ABs not concerned with full haul
10 Sep 2009
Scoring four tries will be the third priority for the All Blacks in Hamilton on Saturday.
All Blacks assistant coach Steve Hansen said the team would not be pre-occupied with gaining a bonus point win. More importantly the All Blacks will aim to claim victory first, then attempt to prevent the Boks from claiming a losing bonus point, and then try and claim five log points.
‘That’s a fallacy,’ Hansen said of the need to score four tries. ‘The key ingredient in this game is making sure they don’t get a bonus point. We can chase it all we want but if they get a point then it’s over anyway.
‘We’ve only got to get nine points in two games, not five points in one. We’ve got to stop them scoring a point.’
The Blacks have only scored one try in each of their four Tri-Nations encounters this season, and will need a massive improvement on attack if they hope to claim the nine or 10 points required to secure their fifth successive title.
Dan Carter, who will play his second Test since returning from injury and the first against the Boks this year, said the bonus point had been mentioned.
‘It hasn’t been a main focus of ours,’ said Carter. ‘We want to go out and play the way we have to. It has been brought up, but you don’t want to start playing a willy-nilly type game. We still have to do the hard work to create opportunities.
‘We’ve been working hard on the way we want to play, and if we play the best we can then it will come about.’
14 Comments
10 Sep 2009, 09:41 am
Dragon bonus
10 Sep 2009, 10:04 am
“We can chase it all we want but if they get a point then it’s over anyway.”
No, it’s not. Then it’s 10 points required with huge win over Aussies.
10 Sep 2009, 10:33 am
Our points difference is +25 and theirs is -14. so they need to make up quite a few points. They’ll need to smash the aussies
10 Sep 2009, 10:43 am
#3 WP_: Keep in mind that every point ABs gain vs Boks, deduce point difference twice.
So mathematically they can nullify that difference by 20 point win and even 10-12 point win will significantly ease last game requirements.
10 Sep 2009, 10:51 am
#4 Nils: yeah yeah, it’s not gonna happen
10 Sep 2009, 10:57 am
#5 Big Hit: What exactly is not gonna happen? Win by 10? Win at all?
10 Sep 2009, 11:22 am
Fancy the ABs talking up their chances with the Wallabies.. so they imply that the 5points will be their target for the Wallabies and 4pts is all they would content with on this Boks games..Go Boks go. Smash the ABs good this time round so they would CHOKE everytime they come against yous in the near future…
10 Sep 2009, 13:13 pm
#7 wallaroos: I think the ABs would rather just win both, if they get the bonus then it is exactly that, a bonus…
as for the insinuation that they would try to get it against Aussie, the very style of NZ vs Aust games is more conducive to try-scoring, do you agree?
and besides, when they have come over the top of your team twice in successive games (how many points vs ABs have the Wobblies scored in both second halves? curious to know actually) surely they can be a little optimistic?
10 Sep 2009, 13:15 pm
#7 wallaroos: oh yeah, glad to see you came with something original too, rather then the tired, cliched chokers call, bravo…
if it wasnt for those “chokers” Aussie rugby would have folded in the late 70s, early 80s… forget this or just too young to know?
10 Sep 2009, 13:19 pm
#6 Nils: a NZ 3N win.
#7 wallaroos: it is rather insulting to state it publicly I must admit. No doubt Deans will use it to motivate the Wallies.
10 Sep 2009, 13:59 pm
yeah right chasing a win first that is true but they require the bonus point win and will definitely be chasing that.
10 Sep 2009, 17:17 pm
it is simple really, they can throw it around against aus and even if aus score four tries and get within 7, it don’t matter as long as the blacks get the win and 4 tries.
against the boks they don’t have that luxury. they have to restrict us form getting points. the wallabies are out of it so no worries there.
10 Sep 2009, 20:15 pm
#10 Big Hit: let’s take one step at the time. After Boks game we will know more clearly about the chances.
as far as I know, there are still 2 games to play and both in NZ where both Aus and SA cannot boast successive record. Sounds encouraging enough.
10 Sep 2009, 20:17 pm
#12 JUSM: the Abs have other luxury against Boks – every point has double value. Of course, it makes any sense only if ABs are winning.
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