{"id":631111,"date":"2026-10-15T06:18:09","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T06:18:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/631111\/"},"modified":"2026-10-15T06:18:09","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T06:18:09","slug":"all-blacks-v-wallabies-last-chance-to-impress-before-axe-swings-for-nations-championship-gregor-paul","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/631111\/","title":{"rendered":"All Blacks v Wallabies: Last chance to impress before axe swings for Nations Championship \u2013 Gregor Paul"},"content":{"rendered":"

The core requirements of being quick around the field, aerobically charged and having an accurate pass remain the highest priorities, but added to that portfolio now is quality kicking.<\/p>\n

\"CortezCortez Ratima will make his return from injury for the All Blacks against Australia this weekend. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n

As the All Blacks have come to accept after their 3-1 series defeat to the Springboks, the box kick is a necessary evil in the modern game.<\/p>\n

Statistically, the numbers are weighted fractionally in favour of box kicking as a way to create momentum and advance up the field, as opposed to it being a low-percentage, lottery-like hit-and-hope strategy.<\/p>\n

Kick well and chase well, and the tactic can be an integral part of an overall dynamic plan. And it\u2019s here that there are doubts about Ratima.<\/p>\n

His work to date has not included a high-quality kicking game. He lacks length when he is given responsibility for getting the All Blacks out of their 22, and he\u2019s not been able to smack up high, hanging box kicks that enable his team to run forward into a contestable challenge.<\/p>\n

So maybe he\u2019s been picked on the bench this week simply because he\u2019s finally recovered and is being given the opportunity he was denied because of injury, or maybe Ratima is now on a watch list of sorts where his performance will be deeply scrutinised to see if he remains in the mix for the UK.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s probably the former, but the selectors\u2019 minds will likely be open to the idea that a different third halfback could yet make next year\u2019s World Cup.<\/p>\n

Timoci Tavatavanawai is more obviously playing to win a spot on the plane. All Blacks coach Dave Rennie has been open that Tavatavanawai was taken to South Africa essentially to get him fit enough to be the sort of contributor the All Blacks need him to be.<\/p>\n

\"TimociTimoci Tavatavanawai has been named on the bench for the All Blacks’ test against the Wallabies in Sydney on Saturday. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n

The Highlanders utility back has an incredible highlights reel \u2013 punchy runs and crazy turnovers \u2013 but his workrate was low and general conditioning poor during Super Rugby.<\/p>\n

Rennie wants him to understand firstly how much work an All Blacks midfielder needs to commit to \u2013 support lines, chasing kicks, tracking back, committing to multiple rucks \u2013 and then have the aerobic capacity to deliver.<\/p>\n

If they can get his workrate to match his outrageous skillset, they will have a player who can make a difference at the World Cup, and Tavatavanawai\u2019s selection in Sydney is effectively about seeing how much he has absorbed in the past two months and how much effort he has put in at training.<\/p>\n

Josh Moorby,<\/a> restored to the left wing, isn\u2019t likely to be playing for a seat on the plane to the UK, but there remains a profound sense that the All Blacks are lacking something in their back three mix.<\/p>\n

Caleb Clarke, given his size, speed and power, gives them a genuine weapon on the left wing when he\u2019s fit, but with the greatest respect to Moorby, Leroy Carter and Fehi Fineanganofo, none of them feels like they would leave opposition teams fearful.<\/p>\n

\"JoshJosh Moorby will start on the left wing this weekend. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n

The door remains very much open to aspiring wings, and the likes of Caleb Tangitau, Chay Fihaki, Emoni Narawa and Kyren Taumoefolau would all be well-advised to play the house down in Super Rugby next year.<\/p>\n

The pressure is certainly on the incumbent wings to justify their selections, and Moorby has an opportunity to strengthen his case while both Carter and Fineanganofo are injured.<\/p>\n

Moorby has great timing, he\u2019s calm and he uses the ball well, but he has some work to do on his defence, and while he\u2019s played Super Rugby games at fullback, he hasn\u2019t yet demonstrated an aptitude for taking the high ball in the test arena.<\/p>\n

If he\u2019s going to survive the inevitable selection squeeze when the All Blacks have to cut their squad to 33 for the World Cup and likely have room for only five outside backs, he\u2019s got to give a top-notch aerial performance in Sydney.<\/p>\n

Gregor Paul is one of New Zealand\u2019s most respected rugby writers and columnists.<\/a> He has won multiple awards for journalism and written several books about sport.<\/p>\n

Listen to Elliott Smith\u2019s live commentary on Newstalk ZB Sport and iHeartRadio, or join the Alternative Commentary Collective on iHeartRadio and Radio Hauraki.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The core requirements of being quick around the field, aerobically charged and having an accurate pass remain the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":631112,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[9331,1443,5263,13612,9218,8136,115,18239,189778,2082,23469,6540,104239,28825,685,29397,5812,4486,17154,111,139,1536,69,309359,17357,309360,34592,119415,39023,544,213,142198,36169,199,1361,4504,8229,61,13983,9938,34432,102],"class_list":["post-631111","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-chance","tag-about","tag-all","tag-axe","tag-before","tag-blacks","tag-calls","tag-championship","tag-conclude","tag-for","tag-gregor","tag-hand","tag-impress","tag-kingdom","tag-last","tag-lurking","tag-make","tag-month","tag-nations","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-next","tag-nz","tag-ominously","tag-paul","tag-proverbial","tag-ready","tag-selectors","tag-sense","tag-some","tag-sports","tag-swing","tag-swings","tag-take","tag-that","tag-theres","tag-they","tag-to","tag-tough","tag-united","tag-wallabies","tag-with"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/631111","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=631111"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/631111\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/631112"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=631111"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=631111"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=631111"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}