Rugby: Pressure on, ABs step up

Dane Coles is given his yellow card. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
Dane Coles is given his yellow card. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
It used to be the All Blacks couldn't win when faced with pressure. Now they don't appear to be able to get going without it.

Twickenham was yet another tight contest, which, as happens almost as a matter of routine these days, the All Blacks won on the back of better decision-making and execution.

It never used to be like this. For most of the first decade of this century, adversity was the bogey man for the All Blacks. They'd see it and take fright.

Not now and not against England. When Dane Coles was yellow carded on 57 minutes, it should have been advantage England.

There was potential for the victory that appeared to be in sight after Richie McCaw dived in at the corner on 46 minutes, to drift a long way out of view. Instead that was the period in which the All Blacks stiffened their resolve. They were patient, composed, certain and clinical.

They played smart rugby in the loose, backing themselves to find space even with their numeric disadvantage. They adapted their lineout to cope with Aaron Smith throwing in; got the ball out of seven-man scrums as quickly as they could and it was in those 10 minutes in which the All Blacks found their urgency and accuracy.

England, if they thought their moment had come, weren't able to take it and by the time the All Blacks were back to their full quota, they had extended their lead to 19-14.

All Black coach Steve Hansen didn't want the credit for that resolve and tenacity to be given to the All Blacks superior number of test caps in comparison with England.

"One team having more caps than the other you know ... if you lose they tell you those caps are too old and they should retire," he said.

"It's just an excuse. The reality is that we won the game in those 10 minutes. We were able to play with 14 men when Colesy [Dane Coles] reacted to being pulled off his feet. Yes, he was ill-disciplined but what pleased us most was that our guys showed the mental fortitude to say 'we have got to dig in here and work harder than we have' and they did that.

"We won that period 3-0 and I think that hurt England a wee bit. I don't think it has got anything to do with caps it has got everything to do with the people wearing the respective jerseys."

The All Blacks have had a bit too much practice playing with 14 men - having done it in each test against Australia this year - and they do know the drill. When the TMO was endlessly deliberating the Coles incident, McCaw had already decided the yellow card was inevitable and the plan was hatched early about how to shuffle the resources and how to play.

"I think not a lot had to be said unfortunately because we have to do that a few times this year," said McCaw. "At that period we had England under pressure. We were unlucky not to have got over the line when Sam [Whitelock] crossed the line. The big thing was we didn't want to give them an easy out and the guys barred up.

"We adapted really well and that is what pleasing - we have got guys who understand what is required.

"I could sense our guys were excited in the way that we were starting to feel on top. Sometimes when you are put in a position with 14 men that flicks the switch which you would like to be able to do without being down to 14 men but that is what it did."

- Gregor Paul in London of the NZ Herald

Add a Comment