'Argentina weren't trying to win': Aaron Smith's take on Pumas gameplan
The All Blacks need more variation in their game given their ball-in-hand "mentality" is being exploited by opposition teams, says halfback Aaron Smith.
With struggling New Zealand trying to avert another Rugby Championship defeat against Argentina in Hamilton on Saturday, Smith said his team needed to be prepared to kick the ball rather than constantly seek to run with it.
"I think variety is key, but the mentality from our boys is to want to be able to hold the ball, build pressure and use our attack," he told reporters.
"As we see with the north hemisphere teams and the teams so far in the Rugby Championship, they want to give us the ball.
"They don't really want to play and they're really attacking our breakdown.
"If you attack with the ball for long periods of time, you're giving them opportunities and they're taking them."
Argentina needed only one try in their 25-18 win over the All Blacks in Christchurch, the visitors' first win over the hosts in New Zealand, as they built pressure and knocked over penalties.
South Africa, who have long employed a kicking game to great effect, beat New Zealand in the Rugby Championship opener in Mbombela, though lost their next clash at Ellis Park.
Smith said there were honest conversations with flyhalf Richie Mo'unga about being aligned in their game plan.
"Because teams at the moment are going 2-3 phases and just kicking it, because that's their tactic, and they try to punish us at the breakdown and that's what the Argies did," he said.
"Argentina weren't trying to win the game, they were just trying not to lose it. They used their defence for that and we played into their hands.
"Variation, that was something we looked at hard in the review and we can still use our kicking game, use the ball to pressure teams and obviously turn them around."
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You’d think the first step would be taking responsibility for the stupid sh*t you did and to stop blaming other people. Does he seriously think that people believe him when he says it just magically got into his system without him knowing anything about it? You’re gonna notice if you’re on the juice, bruh.
Go to commentsI watch the Reds now, and many of their players, and think back to watching London Irish in their last two years under Michael Kiss. I recall Nick Phipps looking a very competent scrumhalf, Rob Simmons a lynch pin in the lineouts. Both men writen off by many on the rugby sites. There is no question in my mind that Kiss has a very different touch to any coach the Reds have had in years. It will take time, but this team could develop into a very good team, hard to beat by any one down here in the SH. You highlight two players especially, Nick. Vunivalu and Paisami are thriving this year, especially the latter. And so many others. The now heavier Fraser McReight, his great mate Harry Wilson, and the “Fardy” man, Liam Wright. That is only three, ut in reality every player is acroos the whole squad is the better for the new regime.
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