The Albany Gazette - 'Sneaky' New Zealand seeking perfection despite rout

Despite running in 25 tries and 167 points in their last two matches -- including their 71-3 thrashing of Namibia with a virtual reserve team -- McLeod was not happy with the defensive side of the All Blacks' game and said there would be some home truths delivered in Sunday's training session.

With Uruguay up next in Pool A in a match New Zealand are expected to win at a canter, McLeod said the team was concentrating on eliminating the mistakes made in allowing Italy two tries in Lyon on Friday.

"We're looking at building competition for spots," McLeod told journalists at the All Blacks' training base in Lyon.

"We're going to be pretty harsh in the review around that and players who didn't stand up and do what they said they would do and how we wanted to do it. We need some growth there."

McLeod said there would be "a few disappointments" in the squad when the team to play Uruguay is announced to the players.

After playing Uruguay, New Zealand are expected to face Ireland or South Africa in a mouth-watering quarter-final tie in Paris where they will encounter a very different proposition to the feeble resistence provided by Italy and Namibia.

"We're still refining and being critical about our game and the execution of our game," said McLeod.

"We didn't get everything right (against Italy). We left a lot of points probably out there the other day.

"We didn't nail our defensive efforts as well as we could have so that's what we're focusing on regardless of the opposition and we have to get ourselves ready in terms of what we expect."

- Ireland in back of minds -

A week ago, McLeod refused to discuss a potential quarter-final match-up with Ireland, knowing that a defeat to Italy would have knocked them out of the competition.

But on Sunday he acknowledged that Ireland were in the back of their minds.

"We played them a few times last year and they taught us a few lessons and those lessons are in the back of the mind there somewhere and we've just got to tap them forward when it's time," he said.

"We're focusing on what we need to do and I know Ireland would have looked at us (on Friday) and seen a few opportunities, so if we fix up what we have to do and do that better, it makes it harder for them."

New Zealand surprisingly dominated Italy up front but McLeod acknowledged that they would not have things all their own way later in the competition against tougher packs, such as Ireland's and South Africa's, and would need to play smarter rugby to prevail.

"It's just having the strategy in playing to your strengths in terms of how you negate their size and we did it a little bit quicker and a little bit sneakier in the forwards (against Italy)."

(G.Gruner--BBZ)