Tri-Nations - South Africa v All Blacks, Bloemfontein

Tri-Nations Game 2

Half Time: South Africa 14 - All Blacks 3
Final Score: South Africa 28-All Blacks 19

So I'd have to say it was a very close game given the fact the All Blacks are without our best play maker and general in Dan Carter, given the fact that Luke McAlistair was thrown into the side at a moments notice -shouldn't we be doing the same with Dan? Well, if I was Henry I probably would. Thank goodness I'm not. Dan Carter is way too precious to be thrown into the cauldron of a meaningless Tri-Nations tournament - Well, maybe when they return to NZ.

The All blacks are not far off the pace of number 1 given the fact we are officially in our rebuilding phase. I do think its time we realised it. We need new depth for 2011. It matters not if we win or lose now. We are and always will be measured by the World Cup.

Tactical Review

Well, the ground was hard. The ball was oval. The altitude may have been higher and the Sun was shining. But does that mean the game of rugby changes ? Winning rugby is boring rugby. Its great when you score tries and move the ball wide - but it usually doesn't lead to winning. Nobody remembers second place - unless you're the All Blacks and you are reminded of it with every Australian and South African you meet.

Let's kick for territory. Why do we persist in this running game from our own 22m?

The Box kick was working very nicely when Weepu came on the field. Kick and Chase - this was the same strategy we used at our under 12 grade rugby games - 20 years ago! Has rugby changed that much or is it just that players get paid to play rather than WIN ?

How about we compete in the line outs - rather than let the Monsters of Matfield and Botha have such clean ball to setup their maul.


Changes for Durban - The rematch - I think we've learned our lesson, again.

Jimmy Cowan for Brendon Leonard
Cory Jane for Joe Rokocoko
Owen Franks for Neemia Tialata

All Time Greatest All Blacks Team?

So this is the kind of conversation you would have over a few beers - Which players would you choose to make the Greatest All Blacks team of all time. Its a fun and highly debatable subject and every sports team in the history of sport has come across it.
This is a contribution from the Badger on who he thinks would be the best All Blacks team ever - positions are flexible.

The only rule is that the players played in the era from 1988-2008.

carl hayman
sean fitzpatrick
olo brown
chris jack
robin brooke
michael jones
richie mccaw
zinzan brooke
graeme bachop
daniel carter
jonah lomu
walter little
frank bunce
jeff wilson
christian cullen

Reinventing the Wheel

So it was back to basic rugby with a convincing win over Australia at Eden Park 39 - 10. The All Blacks looked to be the best team in the world, playing with Passion, Composure, Intensity and Intelligence. One wonders where this has been throughout the past two years – not to mention the Quarter-final loss against France. Or the loss in Perth. Or the loss in Dunedin.

With the return of Richie McCaw to openside, So’oialo moving back to his world class position at 8 and Kaino doing his best impression of Jerry Collins, New Zealand took control of the breakdowns and rucks with relative ease.
The point being this is New Zealand rugby at its best – Playing players in their natural postions and not trying to reinvent new ways to play a simple game. The “experimentation” of the left and right flanker roles was an exercise in frustration. A note to the coaches that this may be the era of professional rugby but it does not mean we need to invent radical ways of playing the game.

With players back to their natural and successful positions –Jimmy Cowan at Halfback, Conrad Smith at Centre, Mils Muliaina at Fullback the only exception being Richard Kahui on the wing – The All Blacks looked more comfortable and confident with the gameplan. I suppose it helped that Australia were on the end of their third successive test match – but hey, this is the professional era.

Simple tactics, executed to perfection seem to work well for the team and this is something we should see in the Capetown test against South Africa. Contesting lineouts, Kicking for territory, Chasing our kicks with vigor. A renewed focus on defense, Retaining the ball in the tackle and Committing players to the ruck. For some reason it seems all too easy to be All Black Coach.

Well done to Graham Henry, Wayne Smith and Steve Hansen for going back to how rugby has always been played in New Zealand. In any case I still hold my breath as the Tri- Nations and Bledisloe Cup is up for grabs. One game doesn’t mean much unless it’s the Worldcup final and that’s four years away.

An interesting and again underlying theme to all this is how the players played for themselves and each other. There was mention of the coaches as part of the family but the strength came from laying down their own personal standards. Perhaps they should play for each other everytime they take the field?

The Blame Game

The coaches have come out publicly to say they were out-coached by Robbie Deans. They have admitted foolishly that they were unfamiliar with the ELV’s and are under going a learning phase. They also pointed out that the team they selected, lacked experience and poise at crucial times. Even the players have stepped forth to take some of the blame by saying things were too hectic to change the game plan.
Frankly, I have had a guts full of these excuses. I would prefer that Henry, Smith and Hansen just admitted that they are not good enough to coach the All Blacks. They weren’t good enough in the quarter-final in Cardiff. They weren’t good enough in Dunedin (vs the Boks). And they weren’t good enough for Robbie Deans in Perth. How much faith can a player have in these three men, if they keep getting it wrong?
I know I would have lost any respect for a coach who DICTATED that his tactics were far more superior than any others. Graham Henry has lost all credibility with his players. It’s the simple truth. These players will not put their bodies on the line, nor play with the passion and desire to compete at test level, for a man they no longer believe in.

It’s as plain as daylight. The players are simply checking in to collect their paychecks. I wouldn’t blame them. Sporting careers are very short and the opportunities overseas provide for far more lucrative offers with extended playing careers. Being an All Black now pays top dollar overseas – just look at the recent exodus of players – Chris Jack, Carl Hayman, Aaron Mauger, Luke McAlister, Nick Evans, Jerry Collins, Doug Howlett, Rico Gear, Tana Umaga, Justin Marshall, Byron Kelleher. Im sure the reason they left wasn’t just for the money. Its never just a pull factor. In most cases it’s a push.

The jersey is not worth playing for anymore – representing your country is no longer an honor. The All Blacks jersey has been devalued through rotation under the leadership of Graham Henry and that’s the saddest byproduct of his tenure. But who is really to blame? Yes it’s the NZRU. The body appointed to administer the game of rugby union at the National Level.

I find it perplexing that the number 1 priority of the NZRFU in 2007 was to “win the Rugby World Cup” – since being unable to achieve that goal I would have deemed the campaign a failure and thus an unsuccessful year for the NZRU. The weighting given to representative performance success was 45% - 25% more than any other initiative laid down in the NZRU. Thus meaning they would have come through with their worst performance in 4 years if you refer to their SCOREBOARD.

The Coaches are hanging on for dear life as they know they will never be employed again to coach any team, anywhere once this painful two year term expires. Like they say – you either have it, or you don’t. Australia have Robbie Deans.

Horses for Courses

All Blacks 19 vs Wallabies 34
Saturday July 26th 2008
Subiaco Oval, Perth Australia

Let’s look at where it all went wrong – forget the fact that Graham Henry and the NZRFU got it all wrong at the beginning. With the introduction of the “re-conditioning period” - now coined the infamous “de-conditioning” period by Doctor Somers- by removing the Top All Blacks from the 2007 Super 14 and triggering the most disappointing World Cup exit in the history of the All Blacks. OR forget the fact that the NZRFU let the most successful and respected coach in world rugby - Robbie Deans go to the Wallabies and the ARU by reappointing a failure in Graham Henry, for a further two year term and taking our National Team to the depths of sporting disaster annals.

You would have thought that All Black Rugby coaches would have learnt good lessons from their predecessors. Lest we not forget our woes at Centre before and after Tana Umaga came to our rescue (Cast your minds back to - Christian Cullen, Leon McDonald, Isaia Toeava, Luke McAlister, Conrad Smith and Mils Muliaina). You have to wonder what Tana knew that led him to jump ship before the disappointment of the 07 World Cup. Perhaps he was not in favor of the “re-conditioning period” in the year following his retirement? Perhaps the most inspirational All Black Captain of all time knew the plans and tactics set in place would not lead to World Cup glory?

So the question that begs to be answered is – Why do we persist with players who do not have the ability to perform or produce at Test level? Why does Graham Henry persist in playing players out-of-position? I would like to present a few theories of my own…

Daniel Braid – How far off the pace was this young man? Recalled into the National team after almost 5 years since he last proved he couldn’t play Test Match Rugby! There is no finger to point at Daniel Braid – he did the best he could do for his Country given that he played two club games (Auckland University) and one NPC match vs Poverty Bay in a month. And Graham Henry deems him worthy enough to take on the likes of George Smith – Arguably the best Openside flanker in the history of the game since Jones, Kronfeld and McCaw? This was where the match would be won and lost – at the breakdown of a running game.
What of the likes of Tanerau Latimer the understudy to McCaw in Canterbury or the block busting Liam Messam, who both had thorough preparation with the NZ Maori – Should I even mention Chris Masoe?

Sione Lauaki – A product of Kelston Boys High School – in Auckland. A monster of a man who was born to demolish opponents in the game of rugby – someone forgot to tell him you need to ball to do that. Yet time and time again he has failed to deliver his so called impact off the bench. A negative impact with poor ball skills, lackadaisical defense, an inability to scrummage or clear rucks and passionless play. Lauaki single handedly lost us this test match when players like Dan Carter were doing there best to pull something out of the bag in a tactically flawed display of All Black rugby. Lauaki epitomizes everything the All Blacks are not.

Jerome Kaino – A drunkard from yet another Auckland school – St Kentigerns. He was completely dominated by a free ranging Rocky Elsom. Yet another player out of his depth in the wrong position, the wrong place at all the wrong times. He moved to 6 when it was discovered Braid could not keep up with the play. This puts into question the treatment by Graham Henry with Jerry Collins. The World’s most fearsome player in the game. Quite frankly I enjoyed Collins making origami shapes of human rugby players at the tackle ball area. Why did Collins leave so abruptly to join his good friend Tana in Toulon?
Would we have been better off having the experience of Collins, So’oialo and Masoe with a combined 114 test matches between them versus an Australian backrow boasting 143 tests and 87 of those going to George Smith. Instead Henry chose to go with two players Kaino and Braid with 9 tests between them.

Rodney So’oialo – Could be considered one of the best players at No.8 in the world. Why would we move him to 7 or 6 unless Henry wanted him to fail as test captain? You could see the frustration of So’oialo raising his arms at every breakdown and free kick awarded to the Australians. I will not be surprised if So’oialo finds himself packing the scrum with Collins in Toulon after the end of year tour. Jason Eaton was placed in the ‘de-conditioning programme’ before he unfortunately suffered a broken leg prior to the Worldcup – A proven player at either lock or 6 – perhaps his career could have been revived.

Andrew Ellis – Well a boy amongst men – any halfback worth his salt can see he’s taking two steps too many, to clear the ball. Thank god he is now injured and Weepu has reluctantly been called up into the squad. This is the third conspiracy amongst Wellington based players in the All Blacks. Why was Weepu dropped from the Worldcup squad and now suddenly the coaches, swallowing a bitter pill must have him recalled. I call this Karma. Weepu is still the number 1 halfback in the nation when motivated. He has a kicking game far superior to Ellis or Cowan and can certainly take pressure off Carter with the boot.

The excuse that is now being touted is that the All Blacks are inexperienced and undergoing a learning experience. The coaches have openly admitted their failure in adapting to the new ELVs. We have lost two tests in a row and its just another glaring example along with the quarterfinal debacle - that Graham Henry, Wayne Smith and Steve Hansen are not the men to lead the All Blacks. A third successive loss in Auckland this weekend will not be acceptable. And by Wayne Smith’s own admission “Frankly I think the Coach (Henry) lost the tactical battle” – the cracks are appearing amongst the coaches, not to mention players who no longer wish to put their bodies on the line for a man with no rugby playing history and a man who should step down as All Black coach and return to being the master of boys, in a school, in Auckland.