International – Technical. How the Blacks escaped the English trap

All observers on the oval planet were wondering what good the inaugural test played by the All Blacks against Japan (16-40) could have served, apart from the interest of gradually reducing the time difference towards the Europe while earning a few yen in the finances of the Kiwi federation. All observers? Apart from the English, really… Who managed through this meeting to detect angles of attack likely to allow them to defeat the All Blacks for the first time in 5 years (and the semi-final played in Yokohama in 2019) .

These lessons? They, first of all, concerned their defense placed for the first time under the leadership of Oyonnax manager Joe El Abd, replacing the resigning Felix Jones. Aware of the difficulties encountered by the New Zealanders in building their game against Japan – and in particular the difficulties encountered by their fly-half Damian McKenzie when he is under strong pressure – the English had chosen to capitalize on the system built since the last season by the same Jones, by exercising a South African-style “rush defense”, in order to stifle the opposing attack below midfield.

The jacketed “rush defense”

The problem? The fact is that, despite all their good will and an immense burst of energy, Steve Borthwick's men did not completely achieve their goals. Tribute must be paid here to New Zealand coach Scott Robertson for his choice to have established a Barrett who is supposed to remain “colder” than McKenzie in sorting the balls. As proof, we take this luminous movement of the 28th, and this double reversal of direction which allowed the All Blacks to annihilate the threat of the “rush defense” while taking advantage of the absence of “guard” at the edge of the ruck in the same direction, on which Barrett was able to successfully cross his pass for a Will Jordan placed in a boulevard in front of the pillar Ellis Genge, logically too short.

Just as, a few minutes earlier, a pass after contact from Sititi in a closed side had allowed the latter to bypass the pressure exerted by the English on the outside, by releasing the formidable Mark Tele'a in his lane facing an Ellis Genge already powerless (9th).

George Ford's nightmare

So certainly, the English could have won, an interception by Marcus Smith on Cortez Ratima – after a clear advance from Tu'ipolotu – having given his team a lead for a while. But that was without counting on the resilience and knowledge of the game of the New Zealanders who, on one of their rare forays into the 22 meters, managed to send Mark Tele'a to crucify the English hopes, exploiting the only defensive oversight of the English on the exteriors, signed by a George Ford between two waters after his entry into play.

Damian McKenzie's corner success would then make the difference, unlike a Ford who experienced an ordeal in the last minutesharvesting the penalty then dropping the win in money-time. Logical outcome, despite everything, if we want to remember that the Blacks had the merit of scoring three tries, against only one against in favor of their hosts… Enough to perfectly launch their tour, and make you salivate all the more the aficionados before their confrontations against Ireland, then the XV of France.