Jake White: I'm amazed at how naive the All Blacks have become

For as long as I’ve been coaching, the one thing the All Blacks have always possessed is an innate understanding of the game. An almost sixth sense to do the right thing at the right time. Let me give you an example. In 2013, Ryan Crotty scoring against Ireland after the hooter in Dublin and breaking Irish hearts.

For what seemed like an eternity, at any given point, they could speed the game up, slow it down, keep the ball, or kick it downfield for territory. And it wasn’t just the All Blacks. It was something you saw with their age-grade groups, their Maori teams - it’s was almost like they were coached that way from the first moment they picked up a rugby ball.

Anyone and everyone associated with rugby is throwing up reasons for the All Blacks’ loss of invincibility; from a new coach, to losing key players and the vulnerability of Super Rugby. Yes, they are all factors to the All Blacks still finding their feet, but what really hit me in the second Test was that they seemed to have lost the ability to control what was happening in-game.

I’ll give you an example. Jasper Wiese got yellow-carded for obstructing Cortez Ratima and two minutes later Sevu Reece was carded for taking Willie le Roux out in the air - Scott Robertson must have had his head in his hands. When it was business as usual, they’d say, ‘right, we have 10 minutes to unpick the opposition and win the game’. They had another chance to pull ahead when Willie (le Roux) was carded in the 62nd minute, and what do they do, fail to register any points and get Tyrel Lomax sent to the bin for impeding Cheslin Kolbe. I couldn’t believe it. That is one area, I thought, ‘jeez, that is so unlike the All Blacks’.

Let me stress, I’m not just talking about the senior players, I’m talking about every squad member. Historically, they’d have worked out what they needed to do. Their inaccuracy cost them. Every time they looked like they were opening the Springboks up defensively, they dropped the ball. Cortez Ratima made a wonderful play and he passed the ball forward, Rieko Ioane spilt the ball when threatening. They looked as shocked as the supporters about what was happening. I was amazed how naïve they’d become.

You can talk all day long about the loss of titans Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Richie McCaw, Ma’a Nonu, Ben Smith, but even the domestic competitions like Super Rugby and the NPC, they always had that streetwise nous.

Saying that, I’m not worried because the All Blacks have shown they are the masters of reinvention for over a century. Right now everyone in New Zealand will be trying to figure out what the missing link is. From dog walkers stopping for a chinwag, to groups of men in heated debate over a pint of beer, or old friends discussing what’s gone wrong over the cheese counter in the supermarket. Mark my words, it will be a national debate.

They will find a way, though. Rugby is too important in their country not to. It’s probably their biggest export commodity. So whether it’s a breakaway think tank, whether it’s looking outside the sport, or outside New Zealand, they will be desperately searching for that competitive edge.

Here in SA, over a rum and coke, or over a braai, the same questions pop up. What side should we go with? Should we go for a huge, slow team, a smaller more agile team, do you pick your best team to start, or do we choose to unleash them off the bench? That is what makes rugby such an intriguing game. I read Legacy, the book that rubberstamped their standing as the most successful sports team in the world. They had that reset in 2004 and went on to dominate for the next decade, so in 2024, you wonder, what’s next? Relatively, they have a smallish player base, so it is remarkable they have dominated for so long.

Even though they are our greatest rivals, I don’t mind admitting my admiration for how they go about their business. I remember when I was coaching the Springboks and Tana Umaga played his last Test match in Dunedin. We were invited along at a function room and they brought up the former headmaster of Auckland Grammar, Sir John Graham (a former All Black) and Sir Jock Hobbs up on stage to speak about Tana. The way they talked about him would have made him feel ten feet tall. They hit the perfect tone. I remember standing there and thinking, the All Blacks have always done what’s right for rugby. Yes they have always played great rugby, but it’s the little details that make them so unique. I’ve said before that going into the inner sanctum with Sir Graham Henry, Sir Brian Lochore, Sir Jock Hobbs and Sir Steve Hansen, sitting there having a beer, discussing the finer points of the game was one of the most privileged moments of my career.

Indeed, I remember sitting with Jock (Hobbs) once. He told me a story. He said that him, Buck Shelford and Gary Whetton – three great players -  were told in pretty blunt terms that they had to change the way New Zealand played and if they couldn’t adapt they’d find players who could. They went and found someone like Michael Jones, who was a centre and converted to a loose forward, and Zinzan Brooke, a remarkably gifted athlete. They worked out how rugby needed to be played in order to be successful. That wasn’t specific to a coach but a nation. The Kiwis brains trust will be working furiously on the weaknesses and shortfalls in their squad. They’ve always been like that. The next moves will be important not only for New Zealand but in shaping the world game.

They needed a reaction like they had against Los Pumas, but it didn’t come. Ironically against Argentina, it was in the rain, but in Cape Town it was bathed in sun, but they still couldn’t find that piece of magic.

As for the Boks, it’s obvious people can’t take for granted that winning is as much of a habit as losing. When you have momentum on your side and that belief, it’s contagious. Whether you’re changing players, your lineout is squeaking, or you’re dropping passes or tackles, it's incredible what carving out results does. The All Blacks used to be the comeback kings, or Man Utd in Fergie-time, and now it’s the Springboks who have found a way to win, often against the odds.

The All Blacks aren’t far off, however, because in the cold light of day, they only lost on South African soil by four and six points – they weren’t shipping 67 points like the Wallabies. I expect them to beat Joe Schmidt’s men and then get back to the drawing board ahead of the Autumn Tests.

I must stress, the real Test isn’t in year one of the World Cup cycle, however, it’s in the year leading into the tournament. It’s ironic that for once New Zealand aren’t the No 1 side and they’re in the chasing pack. It’s funny, when they led from the front, they were criticised for not peaking at the right time! In those days, a lot of Kiwi fans used to say, ‘we don’t win World Cups, we’re chokers, but we are the No 1 side’ but that’s rubbish. I say this as a World Cup winner, it is the jewel in the crown of rugby. It’s where you get judged and the next few years will be fascinating.