Stephen Donald believes the Chiefs and Hurricanes provided a glimpse into how the All Blacks will play under Dave Rennie.
The Chiefs edged the Canes 22-17 after extra-time in Hamilton in a brutal, high-intensity Super Rugby Pacific contest that featured a host of All Blacks hopefuls.
Donald reckons it offered clear clues about the national side’s direction.
“We’re all excited about the game and the spectacle, but it wasn’t throw the ball around willy-nilly,” he said on The Aftermatch with Kirst and Beav.
“The contacts were brutal, both teams once they got inside the 22 were very direct, so that’s not exactly all the champagne and fizz everyone thinks we’re all wanting to watch as a spectacle. It was just brutal footy.”
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Donald highlighted the tempo and intent as key elements likely to carry through to the Test arena.
“But the thing that I think where there was similarity was the ball was kept in play. Any opportunity to go quickly, like quick throw-ins, not going to set-piece, or, in the end what defined the match which was a turnover, the energy around that and the ability and wont to have a crack off first phase.”
He expects Rennie’s All Blacks to lean into that style.
“I do think that we will be playing a lot more like that, I think we will have more adventure to our kicking game. You look at both teams, both teams tried to move the ball and then kick down the channels. The Hurricanes did it really well early in both halves.”
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After criticism of Scott Robertson’s more conservative approach, Donald believes a shift is coming.
“I do think the All Blacks will morph into something more of which you saw on Saturday, which I’m sure will make people a lot happier as far as what they’re watching and tailoring to what we’re good at,” he said.
“Particularly on that turnover stuff, the thing that was to note was how quickly the Chiefs sparked and how everyone was on the page.
“No one was waiting for a kick, no one was thinking, ‘we’re going to set a ruck to kick’, there was, ‘right, bang, turnover ball and we’re gone’. That’s what we’ve got to get back to at national level, too.”
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