Losing hurts but All Blacks had no answer to English playing with power

The All Blacks walk from the field, dejected after their loss to England. Photo: Getty Images
The All Blacks walk from the field, dejected after their loss to England. Photo: Getty Images
So the better team won.

Is that acceptable? No.

The All Blacks gave it a good crack but it did not happen.

Is that acceptable? No.

Things went against the All Blacks in the whole tournament and it all caught up with the men in black.

Is that acceptable?

Of course not.

So the All Blacks are out and with it goes the dream of a hat trick of titles.

It was always going to be a stretch to be on the top of your game three times in a row.

But this is the All Blacks.

Expectations are sky-high. Every game has to be won. And won well.

It is disappointing, to say the least, to lose.

That is what makes the All Blacks so good. Losing is foreign territory.

The side, and its fans, absolutely hate to lose and when it does, like against England on Saturday night, it feels like a funeral.

It is only a game but once the losses start being accepted and just part of the bigger picture, then you will start losing more. That is not in the side's DNA yet and I shudder for the time when it will be.

You learn a lot from a loss but winning is just so much better.

So what happened in Yokohama? What went wrong?

The All Blacks were on their heels the entire 80 minutes. The intangibles which mean so much in the game - the bounce of the ball, the props getting in the way - all went against the men in black.

The defence was way too passive and England's big power game ruled the roost.

There was no continuity in the side's play and the English won the physical battle by a lot.

The Scott Barrett selection was wrong, as has been admitted. Lineouts are important but so are breakdowns and Sam Cane's ability there was really missed.

Not playing the game against Italy hurt the side. Many players lacked that sharpness needed against a strong defensive team.

This team looked two to three years past its best. Dane Coles has had too many injuries, Rieko Ioane said goodbye to any form, Kieran Read and Sam Whitelock had little petrol left in the tank and the props look a little lost.

As for the double playmaker, it works a treat when you have plenty of ball and the defence is average. But against a top team, which was flirting with the offside line all night, not so good. Richie Mo'unga was a rabbit in the headlights at times last night and was anonymous.

It is like having two captains to steer the ship round but the ship is taking on water and the crew is too tired to fix it.

It is strange how coach Steve Hansen ignores the form of many Super Rugby players yet puts his faith in Mo'unga, who has yet to prove he is better than Beauden Barrett.

Barrett at first five-eighth and Ben Smith at fullback looked fine to most - the best two in their positions for some time but all discarded for the faith in the double playmaker role.

It may well work in the future but not sure doing it at a World Cup was the answer.

Get over it and let summer arrive.

It was not the worst loss at the World Cup for an All Black team. The losses in 2007 and 1991 were perhaps more galling.

But it was a loss. And that should never sit well with any All Black supporter.


 

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