The All Blacks playstyle
The All Blacks possess a unique offensive rhythm that continues to captivate global rugby audiences. Pundit Paul Williams recently highlighted this enduring appeal, noting that New Zealand still mesmerises fans with their broken-field running and attacking ambition. Despite falling to a 3-1 series defeat against the Springboks, Williams argues that the sheer aesthetic brilliance of the Kiwi backline remains unmatched on the world stage. This attractive style was evident throughout the tour, with the All Blacks outscoring the Springboks for tries in the first two tests, while scoring the same number on the third.
However, that attacking sparkle masks a troubling structural deficit up front. While Paul Williams focuses on backline magic, the brutal reality of Test rugby was exposed throughout the recent clashes in South Africa. Dave Rennie’s coaching setup now faces mounting pressure to address a glaring vulnerability at the set-piece if they are to mount a serious challenge for the 2027 World Cup.
The All Blacks at their best between 2008 and 2015 were able to do both. They had the bruising force of Whitelock, Retallick, McCaw and Read, while also having the backline magic of Aaron Smith, Dan Carter, Ben Smith and Isreal Dagg.
The contrast between New Zealand’s wide-sweeping ambition and South Africa’s direct, physical dominance defined the four-Test rivalry. The current Rugby World Cup champion Springboks built their series victory on a foundation of scrum, lineout, and maul supremacy. Instead of meeting this challenge head-on, New Zealand actively avoided the gritty forward exchanges. When things moved into a physical contest, the All Blacks got dragged into a slow and difficult situation, while the All Blacks wanted fast transition and quick wide ball.
Former Springboks captain John Smit observed this tactical retreat with astonishment. Speaking on the I Love Rugby podcast, covered by Planet Rugby, Smit noted how heavily New Zealand relied on rapid clearances to bypass the engagement zone.
“The All Blacks were surprising to me, every ball they had was channel one, they didn’t want to give the Boks too many scrum feeds, which they were good at,” Smit explained.
The Springboks have spent years refining their forward pack into a devastating weapon. With key personnel rotating seamlessly, they constantly test opposition packs. Smit added: “It’s a ferocious scrum and it has been building and getting better and better, and they put a lot of work into it.”
Smit believes New Zealand’s set-piece reluctance stems from their domestic environment. He argued that the ball-in-hand focus of Super Rugby leaves Kiwi forwards underprepared for the gruelling, attritional battles demanded by top-tier international rugby.
“Super Rugby is still such an exciting tournament to win but there’s not a huge emphasis on kicking tactics and set-piece; it’s more about playing the All Black way,” Smit told the outlet.
He suggested that without weekly exposure to heavy-duty scrums, evaluating genuine international readiness becomes nearly impossible. — —I think the All Blacks have got the personnel, but scrumming is like a UFC fighter. You can train in the gym as much as you want, but if you don’t put enough time in the ring and you don’t scrum every week, and you don’t get tested by hard opposition, it’s very difficult to understand what the level is.”
To counter this, Rennie and his forwards coaches must drastically shift their preparation before their upcoming international fixtures. Fans expected a stronger response when they were focusing on Springboks set-piece dominance, yet the avoidance tactics persisted. Even when New Zealand made key changes to their starting XV, the underlying tactical evasion remained obvious.
Asafo Aumua came in at hooker for the third test but impressed. Codie Taylor returned for Test four, where he led the side after an injury to Ardie Savea.
Relying on individual genius to dismantle Rassie Erasmus’s highly organised defensive system is a dangerous gamble. Writing for the UK Sunday Times, featured via SA Rugby magazine, former England flyhalf Stuart Barnes praised Ardie Savea’s unmatched ability to create chaos from structured play.
Here was the Kiwi with the head, the heart and the unique ability to depart from the plan to deadly effect,” Barnes noted, referencing Savea’s crucial impact before injury struck at FNB Stadium. “It was 12-12 when he left the field in Soweto; thereafter, the series inexorably slipped away from Dave Rennie’s team, despite the excellence of Peter Lakai, Savea’s replacement.”
Barnes insists that toppling the world champions will demand unprecedented leadership on the park. “It will take a team with individual leadership to beat the Springboks at the 2027 World Cup. Savea is the obvious example.”
Yet, even the most profound backline flair cannot function without reliable primary possession. Unless New Zealand confronts their scrummaging demons and rebuilds their forward resilience, the aesthetic charm championed by Paul Williams will not be enough to secure a return to global dominance.
Ruben Love has been a breakout star of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour and Rugby Nations Championship. He offers quick transition ball, accurate kicking and the ability to attack the spaces left behind.
