Durban - Inevitably, there has been fighting talk from the All Blacks’ new forwards coach Jason Ryan ahead of their visit to South Africa.
But unless he has a magic wand hidden somewhere, it is difficult to see the New Zealanders getting the better of a settled Springbok pack and the celebrated ‘Bomb Squad’.
In fact, on the day after Ryan – the hitherto forwards coach of the Crusaders – was appointed, he admitted that arguably his best prop, Blues powerhouse Ofa Tu’ungafasi, is out of the two-match Rugby Championship tour, and is joined on the sidelines by two other Test props in veteran Joe Moody and Blues teammate Nepo Laulala.
Ryan will also be missing battle hardened lock Brodie Retallick, who broke a cheekbone in a collision with Ireland prop Andrew Porter.
The All Black forwards were bullied by the Irish, and considering that their then-coach, John Plumtree, is no mug when it comes to forwards play, you have to wonder how Ryan is going to literally turn them into world-beaters with diminishing quality personnel?
The Bok pack that started the third Test against Wales was in ominously good form in the first 50 minutes, and then the Bomb Squad finished off the Welsh tourists.
The final quarter was all South Africa as a tried-and-tested formula worked perfectly yet again.
The Boks often get criticised as being boring and one-dimensional in their attack play, but when it comes to the forwards, it really is a case of the old adage “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.
And even though Ryan and his All Blacks know exactly what is coming, it is another thing to be able to do something about it.
There is no other rugby nation in the world that can bring on forwards of the quality of Malcom Marx, Steven Kitshoff, Vincent Koch, Kwagga Smith, Elrigh Louw and Franco Mostert, with Marx in particular in devastating form in recent times.
Ryan has been the right-hand man of Crusaders head coach Scott Robertson, and he says it was painful to bid farewell to Christchurch’s Super Rugby champions, but a role at the All Blacks is the dream of any New Zealand rugby coach.
“It is always a dream to be an All Black forwards coach. I can’t wait to get into it,” Ryan told reporters, while admitting that Ireland had won the forwards battle.
“I think everyone could see it. The boys were really disappointed, and there’s no hiding from it.
“The All Black pack has been dented. It really has been.
“We talked about it in the forwards meeting today. We were really, really honest. We have to be. And we have to get on with it.”
Ryan said that for now he is keeping his contribution simple, and one focus is to stop the Boks’ driving maul.
“I have actually taken some stuff away and just given them two things,” Ryan said.
“We have done a lot of work around our mauling stuff, obviously, and we have done a bit on our contact area there.
“Just getting to really understand what we are trying to achieve, and what we are really trying to believe in, has been the big one.”
@MikeGreenaway67