Good All Blacks teams get up for the big games – that’s what we saw in Sandringham last Saturday. Great ones stay up constantly.
Robertson’s men have some way to go before they could reasonably be regarded as a great side, but they have plenty of good in them. Every All Black must strive for greatness – this was the mantra of Richie McCaw. Tonight in Wellington, they can take an important step toward that status – and they can do so while also establishing a beachhead in the ongoing battle for psychological advantage over the Springboks.
Last weekend, the All Blacks struck a neat balance of accuracy, discipline and brutality. For fans, the victory was sweet relief after a week of imagining life without the Eden Park streak. But that result shouldn’t disguise the fact that the All Blacks’ last defeat came just 80 minutes of rugby ago.
The stalwart forward Ardie Savea acknowledged the need for the side to bring such performances in every match, regardless of the venue or the occasion. “We shouldn’t wait for Eden Park to get up with a performance like that.”
There are key things that still need work: last week’s scrums were terrible, there’s gel still to be found among the backs and given a brief opportunity Quinn Tupaea has revealed the directness the midfield lacks.
Yet the controlled focus of last weekend should provide the beginning of a template for Robertson’s All Blacks.
Their boot is on the Bokke throat – and there is a frailty at the heart of South African rugby that is alien to All Blacks. These tournament titans can be downright rubbish between Rugby World Cups.
Two years before they won the 2019 World Cup in Tokyo, the Springboks surrendered to the All Blacks 57-0 in Albany. Credible rugby sides don’t lose by such margins – we haven’t even beaten Wales or Scotland by that much.
If the All Blacks ever conceded 57-0, it’s easy to imagine players’ international careers ending. Yet plenty of big names from that Springbok disgrace have gone on to fine careers: Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi, Lood de Jager, and Malcolm Marx will all run on to the field tonight. All have two World Cup titles in their scrapbook.
But the Springboks aren’t like us. They live more easily with defeat. And perhaps they’re right; perhaps a four-yearly high is worth seeing your team slump to regular humiliations in between.
While Springboks supporters will happily claim greatness on the back of results that come once every four years, for the All Blacks, greatness is a 24/7 burden.
Taking on that burden is what makes us great. The All Blacks know that good isn’t good enough: our three World Cup titles have all come during runs of true greatness.
Establishing consistency in discipline and execution tonight in Wellington can set a course for the 2027 World Cup. It can also prepare Robertson’s men for the challenges they face in the next few months: the Wallabies and a Grand Slam tour.
It would be a shame to hold off the challenge of Rassie Erasmus’ two-time world champions, only to lose the undefeated run a month later when the clever Joe Schmidt rolls into town with his hastily constructed Wallabies.
