1. New Zealand (as a country) does not have a winning culture

America demands excellence; Australia has winning arrogance and England has grit but the Kiwis demand a humble and unassuming demeanor from their athletes and it can have a downside.

The result is that there is no collective winning body of knowledge that is given prominence in society.

New Zealand is an active nation – everyone is encouraged to get out there and give it a go.

In Australia, the emphasis is on competing and winning. There is a big difference in attitude between NZ and Australia in sport from children to professionals.

NZ Cricketer, now commentator, Ian Smith often talks of the winning attitude that Australian cricketers have and that this is not how NZ approach the game.

Ex-Australian netball captain, Kathryn Harby-Williams played for Auckland in the NZ domestic competition. Her appraisal was that there was (more than) enough talent but that the attitude wasn’t right.

The impression was that she could go further with a groups who had less talent and more confidence.

New Zealand has had achievers but they have mostly been in individual fields.

  • Richard Hadlee (Cricket)
  • Susan Devoy (4-time Squash World Champion)
  • Hamish Carter (World Triathlon Champion, Gold Medal in Athens)
  • Sarah Ulmer (Cycling Gold Medal in Athens)
  • Mark Todd (Equestrian European, World and Olympic Champion)
  • Danyon Loader (2 Swimming Gold Medals, Atlanta)
  • Rob Waddell (Rowing Gold Medal, Sydney)
  • Mahe Drysdale (Rowing World Champ 2005-07, 2009)
  • The Evers-Swindell twins (Rowing Gold Medals, Athens & Beijing)
  • Michael Campbell (Winner USA Golf Open 2005)

And the people know who these figures are

BUT

There is way too much focus on how they conduct themselves in their personal lives and the way they come across in the media rather than their achievements and what it takes to attain (and sustain) that level of performance.

Rugby stands alone somewhat in New Zealand. There is a notion that ‘we know what we are doing on the footy field’. But past sucess is no guarantee of future results.

The All Blacks have used sports psychologists for a long time but have not managed to shake the ‘choker’ moniker.

Tall Poppy Syndrome

New Zealander’s have a reputation of wanting to pull people down to the level of the masses. Being humble is one thing, demanding mediocrity is another.

NZ Rugby Sevens player, Kurt Baker top scored at the recent Hong Kong Sevens. He managed 9 tries including 4 against Fiji in the semi-final and 2 against Samoa in the final.

I have a video of him on YouTube that received the following comments:

“I just don’t understand why Kurt Baker is such a cocky player on the field against the Samoans. Every time he has done it he has cost New Zealand the game by either getting sin binned or by losing his concentration, but then again he’s still a kid who has a lot to learn.”

“i do agree with the cocky-ness though, on the saturday game against the scotts, the dodge try after the knock on, and still he had the cheecky smile”

He is getting a bit of the David Beckham treatment after his sending off against Argentina in the Quarter-final of the 1998 Football World Cup – only Baker’s yellow card in Hong Kong was a grave injustice.

… and he barely earns $NZD 50,000 a year from playing rugby & representing his country. Beckhams gets just a little more than that – per week.

2. Lack of Leadership … when it counts

[on- and off- the field]

The 2007 team looked like it was chocked full of leaders

Dan Carter

Dan Carter, Crusaders & All Blacks

  • Anton Oliver
  • Jerry Collins
  • Keith Robinson
  • Karl Hayman
  • Rodney So’oialo
  • Byron Kelleher
  • Dan Carter
  • Mils Muliaina

But when it really mattered, leadership was missing.

The bottom line was that Ritchie McCaw wasn’t up to it at that time and it remains to be seen whether he will have what it takes on the day this time around.

The New Zealand Rugby Union’s ‘Independent Review’ document noted that “leadership support to the captain was not optimal” (p30). They are referring to the absence on the field of 6 of the 10 ‘leadership group’

  • Neither Rueben Thorne nor Aaron Mauger were on the field
  • Jerry Collins & Dan Carter were injured
  • Mealamu was not available through injury
  • Anton Oliver had been substituted

But that left 4 leaders on the field – how many does it take to order a drop-kick?

We consider that on-field leadership and decision making was a factor in the loss in the quarter final. Arguably, the team and its leadership group has only occasionally been tested to the same degree over the last four years. The trend, as witnessed in Melbourne earlier in 2007, was for the leaders to revert to type and let McCaw make the calls.

The coaches did, however, send a message out to the team with 10 minutes to go, to set up for a drop goal. The on-field decision was made to continue with the tactic of attempting to score a try or to get a penalty. When making this decision the players were unaware of a vital piece of information – that the All Blacks had not been given a penalty in the entire second half and were therefore probably unlikely to get one, notwithstanding their pressure, possession and territory.

In the dying minutes of that critical game, the leadership model failed to deliver what was its most important objective – decisions which give the best chance of winning the game. With the benefit of hindsight, the team failed to ensure that the right decisions were taken. As with the philosophy underpinning the leadership model, the players, coaches and management must take responsibility for that.

This time around, there are guys like Kevin Mealamu, Andrew Hoare, Dan Carter and Conrad Smith who understand the game. They will be supported by Chris Jack, Ali Williams, Jerome Kaino and Brad Thorne but it remains to be seen whether any will stand up to support – or overrule – Richie McCaw when it really counts.

Coaching

Of the above list, the omission of Mauger was down to a coaching decision – and it was a mistake. It remains to be seen whether we are safeguarded by these kinds of errors this time around.

In the 2003 World Cup in Australia, coach John Mitchell left Tana Umaga on the bench when the team lacked leadership when it counted most.

Mitchell had the option of choosing from a great number of highly experienced players that included Jeff Wilson, Andrew Merhtens, Taine Randell and Anton Oliver.

But instead of chocking his bench full of experience, he chose to use new players – and failed.

3. Sheer weight of expectation

Added to the psychological effects of 1. and 2. above is the fact that the NZ public demand victory every time the All Black jersey comes out.

Winning is a relief when it comes – which it often does for New Zealand in rugby but just not when it counts in world cups.

World Cup expectation has been hanging over the heads of the Kiwis for 24 years.

Many seem to forget when coming up with the favourites for each tournament that New Zealand have only won it one time in 6 outings.

Many treat them like they are the Brazil of world football when in reality, their results align them with the England of football – won it once and think they should win it every time …

Nothing short of victory will be enough for the New Zealand public.

Added to 1. and 2. above, this will affect the psyche of the NZ camp.

The sheer devastation of another world cup loss, the inevitable exodus of players, the public post-mortem and then a Super 15 starting in the height of the 2011-2012 summer will be too much to bare for NZ’ers.

Watch the rugby ratings (and revenues) in 2012!

You think 2008 was bad …

4. New Zealand don’t play well as a team any more

The only Kiwi team to do so are the Crusaders but that culture has not made its way into the All Blacks.

One of the architects – perhaps the leading force – Robbie Deans, is now coaching Australia.

The All Blacks had a great team in 1995 but it’s fair to say that they have struggled to come up with the same 80 minute, 18-man performance that plays with consistency.

There’s no denying the sheer talent

  • Conrad Smith & Dan Carter are classy players
  • When in form, their Fijian wingers are devastating (Joe Rokocoko & Sitivini Sivivatu)
  • Mils Muliana is a rock at the back
  • Jerome Kaino was touted as the heir to Jerry Collins and is now starting to play like it
  • McCaw is still there
  • Ali Williams, Chris Jack, Brad Thorne are solid in the middle of the pack
  • Andrew Hoare and Kevin Mealamu are capable hookers but neither are that great in the lineout throwing department but this will only be a problem if the concentration drops …

There is an obsession with the scrum in the Land of the Long White Cloud but a so-so front row doesn’t stop good teams winning world cups.

Either way, this is enough to win a world cup … but I fear that this will not happen and we will plunge into rugby darkness for years afterward as a result, again failing to learn the lessons of previous failures.

What will the Independent Review say this time?

Is there a way forward?

Very hard to know.

There is a serious business and branding challenge for New Zealand.

As top players are lured by lucrative contracts outside of New Zealand, the domestic competitions are weakened and due to an exclusionary rule, so are the All Blacks.

The NZ Union need to smarten up and come up with a model where a) their best players continue to play for the All Blacks; and b) where the All Black brand is enhanced

This will not fix the deeper issues with sporting performance in New Zealand (1. and 2. above) – that will never happen until the national psyche changes – and that can take a while.

But with a team that is largely based off-shore, where the players are exposed to different and varying cultures, mind-sets, playing, training, nutritional and mental performance regimes, rugby may once-again be set aside and buck the general trend.