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+---- Thread: More of the same says Umaga (/Thread-More-of-the-same-says-Umaga)
More of the same says Umaga - mcamp999 - 11-08-2005
Keep doing what were doing, but do it better: Umaga
By Jim Kayes
Thursday, August 11, 2005 Print this article
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All Blacks skipper Tana Umaga has called on his team to be more clinical in attack after blowing a string of tryscoring opportunities in last weekend's 22-16 loss to South Africa.
Umaga said the All Blacks made 18 linebreaks at Newlands, compared to four by the South Africans, yet they scored only one try - to wing Rico Gear.
A Gear break did create the game's only other try, but that was scored by South African midfielder Jean de Villiers when he latched on to a pass by halfback Byron Kelleher.
That low try tally reflects the effectiveness of the Springboks' defence but might also point to a deeper problem in the lack of impact of the All Blacks' attack against South Africa and Australia.
They scored only four tries in last year's Tri Nations despite an encouraging buildup that saw them score three and five in the two tests against World Cup winners England a month earlier.
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History is on track to repeat itself this year if the All Blacks can't crack the Wallabies' defence at Sydney's Stadium Australia on Saturday night as the sole try against South Africa last weekend came after 12 were scored in the three-Test series win against the British and Irish Lions.
Umaga was confident there was nothing wrong with how the All Blacks were trying to play on attack.
While the Springboks are receiving praise for the effectiveness of their umbrella, or rushing, defence, Umaga revealed South Africa actually changed how they defended during the Test.
That's only natural, as good teams react to how the opposition is playing. Umaga expects the Wallabies to adapt to what the All Blacks are doing this weekend, too.
"We have to be able to combat that, but we've also got to be able to hang on to the ball and do the simple, basic skills well."
It was a lack of basic skills, not any over-riding gameplan, that caused problems in Cape Town, Umaga said, using the 18 linebreaks made by the All Blacks that afternoon to back his opinion.
"So obviously we're doing something right, but we have to capitalise on it. Our execution is what let us down at the weekend. We just have to execute better and take our chances. If you're making 18 breaks, what do you want to change?
"It's what you do after the breaks securing the ball, making sure we get it to the right people and making sure we have more composure."