{"id":532431,"date":"2026-03-11T03:41:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T03:41:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/532431\/"},"modified":"2026-03-11T03:41:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T03:41:10","slug":"justin-marshall-implores-dave-rennie-to-zag-as-the-rugby-world-zigs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/532431\/","title":{"rendered":"Justin Marshall implores Dave Rennie to zag as the rugby world zigs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The All Blacks<\/a> have strayed too far from their DNA in an attempt to adapt to recent trends in the game, that\u2019s according to former halfback Justin Marshall<\/a>, who is imploring Dave Rennie to play to the country\u2019s traditional strengths.<\/p>\n

Marshall, now one of the most vocal pundits in New Zealand<\/a> following an 81-Test career with the All Blacks, was reacting to Rennie\u2019s appointment as All Blacks head coach when he veered into an impassioned speech on his country\u2019s rugby DNA and how it\u2019s been embraced to great success in era\u2019s gone by.<\/p>\n

The 52-year-old shared a staunch view that the aerial battle, which has become such a powerful influence in the game, is a contest the All Blacks should avoid where possible, and instead hold onto the ball and look to play attacking rugby.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook, I think we\u2019ve got to get back to being much more attack-focused,\u201d Marshall said on The Good, The Bad & Rugby Australia & New Zealand<\/a>. \u201cI think a lot of the problems the All Blacks have had, particularly in the last year, are in the aerial combat. The All Blacks have been losing those for a couple of years now.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think we want to enter into that competition in the air. I mean, we\u2019ve still got to deal with it, because the opposition are going to kick you the ball. But why then just go to and fro and enter back into box-kicking and going back into the aerial battle when you\u2019re quite conclusively losing it in a game?<\/p>\n

\u201cYet you\u2019ve got this persistence, because it\u2019s a territory-based mindset of, \u2018Well, we\u2019ve got to kick from here.\u2019 It\u2019s giving the ball back to the opposition.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

New Zealand <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

France <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cI just feel that Dave Rennie, if he\u2019s going to make this team take a step forward, it\u2019s allowing New Zealand rugby players to play instinctively, right across the field, the full length of the field, full width of the field. Use that space and look to run into it and pass into it before kicking into it.<\/p>\n

\u201cStill have a kicking strategy, but when the All Blacks play at pace and tempo with quick ball and have ball skills around the forwards and the back row, middle row and even the front row, we\u2019ve seen combining with the back line, it just puts a real tempo and pace in the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot many teams in the world can handle the All Blacks when they play like that, and they\u2019re in sync. So I\u2019m hoping he\u2019s heading in that direction and gravitating a little bit away from falling into this mindset that the world is in, that you\u2019re too afraid to make errors, particularly in your own half. So it\u2019s box-kicking or high-kicking, trying to win the ball back in the air.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know what? Fatigue defenders. Hold on to it in your own half for 15 phases, and then break them apart because they\u2019re tired, rather than them not being tired because you\u2019ve kicked it back on the second phase.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo hopefully he enters into it that way, because I think that\u2019s what\u2019s inside the All Black and the New Zealand rugby players\u2019 soul in the way that we want to play. That\u2019s our DNA. If you go to any school that\u2019s around, yeah, the kids might be in bare feet throwing a rugby ball around, but they aren\u2019t bloody well kicking it. They\u2019re passing it. That\u2019s why we\u2019ve got such great passing skills.\u201d<\/p>\n

Former Wallabies hooker Jeremy Paul<\/a> was in agreement with Marshall and was hoping, for Australia\u2019s sake, that Rennie sticks to the trends and adopts a high-usage kicking game.<\/p>\n

\u201cI tell you what I hope, I hope Dave Rennie doesn\u2019t watch the show, because there\u2019s nothing scarier than watching an All Black side run the f***ing ball,\u201d said an emphatic Paul.<\/p>\n

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