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The All Blacks most under pressure after the Cake Tin catastrophe

A record defeat concentrates attention, and several All Blacks will feel it more than others after Wellington.

Patrick McKendry··2 min read
The All Blacks most under pressure after the Cake Tin catastrophe

The All Blacks most under pressure after the Cake Tin catastrophe

A record defeat concentrates attention, and several All Blacks will feel it more than others after Wellington.

The tight five carries the heaviest load. A scrum that went backwards and a lineout that lost its rhythm are collective failures, but they are also the areas where selection change is easiest to make and hardest to argue against.

The loose forward balance is the second question. The side lacked a physical presence at the collision, and the debate over how to fit power and mobility into the same back row is now unavoidable.

In the backs, the halves face scrutiny over game management. Territory was surrendered cheaply, and against a side of South Africa's discipline that is close to fatal.

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