Mainlander dissects some forum discussion on that stuttering All Black backline.

One thing though that stands out is we all tend to agree the backs didn't start really functioning until the (Super??) subs got out there.

We disagree as to who had the biggest impact as do we do to who was causing the problem to start with.

All agree that Carter didn't have a very good game, (thank god only the idiots have started calling for his replacement so far) and the verdict on Mauger is still fifty fifty, some feeling that he did OK but with a rider for that pass, other feeling he also played very poorly and some wanting him replaced with Luke. This last group also tend to be the ones who feel Luke brought the most impact from the subs when he was included. Most feel Ice had a good to OK game but felt he didn't do that much or should have done more.

Now I haven't had a chance to sit through the whole game again yet (son has a movie that has to be returned by 6:00) but got to do a quick skim over parts of the game (well stopped and re-watched a few bits while I was rewinding the tape before I lost the TV).

To me the problem seems to lie with Kelleher, Oh I know some felt he had a good to great game, others were less kind, but no one if I remember correctly actually said he had a shit game. But one thing I noticed on my short patchy review was the backline just didn't have any momentum. Kelleher when he wasn't getting the ref to look at something in the ruck or knocking it on was running from the base across field before passing to his backline. He was taking his own sweet time to pick the ball up to start with and then with the run we had both Carter (and Mauger) stationery when they received the ball and the Bok defence already in there face.  And no they weren't offside, (well most of the time at least)  they didn't need to be. I actually though that Mauger had taken over 1st five in the second half as the passes from Kelleher were going straight to him but in a bit I re-watched I saw this wasn't necessarily so because Kelleher had run so far across field before passing he'd run past Carter and only had Mauger to pass to.

Now when the super subs came on we got Weepu replacing Kelleher and immediately the pace of the game increased, the backs were getting the ball while running with room and the AB's started to blow the Boks off. Watch again and you will notice Weepu hardly stops or slows down as he scoops the ball up from the base of the rucks and fires a quick pass out to the backs, Carter gets it while running as does Rangi (joining the backline) and Luke. All are running at pace and moving the ball on quickly. Rangi is coming into the backline almost every play to help give us the extra man on the outside and Luke (and Ice) have a lot more room to attack from and do so with devastating (for the Boks) results. Mils had not been able to join the backline once, while he was on and I originally put this down to his timing being non existent (same problem he seemed to have in the Canadian game) but lets face it the timing of a full back joining the backline (or act as an effective decoy) is dependant on quick ball from the halfback, and would be bloody near impossible with what Kelleher had been dishing up.

Now I know some players are yet to be back at their best after the reconditioning and with some it's been more noticeable than others, I don't know if the is what the problem is with Kelleher or what we are starting to see from him is the new Kelleher style. I pray it's just the former.