All Blacks
All Blacks not going to RWC 2015 – What is Tew playing at?
0New Zealand Rugby Union CEO Steve Tew says that the rules around sponsorship revenue at the world cup may mean the All Blacks won’t play.
He’s threatening to take his ball and go home.
What an idiot!
- Tew is not smart enough to play games in the press – this guy is no Alec Ferguson
- He is supoosed to be the leader of the biggest brand in world rugby and he’s crying because he’s got no money!
- New Zealand have gambled before with RWC … and lost (the rights to co-host RWC 2003)
- How stupid will he look if New Zealand do not win?
['We aren't playing any more because you don't let us win']
Tew is banking on the notion that a world cup without New Zealand would not be a world cup.
The threat would carry more impetus if the All Blacks were the reigning champions. What would it look like if New Zealand finish where they did in 2007 – Losing quarter finalists.
They were not in the top 4!
The management of rugby in New Zealand is not in the hands of innovative, strategic thinkers. These guys are narrow-minded and very limited in their ideas.
God help us!
4 perspectives on Sonny-Bill Williams
0I’ve been avoiding wading in on the Sonny-Bill Williams saga because it’s being done to death in the papers so here’s 4 perspectives
1. End the hurt – get everyone you can
New Zealand haven’t won the World Cup since the first one in 1987
That’s 24 years and 5 cups that we have gone without and it hurts – a lot!
For a nation that prides itself on producing the best rugby players and has the best rugby team, we aren’t doing it when it really matters.
We are the England of football. They won the football world cup in 1966 when they hosted it and haven’t won it since - despite a lot of their fans thinking/expecting that they should.
Brazil are treated like the favourites almost every time a football World Cup is played, just like the All Blacks in rugby. But Brazil have won 5 out of 19 football world cups, a 23.6% success rate.
We have won the rugby World Cup once out of 6 times, which is a 16.66% success rate.
Australia and South Africa are at 20% with 2 wins each and we are with England on one win.
New Zealand is the third equal performing rugby team in world cup history
We demanded that the Rugby Union take action and they tried to get the best players for this World Cup
They went out to entice some of our top players back and recruit Sony-Bill Williams
- Karl Hayman
- Nick Evans
- Luke McAllister
- Chris Jack
- Aaron Mauger
Two of the ex-pats came back but neither have made the squad.
Luke McAllister was one of the standouts of the 2007 World Cup. He was making breaks and creating tries. He also backs up at first five eigth, a potential problem area for the All Blacks.
McAllister had a great season with Sale in the English Premiershi and came back to play in the World Cup but it didn’t work out.
We got SBW - and good on the Union for that.
2. In the modern game the All Blacks need X-Factor to win a World Cup
New Zealand has tried to play platform, highly disciplined rugby in the past but it didn’t work that well.
John Mitchell had a very regimented playing style and it resulted in a bad loss at home to England in the lead up to the 2003 World Cup and a loss to Australia the following year in the semi-final.
Why doesn’t a conservative, platform-oriented style work?
- We aren’t as big as many of our opponents (South Africa; England)
- Set pieces aren’t the focus of New Zealand (domestic) rugby
so we don’t have a culture of scrum and mauling; and our lineout has been shakey under pressure
Ours is a fast, expansive game. Australia proved last weekend that this can be shut down.
We need exceptional individual players in key positions.
Chris Laidlaw talked about x-factor in the lead up to the 2003 World Cup. He was concerned about the style of pley we would adopt and where tries might come from. Basically, we could compete at several areas of play but lacked penetration and genuine try-scoring ability.
We have more of that now than before, but the argument is simple
- New Zealand needs serious x-factor
- Sonny-Bill has serious x-factor (regardless if it has yet to be exploited to its maximum potential)
3. There really isn’t that much competition at second five
The only centre-playing guy I’d like to see in the squad who isn’t there is Rene Ranger – and he is injured.
Ranger is a risky player but I believe he should be given more opportunities to see if he can reduce his error rate on the international stage. Ranger scores tries that other players cannot.
After Ranger, New Zealand does not have a lot of elite talent in the centres at the moment. Robbie Freuen is the exception and he plays centre, not second five.
Conrad Smith and Richard Kahui are in front of him at the moment. Perhaps he should have been given a chance before now.
4. There’s still time to see SBW at his full potential
I personally would have loved to see Sonny Bill play sevens. He was rushed into top rugby in France and rushed into it in New Zealand and we never got to see him run, pass and tackle in the more open format of sevens rugby.
There are 4 less players on a rugby league field and I think sevens rugby would have helped his transition. It has worked wonders for many other players.
Jonah Lomu sparked the interest of everyone including coaches and selectors when he was running in the open spaces of Hong Kong Stadium in 1994 as an 18 year old schoolboy. He was not even in the frame for the 95 World Cup at the time.
In fact, he was back in Hong Kong the following year just 2 months out from the World Cup in South Africa still not considered a world cup prospect.
Jonah Lomu was a very late inclusion in the 1995 World Cup team and his impact is the stuff of legend
We need players running off SBW when he has the ball and we need him threatening the line more.
When he played league – defenses were in 2 minds when he was running. Stop the man and then try to cover the guys he might pass two while you are trying to stop him because he can get the pass away with 3 men on him.
Tries got scored off his back-flip passes. It’s up to All Black tacticians to make the most of the talent that is SBW.
There is still time to see him at his best in a black jersey. If we do not, then those responsible for his development have just as much to answer as he does.
As for the 2012 super rugby and NPC competitions?
Who cares!
Win the World Cup
End the Hurt
Is Hosea Gear the most unlucky of the ditched All Blacks?
4
Hosea Gear is big, strong, quick and capable. A potential match-winner every time he steps onto the field but he has been left out of the All Black squad of 30 chosen for the World Cup.
The selectors have opted for just one specialist wing in the young Zac Guildford.
- Corey Jane is a fullback/wing utility
- Israel Dagg is a fullback who can play in the wing
- Isaia Toeava played those two positions and can also play in the midfield
- Richard Kahui is a centre who has been used on the wing for the All Blacks before
So you could say there is plenty of options and plenty of cover.
New Zealand have a lot of talent on the wings at the moment.
- 46 test veteran Sitivini Sivivatu was also left out
- Ben Smith’s form wasn’t good enough for a recall
- Joe Rocokoco can’t get a look in
- Lelia ‘Flash’ Masaga is scoring plenty of tries for Bay of Plenty but his name wasn’t even mentioned among the World Cup hopefuls
So where has Gear failed in the selectors eyes? And is it fair?
The obvious issue is that of how much he gets himself involved in a match.
It can be tough on the wing. The run of play in a game of rugby can tend towards one touchline only and opportunities to even touch the ball can be rare let alone do something with it.
Many factors can influence this.
- Wind can determine which touchline kickers aim for when kicking for the line (penalties, free kicks and tactically).
- The tactics of the opposition can be focused on directing a lot of play down a certain side of the field where they believe they have an advantage
- Other tactics may be more defensive – staying away from one side (or one player) that they believe could disadvantage them
Certainly it may not be a good tactic to kick long into the area of the field where Gear is situated. He will most likely run the ball back and he could very well break the line and score or set up a try – it has happened before.
In a tight match – an important test match – defensive lines can be up very quickly trying to snuff out attacking movements before the ball makes it to the outsides. This is a tactic employed by many of the All Blacks’ opponents. New Zealand has strength out wide.
Enterprising play, speed and individual brilliance often result in tries and so it is only natural that defensive strategies would be devised to combat this.
But that is all about the opposition. What about the play of Gear’s team and the man himself?
In the last test against the Springboks, the All Blacks did not get to direct a lot of play. Much of the attacking was done in response to kicks or broken play and there’s never any knowing how that is going to turn out.
As it happened, Isaia Toeava was way more prominent on the right wing than Gear was on the left.
In a rear left hand attacking movement, first five Colin Slade gave Gear a forward pass so we didn’t get to see Gear stride out in space.
Does Hosea Gear get himself involved enough?
It can’t be easy for a wing on the quiet side of play to get his hands on the ball.
The phrase ‘go looking for work’ is the classic cliche that comes out when a wing gets into positions to carry the ball when play is not directed down one flank or other.
Joe Rocokoco had the ball a lot more times that his position might normally get when he played for Auckland recently against Bay of Plenty. He may have been inspired by his last performance at Eden Park as he heads off to France but the point is that he got himself involved – a lot!
Zac Guildford is also industrious.
I do not know what it is like playing on the wing but many of our top outsides manage to be really quite prominent in matches even when play does not necessarily go their way.
When playing for the All Blacks, Corey Jane seems to create opportunities from situations where he has very little space to work in and opponents in front of him. Zac Guildford often hits the ball up when his team is trying to work their way up field.
Bottom line: the players chosen ahead of Gear do all seem to be more involved in matches and they do so on a regular basis
I watched Hosea Gear play in the NPC against Northland a couple of weeks ago.
While he combined with his insides to create opportunities, you would not have said that he stood head and shoulders above the other players on the field that night or that he was particularly prominent in Wellington’s back play.
Is it a mistake to leave Gear out?
Ticking boxes vs X-Factor
On the other side of the argument, there will be situations on attack where Hosea Gear’s physicality would give him an advantage – where only he could score a try in a particular situation. While he doesn’t quite have the physique of Jonah Lomu, situations do arise where Gear can get over the line in very challenging circumstances.
The same may not be true of Zac Guildford.
Gear could also have greater impact off the bench. A late break could result in an opportunity where 2 defenders stand in the way of the try-line and the All Black attacker. Hosea Gear above all others is the guy we want to have the ball in that situation.
It could be argued that none of New Zealand’s wing options that were chosen offer a great physical presence. Corey Jane is really quite a slightly built guy and Guildford is not much bigger.
In a world cup physicality on the wing just may be needed. Hopefully we won’t be caught short when it matters the most.
Must applaud retention of Dan Carter but is it enough?
0We’ve talked a lot about all the players who have left or are planning to leave New Zealand and so we must applaud the NZRFU for retaining Dan Carter.
The contract has flexibility for playing stints in high paying competitions in the years between world cups and no doubt includes the highest salary ever paid to a New Zealand sportsperson plying their trade in New Zealand.
Sonny-Bill Williams has even more flexibility in his contract. Believe it or not, the Crusaders and All Black centre is due to box in a professional bout during a bye weekend.
I’ve been hoping to see a well thought out medium-term strategy for the preservation of the All Blacks brand. So far there have been flexible contracts for 3 chosen players.
[Ali Williams has had a planned sojourn to the USA for some time]
No doubt there was everything the Union could afford thrown at Carl Hayman to try and lure the highly accomplished tight head prop back to NZ for the world cup.
The same would have been done for Nick Evans bit both men chose to remain in Europe and who can blame them. The Carter, Williams and Williams contracts clearly gave them what they needed and Hayman and Evans’ ones do the same for them.
The Issue
If current big paying contract offers continue in the way they have done through a global recession, the likelihood that the NZRFU can afford to retain the best players becomes less and less likely.
The options?
A. Get more money so you can pay them more
OR
B. Come up with a model that works with the top players playing in foreign competitions
The risk of not coming up with a genuine, workable solution is that the All Blacks brand becomes diluted and devalued – devalued by the stakeholders including you and me and devalued by sponsors like those who pay millions to outfit the team.
A lot of people treat the All Blacks like they are the Brazil of football. Favoured to win any contest anywhere in the world whether it be a one-off Bledisloe, a mid-week tour match against Munster or every World Cup ever played.
The reality is that our World Cup record reads more like that of England – ‘We won it in ’66 but haven’t really looked like winning it since’.
This is harsh on Laurie Mains and the ’95 team I know but a fact is a fact – we haven’t won it since we hosted the first tournament in 1987. That’s 5 in a row!
5 times people favored the All Blacks to win and on 4 occasions we didn’t even make the final.
How long before the secret is out – that we are not the best rugby team in the world?
And how long before the value of the All Blacks brand suffers?
The powers that be have got to find ways of generating revenue outside of the News Limited deal – ways that allow players to play their rugby where they choose and it not come down to an argument of salary vs country.
Freedom from News Ltd means freedom from SANZAR, Super Rugby and the Tri-Nations.
This would come at a huge cost. The deal is worth around $35 million in TV rights.
Bit it does cover pretty much all rugby in NZ and all All Black matches.
How many other codes do this?
Would our football team have gotten close to qualifying for the FIFA word cup?
Ideas
North v South
Revive the old rivalry and turn it into a State of Origin with similar parochialism and fervor. The resulting Kangaroo side that comes out of the State of Origin series is unbeatable.
Forget the farcical Probables v Possibles crap and give the people something they can really get excited about.
Europe v Asia
See how the Franks brothers measure up to Carl Hayman and what would happen if Nick Evans squared off with Dan Carter.
These would not only be opportunities for locals to see their favorite Kiwi players but to gain a greater appreciation for the All Blacks brand.
Also, it might allow for an even greater playing pool for All Black selectors. Players eligible for Pacific Island nations as well as New Zealand may not feel compelled to make a decision.
Is Mike Delaney off to Japan?
2
Despite being the Chief’s first choice at fly half by the end of the 2010 super rugby season, Bay of Plenty number 10 Mike Delaney has been on the outer since returning from surgery to his injured shoulder in the middle of last year.
We voiced our concerns about Delaney’s future in New Zealand rugby back in October. Now it seems to have come to fruition as he looks to secure his financial future with a lucrative contract in Japan.
He was overlooked for All Black selection on the end of year tour to Hong Kong and the UK last year. Despite indifferent super rugby form, Stephen Donald was preferred as Dan Carter’s backup after a strong NPC season.
At the time of selection All Black coach Graham Henry talked of Aaron Cruden and Colin Slade as potential options in the first five eighth position. Delaney did not rate a mention.
As it happened, Donald did not have a great tour. He came on against Australia in Hong Kong and made several critical errors and was crucified in the press.
But is seems Delaney is not waiting around and you can’t blame him. The marketplace will be a different scene in the aftermath of the World Cup where there could be a lot of international class players looking for deals.
We believe it will be one of the main reasons why the Super 15 will struggle to gain New Zealand interest in 2012.
Will Mike Delaney become another forgotten man?
1
The Bay of Plenty and Chiefs first five eighth has missed out on selection for the All Blacks end of year tour.
And perhaps the most damning part was that he was not even mentioned in the ‘also-rans’. Coach Graham Henry specifically mentioned Aaron Cruden and Colin Slade when he talked about the fly half position and those who were close to selection.
In theory this means that at the moment, Delanely is considered the 5th best at the number 10 position.
Anything can happen between now and the World Cup in 11 months. Injury or form can change the horizon completely but players need an opportunity to impress and Delaney may be running out of chances.
Stephen Donald finished the 2009 Super 14 competition very much as second fiddle to the Bay of Plenty man but he has played well for Waikato this season and Delaney is still returning to form after a shoulder operation.
Donald’s All Black recall is likely to result in Delaney being demoted int eh Chiefs to a backup. He has played fullback before when Donald was at fly half but the exciting Tim Nanae-Williams played there last year and did very well. Mils Muliana is the first choice in the 15 jersey and so unless there is an injury, Delaney’s playing time could be severely restricted.
This could prompt him to seek opportunities elsewhere.
Many unwanted players never looked back
When John Mitchell plucked Steve Devine from relative obscurity for his 2002 All Blacks squad, the plucky Australian half back was not even in the Blues squad for the next season.
Mark ‘Sharky’ Robinson was in the All Blacks the previous year but did not feature in Mitchell’s plans. Robinson was in the Blues squad for 2003 but an embarrassing about-turn took place and he was dropped for Devine. Robinson went on to play 6 years in the English Premiership for Northampton and Wasps.
Bay of Plenty’s last prodigious first five, Glen Jackson, went on to an illustrious career with Saracens in the English Premiership (before returning to become a referee).
Delaney will have the same prospects in the Northern Hemisphere as his predecessor.
Ex-Highlanders team mate Daniel Bowden is doing very well with pace-setters London Irish in the Premiership right now.
Good players do not look back when presented with these types of opportunities – unless they are lured back by promises of World Cup success but that hasn’t worked out for Luke McAllister .
Delaney’s team mate Tanerau Latimer must be wondering about his future in New Zealand rugby also, after being overlooked again for All Black selection.
Daniel Braid is considered the number 2 specialist open side flanker and third place usually goes to a utility (Liam Messam on this occasion, Adam Thompson before him) and so Latimer is very much on the outer.
Toeava is the only real surprise in the All Blacks
0And to a degree, it’s not that much of a surprise considering the esteem that All Black selector, Wayne Smith has for his ‘special project’.
You can certainly feel for those who have been left behind.
Benson Stanley played well when he got the opportunity against Wales in Hamilton and has done nothing wrong since
Counting against him this time is the ability to play multiple positions.
Piri Weepu offered a genuine ability to play half back and first five eighth. With him out, the question was how many half backs do they take?
The answer is three. This meant that there was one less position in the backs and so a utility player (one who could cover several positions) would be sought.
Robbie Freuen is the youngster with the most potential but he too suffered from a lack of multi-position ability.
Rene Ranger plays all of the positions that Toeava does. Centre, Wing, Fullback and many of us believe that he does these better than Toeava but he was over-looked this time.
Hopefully he will have another chance in next year’s Super 15.
A potential straight swap option for Piri Weepu was Kahn Fotuali’i (before he became aligned to Manu Samoa).
The Crusaders and Hawkes Bay half back moved one out for the magpies this season and has done a great job.
Fotuali’i started the 2010 season on fire scoring 2 tries for the Crusaders in their opening match.
He was New Zealand’s form halfback, keeping ex-All Black Andy Ellis on the bench. Ellis started the season recovering from injury and it was looking like he may not get a chance.
Then Fotuali’i was disciplined for a ‘minor breach’ of team protocols. Seems like he went out one night when he wasn’t supposed to. It wasn’t the drunken fighting antics of All Black incumbent Jimmy Cowan but it was enough to see him benched for 2 matches.
This was all the opportunity that Ellis needed and Fotuali’i's fairy-tale season was stalled.
Then for the NPC, he moved from Tasman to Hawkes Bay. This seemed like a reasonable shift for the talented scrum half but Hawkes Bay had their worst start in years.
They have since got their act together on the back of some enterprising attacking play, led by Fotuali’i.
Unfortunately this is a story of ‘could have beens’ for Kahn Fotuali’i and New Zealand rugby because he will tour with Samoa to Japan and the UK at the end of the month.
From here, his Super Rugby chances will be under continual threat due to the legislative preference for NZ-aligned players.
Another loss to NZ rugby in favour of a player who has had every chance to mature.
[South Africa v All Blacks] How much influence does the Tri-Nations have on the World Cup?
0Absolutely Nothing!
| World Cup | Tri-Nations | The Tri-Nations Rugby Competition started in 1996, born out of a professional rugby pact between South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. SANZAR was created to administer rugby across the 3 southern rugby powers.
The 1995 World Cup in South Africa was a huge success with the home side winning in their first World Cup – having been allowed back into international rugby in 1992. The Rugby World was wowed by the power of Jonah Lomu and was on the verge of professionalism. Factions had developed and there was a fever-pitched scramble to secure player signatures. The Northern Hemisphere began their journey with competitions in the UK and France and the 5 Nations was already a rugby institution. The Southern Hemisphere started the ‘Super 12′ as part of the SANZAR agreement. Each country’s domestic competitions would be played in and around the Super 12 and Tri-Nations. There is constant contention around the world as to which hemisphere has the strongest teams. For what they are worth, there are really only 2 trends that have emerged between the Tri-Nations and the World Cup.
|
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| 1987 | New Zealand | |||
| 1991 | Australia | |||
| 1995 | South Africa | |||
| 1996 | New Zealand | |||
| 1997 | New Zealand | |||
| 1998 | South Africa | |||
| 1999 | Australia | New Zealand | ||
| 2000 | Australia | |||
| 2001 | Australia | |||
| 2002 | New Zealand | |||
| 2003 | England | New Zealand | ||
| 2004 | South Africa | |||
| 2005 | New Zealand | |||
| 2006 | New Zealand | |||
| 2007 | South Africa | New Zealand | ||
| 2008 | New Zealand | |||
| 2009 | South Africa | |||
| 2010 | New Zealand | |||
| 2011 |
Where do you go to see All Blacks in the twilight of their careers?
1Ever wondered why we don’t see many All Blacks playing into their thirties on New Zealand TV screens and Super 14 playng fields?
Because they are all playing in the Northern Hemisphere.
A. The Magner’s League & the Guinness Premiership
Jerry Collins, Marty Holah and Filo Tiatia make up the back row at the great Welsh club Ospreys. Jamie Nutbrown is the half-back.
Xavier Rush, Paul Tito, Ben Blair and Casey Laulala all play for the Cardiff Blues.
Craig Newbie, Scott Hamilton and Aaron Mauger are with Leciester Tigers.
Justin Marshall and Glen Jackson are with Saracens – Chris Jack’s old club – at least until the end of the season.
Tom Willis, James Arlidge, Ben Castle, Danny Lee, Hoani MacDonald and Grant Webb are with Newport Gwent Dragons.
Bruce Reihana is with Northampton, Nick Evans is with Harlequins and Karl Hayman recently joined Toulon from Newcastle.
Could they still foot it in the Super 14?
- Well, Marshall and Tiatia are probably too old
- Chris Jack is back playing for the Crusaders so that answers that one
- The All Blacks were chasing Nick Evans, Aaron Mauger and Karl Hayman so significant people clearly think they could
The new All Blacks breed include athletes of the likes of Jerome Kaino, Ritchie McCaw, Adam Thompson, Keiran Reid, Ma’a Nonu, Rico Gear, Sitivini Sivivatu.
The playing style is very fast and so the fitness demands are different.
Craig Dowd enjoyed a long twilight with Wasps in the Guiness Premiership. He could really scrummage and seemed to go on and on. Dowd admitted that he could never have done the same in New Zealand – that he would never have the fitness to play in the Super 12 (as it was at the time).
Some would say this was a sign that Super Rugby is better than the northern hemisphere’s premier competitions.
But this is not true – It is simply a matter of different playing styles and who is to say that one is better than another.
England have played in 3 World Cup Finals, New Zealand just 2.
Top 4 Reasons why New Zealand will NOT win the RWC 2011
21. 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, 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.
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