\u201cThe other team put us under a fair bit of pressure. We were on the wrong side of the referee for a fair bit of it. With all that adversity, down to 13 players, we still fought our way back to a good win so plenty of lessons to take out of that,\u201d Barnes said as the All Blacks flew from Cape Town to Durban for their next match against the Sharks on Wednesday morning (NZT).<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not like we haven\u2019t planned for what the rugby will be like over here but the boys just need to experience it. We\u2019ll be better for it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen it gets to the Boks it\u2019s going to go up tenfold. The lessons I see as a positive. The worst thing would have been if we got through that game without any challenges and had the Boks coming. They\u2019ve exposed us. We\u2019ve got to have a look at it and try and fix it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Neil Barnes: “When it gets to the Boks it\u2019s going to go up tenfold.” Photo \/ SmartFrame<\/p>\n
While first-choice props Ethan de Groot, Tyrel Lomax and Fletcher Newell should stabilise the scrum, the Stormers sparked major concerns as Pasilio Tosi conceded three penalties<\/a> and shone a spotlight on the need for Jason Ryan to address this crucial area, with the Boks sure to target the All Blacks there. <\/p>\n \u201cWe knew what was coming. That\u2019s the way they play over here we don\u2019t experience it too much,\u201d Barnes said. \u201cOur scrums back home are a starting point. It\u2019s a game with the referees as well over here. We\u2019ve got to try and find ways to lessen those opportunities.<\/p>\n \u201cThe front row out there yesterday were pretty young. Now they know what it\u2019s like. <\/p>\n \u201cJason is awesome at his job as a scrum coach. I\u2019m pretty sure he delivered some similar messages to what he [Tosi] needs to fix up. Now he\u2019s been out there and felt what that\u2019s like and how their props are going to scrum he has to find a way to stop that. <\/p>\n \u201cForwards need to train these things otherwise you\u2019re going to be in the same position. We\u2019ll review it harshly on ourselves and put that into work without beating ourselves up too much and then have another crack at it.\u201d<\/p>\n The All Blacks struggled at times with Karl Dickson\u2019s pedantic officiating but Barnes refused to criticise the Englishman\u2019s overbearing control of the contest. <\/p>\n Dickson, after dishing the All Blacks 16 penalties and three yellow cards in this match, will take charge of the fourth test against the Boks in Baltimore, too. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not going to say I was enjoying how it was flowing but there\u2019s some parts of the world that\u2019s how they play. We don\u2019t get to dictate how everyone plays. If they want to play that way we\u2019ve got to counter it. There\u2019s no use complaining about how it\u2019s officiated we\u2019ve got to adjust and stop it ourselves. <\/p>\n \u201cIf I\u2019m sitting in the same place in three weeks\u2019 time saying the same things you can say to me you need to sort your crap out.\u201d<\/p>\n In a match where few players enhanced their cases to crack the test team, Peter Lakai is one notable exception. The loose forward is surely now a must inclusion after impressing with his dynamic ball carrying \u2013 one example of which set up Leroy Carter\u2019s second half strike that allowed the All Blacks to kick clear with four tries in the final quarter. <\/p>\n Fabian Holland impressed with two telling lineout steals in his return from injury and Rieko Ioane was highly involved. <\/p>\n Despite a scratchy performance from Beauden Barrett in his first match for almost two months, Barnes praised his efforts. <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s been outstanding. He\u2019s a leader in our team. That\u2019s his first hit out in quite a long time so if I were him, I\u2019d be pretty pleased with his efforts.\u201d<\/p>\n Billy Proctor\u2019s tour hangs in the balance after he left the field early in the second half with a shoulder injury but a definitive prognosis is yet to be determined. <\/p>\n As the All Blacks prepare to rotate their shadow test team into the fray for the Sharks, they will expect much more synergy amid the hectic tour schedule. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve trained as one the whole way through because we wanted to keep the team aligned. We had one training the day before yesterday and we\u2019ll put another good day\u2019s work into them tomorrow and then they\u2019re out there.\u201d<\/p>\n Liam Napier<\/a> is a Senior Sports Journalist and Rugby Correspondent for the New Zealand Herald. He is a co-host of the Rugby Direct podcast<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cThe other team put us under a fair bit of pressure. 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