men after Jerome Kaino’s cynical infringement while off-side.

It was New Zealand’s ability to improve their discipline in the second half while under the continued pressure of South Africa’s massive physical intensity that changed course of the game – along with their ability to vary their attacking play. Composure, mental toughness, and intelligent variation were keys to this victory.

There were areas of concern in the performance though, sufficient for the coaching team and their players to do vigorous soul-searching and careful planning in the week leading up to the final.

The scrummaging was ordinary at best, often under pressure. Having lost their top two looseheads (Tony Woodcock and Wyatt Crockett) to injury hasn’t helped.

Options were wayward at times. Decision-making needs to improve in the final.

The tactic of kicking grubbers and chips behind the Springbok rush defence was not accurately executed and brought little success. Most of all, kicking too often on attack into the Bok 22 paid no dividends.

A few of the penalties conceded came from dumb errors, frustrating for coaches and teammates. The off-side penalties were entirely avoidable, Joe Moody’s reversed penalty for a neck-roll was silly, and if Dane Coles doesn’t know the line-out law on running beyond the 15m line, he needs to learn it in a great hurry.

The goalable penalty that hit an upright should certainly have been goaled. It could have been costly indeed.

But there were great All Black moments too, such as the Dan Carter dropped-goal, the defensive Carter rescue in his 22 when Sam Cane conceded a careless turnover way upfield on attack, and one great breakdown steal by Keven Mealamu.

Ma’a Nonu’s angled run in a two-on-two, where he made both defenders hesitate inside before setting up Beauden Barrett with space out wide to score the decisive try, was a gem.

Sam Whitelock’s lineout steal off Victor Matfiled will remain forever a highlight of his career, both because it came as the Boks threatened to perhaps steal victory and because stealing Matfield’s lineout ball is a rare, special achievement. In all there were four steals off the Bok lineout, each of them vital.

The defence was tight, albeit against a Bok team providing largely one-dimensional, uncreative attack with no surprises.

Overall, this was not a clinical All Black win. The weather didn’t help them, but in amongst some brilliant rugby, there was too much that was decidedly ordinary. The aim in the final will be 80 minutes of clinical, flawless, creative rugby.