All Blacks v Wallabies
Kick-off: 5:05pm Saturday 27 September NZT
Eden Park, Auckland
Live blog updates on RNZ
There was one key narrative that even the most stats-averse rugby follower couldn't escape from last season. The All Blacks had a serious issue scoring points in the back end of tests, which was demonstrated the most obviously in the first Bledisloe Cup test in Sydney, and one that looks likely to be a factor this weekend at Eden Park.
They were heading to what looked to be a very comfortable win in the Accor Stadium sunshine, holding a 28-14 lead at halftime and dominating territory and possession. However, they couldn't add to their four tries after the break and the only second half scoring was a Damian McKenzie penalty in the 45th minute. Given that the fourth try the All Blacks scored was in the 25th, that meant they didn't manage to cross the Wallaby line for almost three quarters of the match.
However, the Wallabies went on to strike in the 65th and 79th minutes to make the final score 31-28, a far cry from what was looking on the cards after the early All Black scoring blitz.
While it appears that the second half scoring woes have been addressed so far this season, with the series against France featuring late and important All Black tries, the numbers for the Rugby Championship very suggest that there's still a problem. They've only managed 33 second half points so far against the Pumas and Springboks so far, but that might prove to be an even bigger issue against the Wallabies.
That's because Joe Schmidt's side is almost the complete opposite. They've combined for 78 second half points, which admittedly is inflated by their remarkable win at Ellis Park, but still shows that they can make their 22 entries count when they really need to.
Even more worrying is their ability to score tries in the last 15 minutes, having crossed the line nine times in that period during the Rugby Championship. In comparison, the All Blacks have four, with half of those being Samisoni Taukei'aho lineout drives in the win over the Pumas in Córdoba.
The Wallabies warm up for a test against the All Blacks in Wellington. Photo: photosport
Is it something that concerns the All Blacks? Attack coach Jason Holland said that it's been "a big part of the convos on Sundays" after the test matches played this season.
"We saw similar stats, (so we've) gone deep on around what halftime looks like, what our first 10 minutes after half time looks like. It'll come back to the same things you keep hearing from me around our ability to apply pressure, having the ball," he said.
"It'll come back to a fundamental issue in how we play. We've looked at a couple of things around, you know, how we stay really focused around the little parts of the game in the second half."
Which will very much come down to the impact from the bench, another topic that feels very familiar from last year. The dearth of scoring would suggest a rethink around how and when replacements are used, with Holland admitting it had been floated.
"We're challenging that. But it's a feel think from the coaches and making sure guys are in good spots when they come on."
The last time the All Blacks won a test with a go-ahead try or penalty goal was last year in the win over England at Twickenham, while the Wallabies achieved it just a few weeks ago in Townsville. So Scott Robertson's side have proven they can do it - they may well need to dig deep against this fast-finishing Wallaby side this Saturday.
