July 5, 2025 • 8 mins
The All Blacks have travelled to Wellington with a laundry list of improvements required for the second test against France.
The tight 31-27 opening win came after a mountain of opportunities went unconverted by the All Blacks attack, while they shipped three tries to the visitors.
All Blacks assistant coach Jason Holland joined Piney to evaluate the match - and reveal how the team can improve themselves.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Ed b Leo, Willie stop, heads around, right, hands up, voter.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Parents, well done it. You want to not deny your
blackness time. One of two tries for will Jordan last night.
One of four tries for the All Blacks and they're
thirty one twenty seven win over France in Dunedin. Let's
bring in All Blacks Assistant coach Jason Holland. Jason, thanks
for joining us on Weekend Sport this afternoon. Having given
(00:37):
it the overnight test. How do you evaluate the first
up performance of the year in general terms?
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Ah, yeah, look, obviously good to want to test pitch,
but we're you know, lots of lots of things where
we need to grow and we need to improve pretty quickly. Yeah,
we crowded a lot of opportunities and didn't finish a
lot and you know, we would probably would have liked
to put a bit more pressure on the French the
(01:04):
French attack as well and slow them down on bit.
So there's a couple of key areas where we're tendified
and where we'll with a lot of work today on
sitting our week up to make sure we get improvements
this week.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
How do you set the week up to get those improvements?
Where do you place your specific focus?
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Yeah, look, we'll we'll spend a lot of a lot
of the morning getting through that as coaches, and I
think a lot of it will be around some really
really simple basics of the game. You know, again, we
did create quite a bit and just little eras that
vital times stopped us really putting the putting the foot
on the throat, so to speak from attacking point of view.
(01:42):
And another obvious one that stand out at the moment
is just winning winning the battles around some of the
fifty fifty position, around some of the kick game, I reckon,
you know, the French probably won the year and won
the ground from the kick battle, and we've got a
lot of position that way which we we sort of
would love to get some more turnover and opportunities to
(02:02):
play from kicks. So yeah, a couple of things standing
out the moment, but we'll have a really good luck.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
This morning that that kicking aspect you just talked about there,
and contesting the high ball, is that an easy six?
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Yes, it's just time. It's a time and it's probably
a little bit of a little bit of mindset towards
a lot. There was a lot of bubble ball and
scraps come from from the contest last night. We know
you when you play the French they play, that's their style.
They like to you know, they kick a lot and
they want to play off the off the sort of
scraps that they get from their kicks. So there's a
bit of skill set of mindset, and yeah, we all
(02:41):
it's a it's a big part of as I say,
some of those key positions at key times that can
really turn games. So we'll definitely put a lot of
time into that.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
This week, three disallowed tries. What level of frustration did
that bring?
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Oh yeah, obviously, yeah, you know you get excited about,
you know, the executing something really well and and then
it gets turned over. But look, I think a lot
of that was within our within our gat up making
sure we do everything as well as we possibly can
to take tmos and referees out of the game. So yeah,
well we'll just look at our little accuracies around those
(03:16):
things that stopped those things becoming an issue. So yeah,
it's frustrating, but it's one of those things, and sometimes
you get the fifty to fifty and sometimes you don't.
So you've got to make sure you know everything and
everything you can control.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
No issue with any of them.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Oh no, look, I personally I think the last one
is was a real fifty fifty around that obstruction. It's
it's an interesting call that you know, get around of
real consistency around that one. But yeah, it's one of
those things you control your control in these short weeks.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
How much did the very very early loss of sever
race change the way you wanted to play?
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Yeah, it's opous. Everything's He's obviously had a pretty pretty
good super and been training really well. I was excited
about playing and you know got and unfortunate happ to
the head there, So yeah, it was watching it. Obviously
trained trained all week or trained for ten days in
those spots, but obviously, yeah, we're well prepared with we
will have been able to go there and then d
make at the back. So yeah, feel fill for Saeve,
(04:18):
but you know, those things happening and the boys are
ready the slide.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Just on Will Jordan. That's forty tries now in forty
two tests, and he could have had a hat trick
last night. But for the disallowing of his third try.
What makes him so effective as a constant try scoring threat.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Yeah, I think I think we all see the pace
he has in the ability to beat defenders and kick
and regather and all those skills you have. But I
think a lot of it this is understandable game. You know,
he knows where to be and that's a real, real
talent that some players don't have. He just knows where
to be and where the boy's going to be, and
you know some of the tries and then you know
(04:58):
the last pass on a couple of tries. I think
Jordie's passed as well. So yeah, between him and him
and d Mack and body, you know, they're ready in
the game well and popping up whenever they see opportunities.
So I think it helps it. You're blustering quick and
you can finish things. But his ability to his ability
to see the game really quickly really helped some.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
I believe special player Jase. With a four point lead
and time running down, how confident were you in the
defense of resilience of your team to get the job
done at the end.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Yeah, Look, we've put a bit of wet quite a
bit of time into how we close games out during
the week, and I think we had a hell of
a lot of position in that last twenty And obviously
I would have liked to have scored a few more
points to make it get outside that one score mark.
But you know, defensively, the boys are really stuck in
and you know, there's a bit of grip sharm. Even
(05:47):
though we were overly happy with the accuracy of a
lot of things, there was a lot of grip sharm
to make sure we got the results. So that was
a positive that last teen and.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Your assessment of the positional tweaks you made, Rick, are
you only shifting out to the left wing two provity
into six?
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Yeah? Look, I think with Tups is like he ses
a hell of an athlete. And I think we had
twenty lineouts last night, and I think it was twenty
from twenty, which obviously having a tall line out really
helps with the options around whether the short lineout so
or no or not. He really helped in that space
and will get better and better in that space. And
(06:26):
you know, I think Rick said to me after shoot off,
I forgot how much how much you know running there
was when you play on the wing, you're going from
side to sides, you're in the backfield, so you both
of them will get better for the run and and
be better again this week, so you know, it's good
looking forward to things continuing in those spaces.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
And for debutantes last night, including duplasy Khalifa, of course
you worked very closely with during your time at the Hurricanes.
How pleased were you for him to watch him make
a Test debut last night?
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Yeah, mate, Like Dups has worked really harder had his
game and in his understanding of the stuff. In the
last couple of years he's been he's really grand massively
around being a smart player. You know, it was always
unbelievable over the ball, and there's carries and those sorts
of things. But he's worked really hard at giving away
penalties and making good decisions around how he plays. And
(07:16):
so really happy for him and he's in a really
good spot or he can play some really great footy.
But all three of the you know, the other three
boys all outstanding and then that pack you know, so
not only off the bench, but Fades and Christian were
outstanding the international footy players, which was great.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
Just to finish Jast did France bring anything you didn't
expect them to or did they come as advertised?
Speaker 2 (07:42):
No? No, I so pretty much got what we expected.
As I said, style of play was not playing in
their own half, kicking and wanting to live off the
scraps from the kick and then being you know, wanting
to or broken play. They'll explode into things and we
knew they'd bring the grip they did around the left
from the Kennedy he d so they'll get they'll get
(08:02):
that will improve as well obviously going forward and you
know it's sit up for a a big couple of weeks.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Yep, looking forward to test too and Wellington. Thanks for
your time this afternoon, Jason really appreciate it. We'll see
you in Wellington.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Thanks fining, Thank you, Jason.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
Jason Holland, assistant coach of the All Blacks.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk sed B weekends from midday or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Ed b Leo, Willie stop, heads around, right, hands up, voter.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Parents, well done it. You want to not deny your
blackness time. One of two tries for will Jordan last night.
One of four tries for the All Blacks and they're
thirty one twenty seven win over France in Dunedin. Let's
bring in All Blacks Assistant coach Jason Holland. Jason, thanks
for joining us on Weekend Sport this afternoon. Having given
(00:37):
it the overnight test. How do you evaluate the first
up performance of the year in general terms?
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Ah, yeah, look, obviously good to want to test pitch,
but we're you know, lots of lots of things where
we need to grow and we need to improve pretty quickly. Yeah,
we crowded a lot of opportunities and didn't finish a
lot and you know, we would probably would have liked
to put a bit more pressure on the French the
(01:04):
French attack as well and slow them down on bit.
So there's a couple of key areas where we're tendified
and where we'll with a lot of work today on
sitting our week up to make sure we get improvements
this week.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
How do you set the week up to get those improvements?
Where do you place your specific focus?
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Yeah, look, we'll we'll spend a lot of a lot
of the morning getting through that as coaches, and I
think a lot of it will be around some really
really simple basics of the game. You know, again, we
did create quite a bit and just little eras that
vital times stopped us really putting the putting the foot
on the throat, so to speak from attacking point of view.
(01:42):
And another obvious one that stand out at the moment
is just winning winning the battles around some of the
fifty fifty position, around some of the kick game, I reckon,
you know, the French probably won the year and won
the ground from the kick battle, and we've got a
lot of position that way which we we sort of
would love to get some more turnover and opportunities to
(02:02):
play from kicks. So yeah, a couple of things standing
out the moment, but we'll have a really good luck.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
This morning that that kicking aspect you just talked about there,
and contesting the high ball, is that an easy six?
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Yes, it's just time. It's a time and it's probably
a little bit of a little bit of mindset towards
a lot. There was a lot of bubble ball and
scraps come from from the contest last night. We know
you when you play the French they play, that's their style.
They like to you know, they kick a lot and
they want to play off the off the sort of
scraps that they get from their kicks. So there's a
bit of skill set of mindset, and yeah, we all
(02:41):
it's a it's a big part of as I say,
some of those key positions at key times that can
really turn games. So we'll definitely put a lot of
time into that.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
This week, three disallowed tries. What level of frustration did
that bring?
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Oh yeah, obviously, yeah, you know you get excited about,
you know, the executing something really well and and then
it gets turned over. But look, I think a lot
of that was within our within our gat up making
sure we do everything as well as we possibly can
to take tmos and referees out of the game. So yeah,
well we'll just look at our little accuracies around those
(03:16):
things that stopped those things becoming an issue. So yeah,
it's frustrating, but it's one of those things, and sometimes
you get the fifty to fifty and sometimes you don't.
So you've got to make sure you know everything and
everything you can control.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
No issue with any of them.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Oh no, look, I personally I think the last one
is was a real fifty fifty around that obstruction. It's
it's an interesting call that you know, get around of
real consistency around that one. But yeah, it's one of
those things you control your control in these short weeks.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
How much did the very very early loss of sever
race change the way you wanted to play?
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Yeah, it's opous. Everything's He's obviously had a pretty pretty
good super and been training really well. I was excited
about playing and you know got and unfortunate happ to
the head there, So yeah, it was watching it. Obviously
trained trained all week or trained for ten days in
those spots, but obviously, yeah, we're well prepared with we
will have been able to go there and then d
make at the back. So yeah, feel fill for Saeve,
(04:18):
but you know, those things happening and the boys are
ready the slide.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Just on Will Jordan. That's forty tries now in forty
two tests, and he could have had a hat trick
last night. But for the disallowing of his third try.
What makes him so effective as a constant try scoring threat.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Yeah, I think I think we all see the pace
he has in the ability to beat defenders and kick
and regather and all those skills you have. But I
think a lot of it this is understandable game. You know,
he knows where to be and that's a real, real
talent that some players don't have. He just knows where
to be and where the boy's going to be, and
you know some of the tries and then you know
(04:58):
the last pass on a couple of tries. I think
Jordie's passed as well. So yeah, between him and him
and d Mack and body, you know, they're ready in
the game well and popping up whenever they see opportunities.
So I think it helps it. You're blustering quick and
you can finish things. But his ability to his ability
to see the game really quickly really helped some.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
I believe special player Jase. With a four point lead
and time running down, how confident were you in the
defense of resilience of your team to get the job
done at the end.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Yeah, Look, we've put a bit of wet quite a
bit of time into how we close games out during
the week, and I think we had a hell of
a lot of position in that last twenty And obviously
I would have liked to have scored a few more
points to make it get outside that one score mark.
But you know, defensively, the boys are really stuck in
and you know, there's a bit of grip sharm. Even
(05:47):
though we were overly happy with the accuracy of a
lot of things, there was a lot of grip sharm
to make sure we got the results. So that was
a positive that last teen and.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Your assessment of the positional tweaks you made, Rick, are
you only shifting out to the left wing two provity
into six?
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Yeah? Look, I think with Tups is like he ses
a hell of an athlete. And I think we had
twenty lineouts last night, and I think it was twenty
from twenty, which obviously having a tall line out really
helps with the options around whether the short lineout so
or no or not. He really helped in that space
and will get better and better in that space. And
(06:26):
you know, I think Rick said to me after shoot off,
I forgot how much how much you know running there
was when you play on the wing, you're going from
side to sides, you're in the backfield, so you both
of them will get better for the run and and
be better again this week, so you know, it's good
looking forward to things continuing in those spaces.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
And for debutantes last night, including duplasy Khalifa, of course
you worked very closely with during your time at the Hurricanes.
How pleased were you for him to watch him make
a Test debut last night?
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Yeah, mate, Like Dups has worked really harder had his
game and in his understanding of the stuff. In the
last couple of years he's been he's really grand massively
around being a smart player. You know, it was always
unbelievable over the ball, and there's carries and those sorts
of things. But he's worked really hard at giving away
penalties and making good decisions around how he plays. And
(07:16):
so really happy for him and he's in a really
good spot or he can play some really great footy.
But all three of the you know, the other three
boys all outstanding and then that pack you know, so
not only off the bench, but Fades and Christian were
outstanding the international footy players, which was great.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
Just to finish Jast did France bring anything you didn't
expect them to or did they come as advertised?
Speaker 2 (07:42):
No? No, I so pretty much got what we expected.
As I said, style of play was not playing in
their own half, kicking and wanting to live off the
scraps from the kick and then being you know, wanting
to or broken play. They'll explode into things and we
knew they'd bring the grip they did around the left
from the Kennedy he d so they'll get they'll get
(08:02):
that will improve as well obviously going forward and you
know it's sit up for a a big couple of weeks.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Yep, looking forward to test too and Wellington. Thanks for
your time this afternoon, Jason really appreciate it. We'll see
you in Wellington.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Thanks fining, Thank you, Jason.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
Jason Holland, assistant coach of the All Blacks.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk sed B weekends from midday or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
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