Former All Black captain Kieran Read has identified a tactical weakness in the forward pack that he believes will be exploited by South Africa if they don’t address it. Read believes the balance is out of kilter in the carry game, leading to an over-reliance on tight five forwards instead of the back five. He identified lock Sam Darry as one of the All Blacks' busiest forwards over the three games in July, but warned against having the young lock take the same workload against the Springboks. Read wanted to see Savea get more carries in a position of influence as one of the best ball carriers in the world. He believes that the All Blacks need to utilize their back five in terms of their forward pack to carry the ball. At the moment, Read is seeing Sam Darry carrying the ball a lot, Tupou Vaa'i carrying a little bit, and he's not seeing Ardie carrying the ball enough in positions where he can make an influence. Sam Darry has probably been their best player in the forwards over these three Tests. Against the South Africans, they're going to double-team him, and he probably doesn't have that in his game to be able to do that all game. So, Read doesn't know how they do it, but they need to find ways to get their best players around the ball more and utilize them. Rennie's new attacking system calls for two of the three loosies to be stationed in the tramlines, often taking them away from pod carries in the middle third. With the preference for Luke Jacobson at openside for his work rate and cleaning, it leaves a lack of power loose forward options to deliver the tight carries off 9. Chiefs' Wallace Sititi was given the blindside jersey to play Italy after Peter Lakai was given a chance against France over the first two weeks of the Nations Championship. Those players are two of the strongest ball carriers in New Zealand but don't make the starting side when Tupou Vaa'i is played in the back row. Read highlighted Savea's try against Ireland in the first half as an example of what he wants to see more of in South Africa. He believes that this is what he can do off the back of a maul, what he can do when he's down a 15-meter channel or like two passes wide. So, why is he not getting the ball in those positions? That's a question they need to have answered. Against a great defense, which is what they have, they need to have their best ball carriers carrying; otherwise, they will get shunted back, and they'll get put under pressure. In my opinion, Read's analysis highlights a critical issue for the All Blacks. The team's over-reliance on tight five forwards and the lack of utilization of their back five in the carry game could be a significant weakness against the Springboks. What makes this particularly fascinating is the strategic implications of this imbalance. If the All Blacks don't address this issue, they risk being double-teamed by South Africa's defense, which could lead to a lack of ball control and pressure on their own defense. This raises a deeper question: How can the All Blacks rebalance their forward pack to maximize their strengths and minimize the impact of South Africa's double-teaming strategy? One thing that immediately stands out is the importance of ball carrier utilization. The All Blacks need to find ways to get their best players, like Savea, more involved in the carry game. This could involve strategic positioning, such as placing Savea in a position where he can influence the game off the back of a maul or in a 15-meter channel. What many people don't realize is the psychological impact of this imbalance. The All Blacks' over-reliance on tight five forwards could create a sense of complacency or overconfidence, leading to a lack of urgency and intensity in their game. If you take a step back and think about it, the All Blacks' success in the past has often been built on a balanced forward pack that utilizes all players effectively. This raises a deeper question: How can the All Blacks rebalance their forward pack to maximize their strengths and minimize the impact of South Africa's double-teaming strategy? A detail that I find especially interesting is the role of the openside flanker. The preference for Luke Jacobson at openside for his work rate and cleaning suggests a strategic decision to prioritize ball retrieval and defense. However, this leaves a lack of power loose forward options to deliver the tight carries off 9, which could be a significant weakness against a strong opposition. What this really suggests is the need for a more dynamic and versatile forward pack that can adapt to different game situations. In my opinion, the All Blacks need to find a way to balance their forward pack and utilize their best players effectively. This could involve strategic changes in player selection, positioning, and game tactics. If they don't, they risk being exploited by South Africa's defense and losing the match.
