Kirwan Urges All Blacks to Emulate Springboks

Sir John Kirwan, the former All Blacks winger, recently shared his insights on the physicality and intensity that the New Zealand team must replicate from their Springboks encounters, as they prepare for their face-off against Australia at Eden Park. The match, part of the opening Bledisloe Cup Test, sees the Wallabies coming in with an unbeaten streak under their head coach, Les Kiss. The All Blacks, having faced three consecutive defeats to Rassie Erasmus' Springboks, are now drawing lessons from those rigorous tests.

Kirwan expressed his admiration for the Springboks on the Rugby Rivals podcast, highlighting the need for the All Blacks to emulate the South Africans' dominant play, even in adverse conditions.

"I think it is important [that the All Blacks start winning]. For me personally, I thought that South Africa were the better team [in the RGR series]."

He noted the South African team's ability to clinch victories even when not playing their best, a trait he believes the All Blacks should aspire to.

With the upcoming challenge against the Wallabies, Kirwan pinpointed the scrum as a critical area for improvement. While he anticipates that the set-piece battle might not be as intense as those against the Springboks, dominance in the scrums remains essential.

"Dave Rennie will want improvement, and what improvements do we want to see? Well, if you think about the rivals, there were some critical moments where we made some poor individual errors in decision-making, trying to get an offload and giving away a stupid penalty, and then I think the scrum will probably not be as tested, but we do need to start being really dominant there. So those things we need to see improvement,"

Kirwan explained.

He also stressed the importance of a robust 80-minute performance against Australia, emphasizing the need for high intensity and error-free play. "Which means you’re going to have to play a really thorough 80-minute game against Australia and not let them start well, put them under pressure, intensity, get your set-piece right, no stupid errors, and just a real 80-minute performance," Kirwan added. While acknowledging Australia’s potential to compete fiercely, he underscored the necessity for the All Blacks to maintain relentless intensity whenever the opposition holds the ball.

The upcoming match at Eden Park is not just another Test; it's a significant opportunity for the All Blacks to reclaim their form and set the tone for their season. Kirwan’s comments reflect a blend of respect for past opponents and a forward-looking strategy that might just be the recipe the All Blacks need to turn their fortunes around. As the team gears up to face the Wallabies, all eyes will be on their ability to translate these lessons into a winning performance on home soil.