In the wake of a bruising defeat to Argentina, All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson provided an update on the injury status of scrum-half Cortez Ratima, who left the field in visible pain. The setback comes at a critical juncture, with a looming showdown against the Springboks that could further test New Zealand's depth in the position.
Ratima, who was substituted after a severe hit led to chest concerns, is currently under medical review. "He’s getting checked out at the moment. He’s a tough little fella, so for him to come off, he’s pretty sore," Robertson revealed, highlighting the gravity of the situation. The potential unavailability of Ratima adds strain to an already depleted scrum-half roster, with Cam Roigard and Noah Hotham sidelined, leaving the team's strategic options thin against South Africa's robust squad.
Despite the unsettling loss to Argentina, where the All Blacks fell 29-23 in Buenos Aires, Robertson's focus swiftly turned to the critical adjustments needed ahead of the Springboks match.
"We have to [be better]. We just need to acknowledge what we need to get better at and just own it, and move forward quickly,"
Robertson stated, emphasizing a swift rebound.
The recent defeat underscored significant areas for improvement, particularly in discipline and the aerial game—two aspects that Robertson pointed out as crucial failings against Los Pumas. "Test footy is tough when you get three yellow cards and in the aerial game they dominated, we didn’t get a lot of little things go our way, which is earned off efforts, etc," he commented, dissecting the team’s performance.
Robertson also lamented the missed opportunities and the pressure imbalance during the game. "They were hungry, won a lot of those scraps and fed off the crowd," he noted, acknowledging Argentina’s edge in crucial aspects of the match. With these insights, the All Blacks are set to regroup and tackle their discipline and execution errors as they prepare to defend their long-standing unbeaten record at Eden Park against the formidable Springboks.
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In the wake of a bruising defeat to Argentina, All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson provided an update on the injury status of scrum-half Cortez Ratima, who left the field in visible pain. The setback comes at a critical juncture, with a looming showdown against the Springboks that could further test New Zealand's depth in the position.
Ratima, who was substituted after a severe hit led to chest concerns, is currently under medical review. "He’s getting checked out at the moment. He’s a tough little fella, so for him to come off, he’s pretty sore," Robertson revealed, highlighting the gravity of the situation. The potential unavailability of Ratima adds strain to an already depleted scrum-half roster, with Cam Roigard and Noah Hotham sidelined, leaving the team's strategic options thin against South Africa's robust squad.
Despite the unsettling loss to Argentina, where the All Blacks fell 29-23 in Buenos Aires, Robertson's focus swiftly turned to the critical adjustments needed ahead of the Springboks match.
"We have to [be better]. We just need to acknowledge what we need to get better at and just own it, and move forward quickly,"
Robertson stated, emphasizing a swift rebound.The recent defeat underscored significant areas for improvement, particularly in discipline and the aerial game—two aspects that Robertson pointed out as crucial failings against Los Pumas. "Test footy is tough when you get three yellow cards and in the aerial game they dominated, we didn’t get a lot of little things go our way, which is earned off efforts, etc," he commented, dissecting the team’s performance.
Robertson also lamented the missed opportunities and the pressure imbalance during the game. "They were hungry, won a lot of those scraps and fed off the crowd," he noted, acknowledging Argentina’s edge in crucial aspects of the match. With these insights, the All Blacks are set to regroup and tackle their discipline and execution errors as they prepare to defend their long-standing unbeaten record at Eden Park against the formidable Springboks.