Heather du Plessis-Allan: If ever there was a time to make a change, it was this week

This is hopeless from the All Blacks, isn’t it? 

Hardly anything has changed in the squad.

Sam Cane is still the captain. Fozzie is still the coach. The apparently hopeless assistant coaches have all kept their jobs. They’re not elevating Joe Schmidt and he's not travelling to South Africa to help them with the Rugby Championship.

All that talk of big changes has come to nothing.

We have basically the same team heading to South Africa as the team that just had their butts whipped by the Irish. 

There are only two changes: Ethan de Groot and Shannon Frizell.

If this isn’t locking in mediocrity, I dunno what it is: picking the same group of players and coaches who just lost and hoping they will do better.

It’s disappointing because if ever there was a case to make a change and have the public support, it was this week.

We the fans want it. We want change. We want them to try.

And yet they’ve decided for goodness only knows what reason to keep plugging away with their poorly performing captain and coaches.

I don’t understand why they've passed up the chance to affect change.

The only conclusion I can come to is that there is division behind the scenes at NZR or that they’re giving Fozzie one last chance.

Surely he's already blown his one last chance with many fans.

And now the entire All Blacks brand risks doing the same.

Because if they don’t care enough about the rugby championship to make the necessary changes, then why should the fans care about the rugby championship? 

If they don’t care enough to try to win, why should we care enough to wake up at 3 am? 

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