Given the propensity for the leading international teams to kick – both through their halfback and No 10 – it is a non-negotiable for the All Blacks to be able to win the aerial battle by retrieving and retaining a high percentage of possession from opposition bombs.
It’s also a non-negotiable for the All Blacks to improve their potency from both set-piece and broken play.
The problems they suffered in the latter are best illustrated by the statistics out of the Rugby Championship which show they scored just two tries (9% of their total) in the whole campaign from counter-attack opportunities.
These are numbers that get to the heart of the issues under Robertson as the All Blacks, for the past 20 years, have built their game around the speed and mobility of their athletes, sharp execution of the basic skills and an innate knowledge of how to exploit space when attacking a broken defence.
Ideally, the competition will also see a senior playmaker deliver a compelling campaign that contains evidence of a well-considered kicking strategy, find a promising talent in the same role, and see a previously uncapped loose forward develop the sort of all-court game that could make them an intriguing squad pick.
The need to add a high-quality kick-catcher to the back three menu is arguably the highest priority as the All Blacks constantly put themselves under pressure last year because they rarely accurately dealt with the high balls that were rained upon them.
Will Jordan is the man who can have the greatest impact in reshaping the All Blacks destiny in 2026 if he can use Super Rugby to show he has all the skills required to play fullback at the highest level.
The central challenge for the All Blacks this year is a four-test tour taking in South Africa – a series which will inevitably carry large amounts of kicking from the Springboks who are so good at winning contestable challenges, be it through a clean catch or effective tap back.
The All Blacks didn’t get the balance of their back three right last year and that is partly because Jordan was used at fullback and struggled to bring the necessary aerial defensive security the position demands.
For a handful of games, Jordan was paired with Sevu Reece and Rieko Ioane – neither of whom were natural kick-catchers – and New Zealand simply didn’t have the necessary skillsets in the backfield to compete.
The composition looked better when Emoni Narawa and Caleb Clarke were introduced, but the key to the All Blacks getting their back three combination right is having full confidence Jordan can win his percentage of high kicks.
He talked to the Herald before the last test of 2025, explaining how the law to clear blockers out of the way has changed the challenge for the defensive player contesting high balls, as increasingly the chaser is looking to tap the ball back on his side, rather than make a clean catch.
He said he was working on ways to counter that and get his hands above the attacking players’ and his aerial work in that final test in Cardiff was the best he produced all year.
If he can use Super Rugby to continue his journey towards being the fullback the All Blacks need, then it paves the way for Narawa, Crusaders utility Chay Fihaki, and Highlanders fullback Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens to stake a claim as the sort of all-court right wing the All Blacks need.
Separately, Caleb Tangitau and Kyren Taumoefolau will be under scrutiny this campaign to see if their electric pace can shred defences and make them test candidates offering a different skill-set.
The hunt for the right centre needs to start with Hurricanes Billy Proctor, who looks the best equipped as he’s a natural passer and decision-maker, but for whatever reason, struggled to find his feet in test rugby last year.
The unknown is whether he’s not yet ready for that level or whether his natural game was never able to shine amid a malfunctioning All Blacks attack plan.
The Chiefs’ Daniel Rona is an under-rated option, and he’s a player who has the timing, defensive certainty and general poise and astuteness required to impress the incoming coach.
It is a little simplistic to say that if the new coach can identify a couple of kick-catch wings, a consistent up-skilling from Jordan and an astute ball-using centre, that the All Blacks will be much improved in 2026, but it’s also not that far from the truth.
Gregor Paul is one of New Zealand’s most respected rugby writers and columnists. He has won multiple awards for journalism and written several books about sport.
date: 2026-02-10 02:11:00
Related reading