When the All Blacks played their first ever test match back in 1903, they started as they meant to go on. In that game they beat rivals Australia decisively with a score line of 22-3. Since then, they have gone from strength to strength to become the most successful international rugby union team in the world.
This fact, along with the excellent infrastructure of the game has at all levels in New Zealand, means that the All Blacks are closely followed by many of the country’s 5 million inhabitants.
For those hoping that New Zealand may do well in the 2022 Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship may be starting to have a few doubts right now.
This is the tenth time the tournament has been held and from an early showing, the Kiwis are certainly looking under pressure to improve. This may be especially troubling for fans as, over the years, the All Blacks have dominated the competition, leaving closest rivals Australia in their wake.
This year’s championship runs for six rounds, culminating on 24th September, by which time we should have discovered whether they have managed to turn things around.
The tournament is a solely Southern Hemisphere affair which sees Australia, South Africa and Argentina taking part. For the first time for a few years, there will be games played both on home grounds and away for all of the teams, so in theory no single one will enjoy home advantage.
Many fans will also be placing a bet on the championship matches with Kiwi’s being able to place a bet instantly through one of the many online betting providers operating in NZ. Placing a bet adds excitement and suspense to the matches and also helps figure out the favored team to win.
Future matches
The line-up of future games for the All Blacks, however, still promises to be a very challenging one:
13th August versus South Africa at the Emirate Airlines Park, Johannesburg.
27th August versus Argentina at the Orangetheory Stadium, Christchurch.
3rd September versus Argentina at the FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton.
15th September versus Australia at the Marvel Stadium, Melbourne.
24th September versus Australia at Eden Park, Auckland.
A shaky start
The first round of matches was played on 6th August and New Zealand’s start was a tough one. They were lined up to play South Africa in the Mbombela Stadium and the encounter saw the Springboks win by a very decisive 26-10.
The match report underlined the fact that the home team simply overpowered the All Blacks who were left with no answers to the questions being asked of them. The result also saw the South African side win by the biggest single margin against the All Blacks in the 94 years that the two teams have been competing against each other.
The victory was put down to a number of factors including a defence that the Kiwis found all but impenetrable as well as inch-perfect South African kicking that helped to keep them pinned back in their own half.
The only real highlight, from a New Zealand perspective, was the try set up by a promising run by winger Caleb Clarke that was eventually carried over the line by the forward Shannon Frizell. But his celebrations were short lived after he fumbled a pass from captain Sam Cain which allowed the South African Le Roux steal an extra try in the dying minutes of the game.
A bad run?
The defeat brought about the fifth consecutive loss for the All Blacks, a run that has led to a number of futures hanging in the balance. There had been great hopes that this might be an opportunity to put the recent series loss to Ireland behind the team, but this just wasn’t to be.
Instead, they are left to reflect on the humiliation of that experience, the first loss of a home test series in 27 years and their first against the Irish team.
Almost inevitably, number one in the firing line is the team’s coach Ian Foster. Although his win record is a reasonably respectable 66.7% this is way below what is expected of a New Zealand side, as well as being below what former coaches have achieved.
There has also been a culling of two key members of the coaching staff – John Plumtree and Brad Mooar were both relieved of their duties back in July, even though they had recently signed contracts that would have seen them through until the 2023 World Cup in France.
It also seems very unlikely that Sam Cain will still be leading the team on the field by then as his is another head who critics believe should roll.
There are also many questions being asked about when, exactly, this fall from grace began for the side. Some date it back to the drawn 2017 British and Irish Lions series as well as the semi final defeat by England in the 2019 World Cup. Others feel that, while Foster was an excellent second fiddle to former coach Steve Hansen, he hasn’t got what it takes to manage a world-beating team.
So who’s going to win?
Miracles can and do happen, especially in sport. So, it’s just possible that New Zealand could turn their fortunes around in the next five matches. However, in South Africa and Australia they have two quite formidable opponents.
And, on the strength of their showing in the first round, it would seem like the Springboks are very much the ones to beat.
As for the All Blacks, no doubt the glory days will return at some point in the future. But the question remains as to when exactly that might be.
