All Blacks back-row star Ardie Savea believes the men in black are on the right track under the guidance of head coach Scott Robertson and feels they are “in a way better spot than last year.”
Much has been said and written about the All Blacks’ form since Robertson took over the coaching reins from Ian Foster after their 2023 Rugby World Cup campaign in France.
Last year, the All Blacks won 10 out of their 14 Tests, with their four defeats registered against Argentina, the Springboks (twice) and France.
Robertson has named a 36-member squad for their upcoming Grand Slam campaig,n which gets underway against Ireland in Chicago on November 1.
Tough schedule awaits
Following that encounter, the men in black will head to the United Kingdom to face Scotland at Murrayfield on November 8, England at Twickenham on November 15, and Wales at the Principality Stadium on November 22.
New Zealand have completed a Grand Slam tour against the four Home Nations on four occasions, in 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010.
Ahead of their upcoming tour, the All Blacks have played nine Tests – three in their home series against France and six in the Rugby Championship – and they won seven of those fixtures and lost two, with those defeats sustained against Argentina in Buenos Aires and South Africa in Wellington during the prestigious southern hemisphere tournament.
Appearing on the DSPN podcast, Savea was asked by the show’s host Martin Devlin whether the All Blacks are currently a better team than they were ahead of their 2024 overseas tour and replied: “If you’re not growing or getting better, then there’s a massive red flag. I believe we are, truly. It’s the second year under our belt, under a new group.
‘Great challenge for us to perform under pressure’
“Players are understanding each other. I think for us as players, it’s a great challenge for us to perform under pressure. We talk about skill sets.
“It’s easy doing skill sets when things are going really well. The great challenge is when pressure is added on to you. It’s how you respond.
“That’s always a continuous challenge for us as footy players. Whether you’re a first cap or a hundred cap, there’s always pressure coming your way and sometimes you get it right and you get it wrong.
“I feel like we are in a way better spot than we were last year.
“It’s just about nailing moments under pressure when we’re in those big moments.”
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