For one of the rare occasions in recent times I’m a little disappointed that the All Blacks’ season is over.
I’d actually begun to enjoy it towards the end, as the team established a distinct playing pattern and became less prone to egregious errors.
On the whole I’m more encouraged than discouraged by what I saw, despite the modest 10-4 record for 2024.
Amid this mood of optimism we might as well indulge in a wee review of the good, the bad and the bits in between.
Best Performance
I probably can’t go past the 23-13 win over Ireland in Dublin, particularly given it was without first five-eighth Beauden Barrett and hooker Codie Taylor.
Ireland looked to bully the All Blacks, exerting constant pressure at the breakdown and hitting hard in contact. New Zealand absorbed all that, dished a bit back and watched the hosts become the ones to unravel mentally.
I’d like to mention the 30-29 loss to France as well. No, the All Blacks didn’t win, but if they can play with that kind of vigour and discipline on a regular basis they’ll end up on the right side of the ledger more often than not.
Will Jordan and Damian McKenzie celebrate after leading the All Blacks to victory over Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. (Photo By Seb Daly/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
Worst Performance
Tempting to say the 38-30 loss to Argentina, but nothing really compares to the shambles that was the final 40 minutes of the team’s 31-28 win over Australia. I watched that with a pretty sizeable group who were all cheering for the Wallabies by the end.
Most Important Match
That game at Accor Stadium was a turning point for the team. Out went Damian McKenzie from first five-eighth and in came a far more direct and simple game plan. It worked a treat, on the whole, and showed the All Blacks can actually win without having to play brilliant, breathtaking rugby.
The All Blacks might have beaten the Wallabies in Sydney but they also learned what not to do. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
Best Player
I’ll go with Ardie Savea, who was consistently excellent as both a No.8 and flanker. I’d also like to offer congratulations to Sam Cane for a very fine swansong season.
Most Improved
Tupou Vaa’i revelled in the responsibility he was given and showed a pleasing physicality to go alongside the ball skills and aerial ability he’s always possessed.
Asafo Aumua deserves praise too, for showing that he can be relied upon to punch out big minutes and hit his intended lineout target in important test matches.
I’ll be intrigued to see how the gametime’s managed once Samisoni Taukei’aho returns to the fray. In he, Taylor and Aumua you’ve got three guys who’d start at hooker for most countries.
Backs v Forwards
I won’t go as far as saying the All Blacks’ backs stink, but it’s not far off. McKenzie was woeful for the first half of the season, the midfield rotation of Jordie Barrett, Rieko Ioane and Anton Lienert-Brown has offered next to nothing and Sevu Reece keeps getting games on the wing for reasons that escape me.
The forwards, in contrast, have been absolutely outstanding and will only get better when Ethan Blackadder can get back in the mix and Samipeni Finau gains a deeper understanding of how to make an impact at Test level.
The lineout has improved immeasurably and the scrum is now a genuine weapon. Well done to all.
The All Blacks’ forwards stood up in 2024 but their backline rarely clicked. (Photo by Dan Mullan – RFU/The RFU Collection via Getty Images)
The New Skipper
Scott Barrett seems a nice, decent, humble man. He plays well most of the time and is brave. In an era where so many on field decisions come from on high, Barrett leads about as well as any captain is able to.
The Coach
I commend Scott Robertson for realising that throwing all his chips in on McKenzie was too big a gamble.
Otherwise I was a bit underwhelmed.
I’m assuming he intentionally talks gibberish in a quest to give the public and media nothing.
That’s fine. But when you keep people at arm’s length or insult their intelligence, you really need to win more often than he did this year.
The Public Persona
I haven’t watched or listened to an interview with a coach or player in years. I don’t care about their personal lives, political beliefs, the team culture, anything.
I scan a few quotes, for professional purposes, from the written press but, beyond that, there is nothing about these players that I want to know.
Scott Robertson dropped four Tests in his first season in charge of the All Blacks. (Photo By Sam Barnes/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
I judge them on how they play and if they’re quoted saying anything daft before a game or after.
The fuss made of Cane and TJ Perenara when the team played the Wallabies in Wellington was odious, especially given the subsequent behaviour and comments from the latter in Turin.
Victories win hearts and minds, nothing else.
A 2024 Grade
I initially thought C but have settled on B- given that changes and improvements were made during the season. I sincerely hope there’s no regression to the rubbish that the team played in the first half of this year.
Fans will cop losses, such as the one in Paris, when the team performs credibly or there’s a clear sense of overall progress. By the end of this season it appeared as if the All Blacks actually had a plan, rather than just making things up as they went along.
That’s cause for positivity in my book.
