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Panning For Gold
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In what was a depressingly bad campaign, the All Blacks struck gold with Isaac Ross, Owen Franks and Kieran Read. In the October issue of NZ Rugby World GREGOR PAUL reports on why these three young men are critical to the national side. Here he outlines the building blocks for success. |
Tuesday, 06 October 2009
Gregor Paul
AFTER THE loss to South Africa in Hamilton, All Black forwards coach Steve Hansen made the curious assessment that his side lacked basic skills.
It wasn’t curious in that there was no truth to it – he was absolutely right. It was just a little strange that an international coach would suggest that his own players weren’t up to it. After all, what is Hansen’s job exactly? Isn’t he there to make sure there basic skills are up to it?
Plenty of reasons could be put forward to explain why it is the All Blacks have seen their basic skills eroded over time. The first reason is that they are paying for the exodus of talent in both 2007 and 2008 which came on top of years of moderate flows of players to offshore destinations.
Look back to the All Blacks of 2005 and 2006 when the All Blacks were in their prime and see how many are no longer here.
Hayman, Anton Oliver, Greg Somerville, Chris Jack, Keith Robinson, Jerry Collins, Byron Kelleher, Nick Evans, Rico Gear, Aaron Mauger, Doug Howlett, Chris Masoe and Marty Holah to name but a few.
The damage of such heavy defections takes a while to be properly felt. The quality of New Zealand’s Super 14 teams gradually drops as there are more and more players forced into action before they are ready. There is a knock-on effect for provincial rugby, too, where there is a distinct lack of experienced old pros to mentor and guide the younger players.
All that eventually hits the All Blacks who find that even the best players haven’t been exposed to the highest standards in their Super 14 environments. The basics are not quite performed as they should be and the culture of excellence is lost as teams are forever bringing in new blood and trying to find their way.
In assessing the All Blacks 2009 Tri Nations’ campaign we have to remember all that. We have to be fair and say every side in the world would have suffered had they lost players in the same numbers.
It might also be true that New Zealand’s Super 14 teams have failed to place enough emphasis on the set-piece and other skills such as kicking.
New Zealand sides love to run in Super 14. The weather is usually good and the ground usually firm. It encourages open rugby but that philosophy seems to have been pursued at the cost of building a foundation.
Look at the Bulls. They won the title this year playing the kind of football that wins test matches. The step up for those players is not so hard. Compare that with the Blues who are a run from everywhere type of side and imagine how hard that is to re-programme the players when they come into camp with the All Blacks.
The good news for New Zealand especially is that the introduction of Argentina in 2012 should bring a hugely physical side into the competition and force the All Blacks to toughen up.
At the moment, they are only ever exposed by South Africa as Australia play a similar open style and don’t have the forwards to dominate.
The Pumas do. They will bring a scrummaging pedigree. They will bring men with upper body strength who love to maul and work in tight corners.
They play old-fashioned test rugby and usually have kickers throughout their backline. They will be a fantastic addition to the Tri Nations and really test the All Blacks. Playing in Argentina will be intimidating. It will be brutal and right now it feels as if this is exactly what the All Blacks need.
Another catalyst to get the focus back on basic skills. Another reason for the All Blacks to work on their foundation skills and build performances on the strength of their accuracy and physicality.
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