FATHER’S DAY SPECIAL: ABs battling to exit no-win territory
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The All Blacks were really, really good last night.
They played the game at startling intensity. They played with remarkable accuracy in inclement conditions. In the best traditions of ruthless teams that came before them, they kept the pedal to the metal even when the game was long decided.
Yet, after all that, my overriding thought about the 53-3 win over Argentina was: “All they’ve done is prove they can lose to teams that shouldn’t be able to live with them.”
Why so jaundiced after the All Blacks provided exactly the sort of performance every fan and pundit demanded?
Because they’ve officially entered no-win territory - a sporting purgatory where every loss comes with an “I told you so”, and every win comes with a caveat.