Rugby: Tough now but hope for All Blacks

Three questions. Is there something just wrong with a guy kicking a 60m penalty goal?.

2. Did Stephen Donald kiss goodbye his chances of ever getting on the All Black bench?

3. Piri Weepu - an outcast less than two years ago, now the waterboy. Has there ever been a faster promotion?

So United States President Barack Obama thinks he has got a job on his hands reforming health care.

Try being the All Blacks' line-out coach.

Can it be that hard? Throw a ball to someone else to catch.

Apparently so.

But the line-out, like the whole All Black picture, is a work in progress.

And there are some signs of hope.

The All Blacks may have lost the Tri-Nations trophy to the Springboks in Hamilton on Saturday but looking at the bigger picture, in particular that tournament in two years' time, it is not all doom and gloom.

There is promise on the horizon.

Coming back over yonder is lock Ali Williams, who, hopefully, will be back to full fitness next year after writing this season off because of injuries.

Williams is a key man for the All Blacks, both on and off the field.

Think back to 2007 in the World Cup and he was outstanding.

If he comes back firing on all cylinders next year then the All Blacks will be markedly improved, particularly at line-out time.

His replacement, Isaac Ross, has done well in patches, but he is still coming to terms with international rugby.

The final 20 minutes of the Hamilton test was also a positive for this team, as it finally decided to play rugby.

It was refreshing to see backs running with the ball, and forwards actually hitting rucks.

The less we see of props such as Neemia Tialata and Tony Woodcock taking the ball off the halfback and then creating another ruck, the better.

Dan Carter, or whoever is playing first five-eighth, should always take the ball from the halfback.

He then should decide who gets the ball.

Talk to any tight forward these days and they all say how they want to get their hands on the ball more.

Well, not everyone can have their hands on the ball all of the time.

If they do, it makes for a pretty messy game.

The All Blacks, when they really start playing rugby - passing, beating the man, setting up quick rucks, forwards blowing people away - cannot be matched.

New Zealand, as a rugby-playing nation, is just the best at doing that.

It is something in the blood.

The problem is, playing rugby like that does not always mean winning rugby.

In this day and age of brutal defence, teams like the Springboks, and, to a point, the Wallabies, are just as much a danger without the ball.

Playing rugby brings mistakes - it is just the law of averages.

Look at what happened in Durban last month.

But it is the way to go to win that trophy in two years' time.

As for players who may have question marks against their names, there are not many.

Joe Rokocoko must be under serious pressure from Hosea Gear.

Ma'a Nonu was better last year but is worth persevering with.

He may have lost the ball a few times on Saturday but at least he made a break.

Plus, who are the alternatives behind Nonu?Stephen Donald is the back-up to Daniel Carter and should stay that way.

Jimmy Cowan wins the halfback battle by default but he could get to the rucks a bit quicker.

In the pack, Adam Thomson might get a run this Saturday as the Wallabies are not as confrontational as the Springboks and he has to be rewarded for some excellent domestic form.

Putting on the provincial eye-patch perhaps, but is Tom Donnelly worth a punt instead of Ross, who is looking weary after a long domestic campaign?If Andrew Hore's name was Anton Oliver then the question marks about his line-out throwing would be heard all over the country.

But Hore is lucky.

Aled de Malmanche is the next cab off the rank but his line-out throwing is about as accurate as attempts to spell his name.

 

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