1
Sam Cane ‘stoked’ with All Blacks’ defensive success at World Cup
By Finn Morton
Defence wins championships. It’s an old adage that’s thrown around time and time again in sports including American Football, football and of course rugby union.
Over the coming days, a lot will be said about the 44 points that the All Blacks scored during their commanding semi-final win over Argentina on Friday night.
But the six scored against them was just as impressive. The All Blacks didn’t concede a try, and that deserves all the credit, plaudits and praise that fans can give.
New Zealand made 195 tackles against Argentina, which backs up their incredible defensive performance against a physical Irish outfit last weekend – completing 226 stops.
With defensive guru Scott McLeod guiding the team, the All Blacks have transformed themselves into a team that is now 80 minutes away from potentially winning the World Cup.
“I said last week that history shows the team who is one of the best defensively will end up winning the World Cup. There are a few guys in our team who are particularly passionate about it so it’s pretty strong,” captain Sam Cane said after the win over Argentina.
"A lot of credit has to go to [defence coach] Scott McLeod and [assistant coach] Joe Schmidt. We have a system now we really believe in, some skillsets within that, the individual tackles.
“There’s also the work the boys who are not playing do - learning the opposition shapes so we can train against them during the week as well. But we are pretty stoked not to concede any tries tonight. I am pretty proud of that.”
The All Blacks made a statement with their hard-fought 28-24 win over Ireland in the quarterfinals, but they knew that they’d need their A-game a week later against Los Pumas.
Argentina had been written off by many, but anything can happen in a semi-final. Wing Emiliano Boffelli scored the first points of the Test with an early penalty goal.
While the All Blacks looked stunned, if only for a moment, they soon took control with first-half tries to Will Jordan, Jordie Barrett and Shannon Frizell. They continued to dominate after the break as well.
“We’ve played Argentina in the past and we know they are a team that can frustrate, stay in the fight and often accumulate points in threes. We wanted to be patient and a lot of credit has to go to the forward pack,” Cane told reporters on Friday.
“We wanted to scrum well and drive well and we made the most of our opportunities. The scrum penalty just before half-time allowed us to get down their end and score, that was huge. I am really pleased with the effort and we have to go again now.”
Trending on RugbyPass
2
Initial Immanuel Feyi-Waboso injury update does not sound promising
3
Ex-Wallaby explains why All Blacks aren’t at ‘panic stations’
4
Leinster player ratings vs Connacht | 2024/25 URC
5
Latest Comments
Don't think you've watched enough. I'll take him over anything I's seen so far. But let's see how the future pans out. I'm quietly confident we have a row of 10's lined uo who would each start in many really good teams.
Go to commentsHopefully Joe stays where he is. That would mean Les, McKellar, larkham and Cron should as well. It’s the stability we need in the state programs. But, if Joe goes, RA with its current financial situation will be forced into promoting from within. And this will likely destabilise other areas.
To better understand some of the entrenched bitterness of those outside of NZ and NSW (as an example 😂), Nic, there is probably a comparison to the old hard heads of welsh rugby who are still stuck in the 1970s. Before the days where clubs merged, professionalism started, and the many sharp knives were put into the backs of those who loved the game more than everyone else. I’m sure you know a few... But given your comparison of rugby in both wales and Australia, there are a few north of the tweed that will never trust a kiwi or NSWelshman because of historical events and issues over the history of the game. It is what it is. For some, time does not heal all wounds. And it is still festering away in some people. Happy holidays to you. All the best in 2025.
Go to comments