‘Not a great team’: Irish scribe on All Blacks’ ‘lucky’ win over England

Irish rugby writer Gerry Thornley didn’t mince words when assessing the All Blacks ahead of this week’s Test at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium. Thornley believes that New Zealand are “not a great team” and that they were “lucky” to beat England at Allianz Stadium on Saturday evening.

Following the All Blacks’ 64-19 demolition of Eddie Jones’ Japan in Yokohama, coach Scott Robertson turned to a more familiar lineup for the clash with England. Ardie Savea, Beauden Barrett, Jordie Barrett, Rieko Ioane and Will Jordan were among those who returned.

But, this was always going to be a tough Test for the visitors, with some considering England the favourites going into the highly anticipated clash. Mark Tele’a scored the first try of the match in the eighth minute, but the boot of Marcus Smith kept the scores close.

England led 22-14 with 15 minutes left to play, but Damian McKenzie and Tele’a helped New Zealand claw their way back. McKenzie slotted a clutch sidelined conversion with four minutes to play to give them a 24-22 lead, with England missing late chances to steal the win.

Coach Robertson and assistant Jason Ryan were seen celebrating wildly as the All Blacks hung on for an important win on their Northern Tour. But it doesn’t get any easier for them with the Irish up next, but as Thornley explained, that result sets the stage for the Dublin Test.

“The All Blacks for me, they’re not a great team at the moment. They’re a little bit lucky to escape with a win at the weekend. I’m glad they did win because I think it sets up this game better than if they’d lost to England at Twickenham,” Thornley said on SENZ Breakfast.

“What it showed me was in the way they conjured tries almost from nothing like (Wallace) Sititi’s offload for (Mark) Tele’a’s first try, Beauden Barrett working that switch with Will Jordan, Tele’a’s finish in the corner at the end.

“But more than anything, if I could extract one moment from that game is when the ball is behind them and they’re running back into their own half and Wallace Sititi picks the ball up leaves an English player for dead and accelerates away and gets that offload away… that just sums up the threat the All Blacks have. They still have an ability to conjure tries out of nothing.

“They’re the team with the most flair, the most X-factor. Will Jordan is an absolute game-breaker… pity Beauden Barrett’s not playing because I love watching Beauden Barrett play, greatness in our midst, you don’t want to miss out on chances to see him play.”

With Barrett out of the picture, it seems more likely than not that coach Robertson will turn to a familiar face to steer the All Blacks’ ship as the team’s chief playmaker. McKenzie seems like the front-runner to line up in the 10 jersey after dropping back to the bench for the England Test.

McKenzie, 29, started New Zealand’s first eight Tests of the year in the No. 10 jumper before being relegated to the bench for Bledisloe II in Wellington. The playmaker returned to the starting side against the Brave Blossoms but received mixed reviews after that performance.

Stephen Perofeta is another potential candidate to start at first five-eighth but would be considered an outside chance. The same can be said for Super Rugby Pacific champion Harry Plummer who was called back into the squad after Barrett was ruled out.

“I’d love to know what you guys think of Damian McKenzie,” Thornley added.

“It seems to me from this side of the world that Scott Robertson invested a huge amount of faith in him and then abandoned him.

“Then he comes out and saves the All Blacks in the weekend in the last quarter. Now, how’s he feeling when he starts again?”