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<\/a> <\/p>\nThe next Rugby World Cup<\/a> is South Africa\u2019s to lose.<\/p>\n Not a particularly earth-shattering statement, I know, but the Springboks are going to have to beat themselves.<\/p>\n Could France<\/a> push them? Potentially. But everyone else will have to rely on South Africa<\/a> playing poorly.<\/p>\n They\u2019ve been too good for the All Blacks<\/a>. Only not just too good, but too big, too strong and occasionally too fast as well.<\/p>\n It\u2019s the size and strength that\u2019s the issue. I have no questions about the commitment of the All Blacks in this four-Test series. They tried very hard, in fact, not least in the 43-28 defeat in Baltimore on Sunday (NZ time) .<\/p>\n The scrum was consistently okay and the lineout not too bad either at M&T Bank Stadium, but they got monstered around the park despite the best efforts of players such as Ethan Blackadder.<\/p>\n Really and truly, I\u2019m not sure there\u2019s much you can do tactically when your opponents have such a huge physical advantage. You can try picking different players and tidy up some skill areas \u2013 with catching high balls being the most obvious \u2013 but the fundamental disparity between these two teams has been plain to see.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s start with the players.<\/p>\n Notwithstanding the absence of Ardie Savea, and the necessity to have someone else attend the coin toss, Codie Taylor can\u2019t start at hooker. I honestly think Asafo Aumua has gone past him and captaincy shouldn\u2019t come into the equation.<\/p>\n Ethan de Groot also needs to start at loosehead prop. To me, he\u2019s far and away the best scrummager in that position and we\u2019ve seen that set piece solidity surely trumps everything else a prop might offer at this level.<\/p>\n I\u2019m happy with the locks and loose forwards. I was delighted to see Blackadder given an opportunity and thought he acquitted himself extremely well in Baltimore. A second halfback would be good. Cam Roigard is the All Blacks\u2019 best player more often than not, but he can\u2019t play every minute of every match. An able understudy would be handy and no-one has staked an especially strong claim.<\/p>\n Ruben Love would be my first-choice 10 and Richie Mo\u2019unga\u2019s outing in Baltimore was decent. I don\u2019t see him commanding the stage and improving the team markedly, but he won\u2019t lose you any games when he\u2019s on the park.<\/p>\n I thought Jordie Barrett had a poor finish to the series, perhaps not helped by having Anton Lienert-Brown alongside him. I\u2019ve been a huge Lienert-Brown enthusiast over the years, but I think he\u2019s at the stage where he no longer has a lot to offer.<\/p>\n It\u2019s nice to see Leicester<\/a> Fainga\u2019anuku is nearing full fitness again, because New Zealand<\/a> needs a physical threat from centre. Quinn Tupaea has it, Billy Proctor probably doesn\u2019t.<\/p>\n You have to be able to carry strongly and hit hard in midfield and, to that end, it was another weird outing for Rieko Ioane off the bench in Baltimore.<\/p>\n Ioane has all the physical tools you\u2019d want in a centre, but appears to be more bystander than participant when he\u2019s on the paddock. I\u2019m not entirely sure who\u2019s responsible for that.<\/p>\n I wouldn\u2019t mind seeing a back-three of Will Jordan, Josh Moorby and Leroy Carter at some point. Carter has a howler or two in him, but also a ball-carrying ability the All Blacks need against a team of South Africa\u2019s ilk.<\/p>\n Moorby impresses me every time I see him and I think he deserves a chance to play more regularly.<\/p>\n Damian McKenzie has been solid at fullback, which I give him credit for. He\u2019s not made the volume of errors that made him a liability at first five-eighth, but he\u2019s not posed many questions to South Africa\u2019s defence either.<\/p>\n![\"Video](\"https:\/\/postview.rugbypass.com\/images\/video-player\/spacer-new.png\")
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Peter Lakai would always be in my trio and I\u2019m not too bothered where. Without Savea, it looks like he might get an extended spell at No.8.<\/p>\n