All Blacks call on referees to enforce faster pace against Bulls

The All Blacks are maintaining their demand for a quicker style of rugby, with hooker Codie Taylor saying referees will ultimately be responsible for ensuring the game does not slow down unnecessarily.

Taylor was speaking on Friday after the All Blacks’ captain’s run before their meeting with the Bulls in the third match of their Greatest Rivalry Tour of South Africa.

New Zealand have repeatedly questioned the pace of play during the tour, particularly during set-pieces and stoppages involving South African teams and the Springboks. Head coach Dave Rennie has already raised concerns over the time taken to set up lineouts and the length of injury stoppages.

Taylor said the All Blacks were not trying to rush legitimate breaks in play, but wanted to ensure the sport remained entertaining for supporters.

“We’re well aware that the game is a lot slower,” Taylor said.

“And we do want to play fast, there’s no hiding from that, and there’s no hiding from the opposite either.

“It will probably fall back on the referees.”

The 33-year-old said the issue was ultimately about preserving the rhythm and spectacle of the game rather than ignoring genuine injuries.

“You don’t want the game to be sped up if there’s a genuine injury, but for the sake of rugby, you want it to be an entertaining game and play some footy and not slow it down.

“And we’re doing the game justice as well. We’re doing justice for our fans.

“That’s the type of game we want to play, and we’ll just have to manage that accordingly.”

New Zealand’s match against the Bulls will provide another test of their preferred high-tempo approach against a strong South African side. It will also be their final opportunity to assess that approach before turning their focus to the opening Test against the Springboks.

The first Test takes place in Johannesburg on 22 August, and the pace of the contest is expected to remain a major talking point for the All Blacks in the build-up to the series opener.

Rennie has already described the Bulls as the All Blacks’ toughest test of the tour so far. The New Zealand players will therefore face another physically demanding challenge as they seek to impose a faster game against opponents accustomed to a more deliberate approach.

Taylor’s comments suggest the All Blacks will continue to place responsibility on match officials to manage stoppages and protect the flow of the contest. New Zealand believe that doing so will help them play the style they favour while also delivering a more entertaining spectacle for fans.

Their position is clear: genuine injuries must be dealt with properly, but unnecessary delays should not be allowed to dictate the tempo. As the tour moves towards its first meeting with the Springboks, the All Blacks are showing no sign of backing away from that view.