A better effort tonight but not by much. Four tries to nil probably indicates a more one sided affair than the final score.
Work needs to be done on the defensive structures, the lineout and a couple more tweaks to the line up and maybe some more progress will be made.
The compressed and sliding defense is putting too much responsibility on the outside backs to cut off the inevitable overlaps on the flanks. Seems to work ok if the defenders are faster than the attackers, but the ABs' outside backs have far more pace than ours. Then we see DHP and Hodge missing tackles because they just can't get across to the runners down the sideline.
The lineout problems seem to be connected to the disparity in the number of jumpers in each of the packs. In Bledisloe 1 we went in with 2 and a half jumpers against four. This week we had three jumpers against four. Having the extra jumper seems to mean that the ABs can simply lineup against each of our jumpers and try to get up in front of the marked man. They then have the fourth jumper to put extra pressure on the thrower because he doesn't need to be trying to match up against anyone in particular but to to be able to have a hack at anything that might be a bit off target. The situation is reversed of course on the ABs' throws. One jumper will almost always be unmarked.
On the players themselves, Will and Quade looked the best we've had at 9 and 10 for quite a while. Bernard Foley offered nothing more at 12 than he has shown at 10 previously. The backline simply did not function in attack with Quade/Foley at 10/12. Compounding that, in defense Quade moved to 15 and Foley to the wing it seemed to me. Both had missed tackles. Foley four I believe. The sliding defense is bad enough but when two players have to be shifted around because of their perceived or real defensive deficiencies, then the whole thing goes to ruin.
So, for next week, I hope we persist with Will and Quade, bring Kerevi into 12 and reinstate Kuridrani at 13 to tighten up the defense. DHP might lose his spot, but with AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) either out injured or back in Europe, then he just might get another chance but the sliding defense strategy must be ditched. The wingers otherwise might be Hodge, though apart from his one long goal kick didn't really stand out this game, and Henry Speight who must be about ready to come back from 7s.
To get a fourth lineout jumper, we will have to bring someone like Lopeti Timani into No 8 which means one of Pocock or Hooper need to be dropped. I hope to see Poey back at his best spot at 7.