Kieran Read argues the All Blacks must find new ways to unleash skipper Ardie Savea with ball in hand if they are to break down the Springboks’ in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series.
Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Rugby Australia & New Zealand podcast, former captain Read believes the All Blacks are not making enough use of one of the world’s most destructive ball carriers and risk becoming too predictable against South Africa.
“We need to utilise our back five in terms of our forward pack to carry the ball,” the ex-No 8 said.
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“At the moment … I’m probably not seeing Ardie carrying the ball enough in positions where he can make an influence.
“That’s with Ardie, you see him off the back of the scrum against Ireland. That’s the first time I’ve actually really seen him do that. I’m like screaming out for them to put him there or utilise what he’s got.
“That’s what he can do off the back of a maul, what he can do when he’s down a 15m channel or like two passes wide. So why is he not getting the ball in those positions?”
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Savea will miss the opening three matches of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour, which kicks off against the Stormers at Cape Town Stadium on Friday, before joining the squad ahead of the first Test against the Springboks in Joburg on 22 August.
Read also warned against overloading Sam Darry, despite the lock’s impressive form during the July Tests in the Nations Championship.
“Sam Darry has probably been our best player in the forwards over these three Tests,” he noted. “Against the South Africans, they’re going to double-team him, and he probably doesn’t have that in his game to be able to be doing that all game.
“Against a great defence, which is what they have, we need to have our best ball carriers carrying; otherwise we will get shunted back, and we’ll get put under pressure.”
Photo: Joe Allison/Getty Images
The post Read: All Blacks need to use Ardie better appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Kieran Read argues the All Blacks must find new ways to unleash skipper Ardie Savea with ball in hand if they are to break down the Springboks’ in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series.
The post Read: All Blacks need to use Ardie better appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
