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Israel Dagg: All Blacks need to return to patented 'unstructured chaos'
Israel Dagg • September 16th, 2025 11:32 am
All Blacks vs South Africa, 2025 | Photo: Photosport
It's been crazy - but not surprising - to see the reaction from some people after the All Blacks' loss in Wellington. It's like they had the house on black and are playing the blame game because the house won on this occasion.
I'm not going to sit here and get all caught up in the carry-on asking for coaches and players to step down, people to be replaced.
Instead, I want to focus on where this group could shift the dial and some areas we could get some improvement.
Unstructured chaos
When I say unstructured - click plays, counter-attack opportunities. That has always been a part of our DNA, a part of our ethos. There's no doubt the game is very structured, so those counter-attacking opportunities are very far and few between but that has always been a part of the way we play.
It doesn't have to be off a kick. It can be off of a ruck turnover. It can be off a little drop ball - those first two or three seconds when the defence is not ready, hasn't been able to get into position. That is your chance for your outside backs to run some hard inside-ball running lines, some opportunities to create space.
And on the running lines, when was the last time we saw a 12 going up, a 13 short, a 14 out the back, some courageous inside shoulder running lines? A little short step at the line, going off the right, off the left, some brave, continuous running lines on a 45 degree angle. Our No. 10, getting that ball on a little outside burst, running that angle, getting that second defender biting. A player short, a player out the back. Bodies in motion. Eyes up footy.
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We are so structured in this country and we have a plan, then when we get told to do something, we lose sight of our instinctual play. When you're out there in the heat of the moment, you actually have a narrow focus and you lose sight of the opportunities in front of you.
Some of those clips on review of the game were quite revealing in that the space was there in those wide channels in that 15 metres channel to be exploited.
Yes, you have a plan leading into the game. Obviously the plan was kicking the ball to space - an attacking, kicking strategy. But then there are also opportunities to move the ball, get yourself in a position, and play 'eyes-up footy'. Relay the messages from the outside to the in, giving those drivers opportunities and decision solutions to what's been presented for you.
Kick strategy
I'm not saying we're going to kick the ball every time. There's a time and a place to put that chip kick away. There's a time and a place to kick that ball wide. Gone are the days of the All Blacks kicking the ball into those wide metre channels. Look at Emoni Narawa's try in the Eden Park Test. Perfect example of when a kick strategy comes off.
Those opportunities are there, but you have to see those opportunities. You have to relay those opportunities into your No. 10s and give him a solution, not an idea.
We can nitpick and we can blame players, but those opportunities are out there, we just weren't quite good enough to maybe relay those opportunities and give those solutions to the 10s and those drivers to make better decisions.
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Declutter
Rugby is ever evolving. It's ever changing. Those pictures that were there a second ago are now different. So you've got to have an ability to just adapt on the fly and just be brave.
It's like a game of chess. You've got to work your opposition out. Get rid of all the clutter that's in their minds and all of the planning that is involved.
Yes, you've got to plan. Yes, you've got to have a little bit of structure.
But our rugby DNA has been able to play unstructured chaos. Our ability to produce some of the most remarkable moments in New Zealand and world rugby have come with no planning. Individuals getting out there and just going out on a whim, seeing a half gap, seeing an opportunity and just doing something and being courageous with it.
Look at the South Africans. None of them were in a shell, they were out of that shell exploding.
I'd just love to see some of these boys having a genuine crack and using their strengths. They are very, very capable at doing it. I just think they need to get out of their shells.
