The All Blacks and Rugby World Cup 2019
ABs and RWC 2019
The All Blacks have been a dominant force in world rugby. For the past 14 years, they have only lost 10 matches out of more than a 100 tests - less than 10%. It was with much anticipation that fans (like myself) expected that the ABs would lift the cup for an unprecedented 3rd time in a row, and to be a 4-time world champion (including 1987, 2011 and 2015). What a prospect of seeing Captain Kieran Read lift the cup at the end of a 6 week long tournament, peppered with a natural disaster (typhoon) and other upsets. The ABs were on course to reach that outcome, and we all prayed that this would be so. The AB coaches, led by the indefatigable Steve Hanson, were committed to this task, and for most of the tournament, they could see it through, and were quietly confident that the time honored tactical choices that have been made, over the type of play, the players to be deployed, were all part of a time-tested vernacular, which yielded the desired results and outcome. RWC 2019 would also have seen the ending of several careers in the All Black jersey, including Keiran Read, Ben Smith, Sonny Bill Williams, Ryan Crotty, amongst others. What greater valediction than for these loyal and steadfast servants of NZ rugby to participate in and exit with the World Cup - in style with the cup in their hands.
And then came last Saturday (26 Oct). The Semi-final against England would be one match that will, for the foreseeable future, be etched in the annals of AB history. Quite simply and inexplicably - the ABs were outplayed in virtually every aspect of this all-consuming game. England played like a team possessed, made very few errors, and exploited obvious lacuna in AB play. The ABs were starved of possession and control. They could not launch their attacking game, they were subject to big hits and lost much ball at the breakdown. Many commentators (including former ABs) have never seen a more complete and rigorous performance by an England team. They launched high balls, they took advantage of the AB’s lack of experience at 11 and 14 (more 14 - Seville Reece) and launched aerial bombs. The ABs left out, in my mind, experienced players like Ben Smith, who could be readily counted upon to inject pace and speed when most needed in a game. A big tactical switch to start Scott Barrett as one of the wing forwards, may have left Sam Cane looking askance. From the coaches’ point of view, they were worried about the size of the English pack and loose forwards. In the end size did matter - the ABs were outplayed by a better and more formidable side. England’s game management was superior, and the ABs were defeated 19-7. Out of the tournament - the brutality of the knock-out phase of RWC 2019 wounded deeply, for player, coach and fan. For those of us who flew into Japan in keen expectation of a Final that included the ABs, the sudden exit from the RWC Final meant a desperate and ignominious search for tickets to the Bronze Final.
A former Prime Minister of New Zealand once said that he would prefer to be the NZ PM than the All Blacks’ Captain after losing a test match the day before. The past week has been excruciating for the team. For the fan, it was a huge disappointment - we coveted the prospect of RWC glory that has so often eluded the ABs, up until 2011 and 2015. Pride and faith had been restored from the difficult quarter final of 2007, when the ABs unceremoniously lost to France. The expectation of winning was restored and firmly ensconced. Until last week. For the player and management, one can only imagine the rigors of internal review this past week and reform accompanied by recriminations by the media and a slew of other unwelcome commentary. The team had to find it within themselves to pick themselves up from the floor, and get ready for Friday (today) - the Bronze final. For an AB team, defeats rarely come, but when they do, the team is unaccustomed to them, and adjustments have to be made. Against this were the constraints of 5-days preparation that was required for a bronze final.
In 2007, with a quarter final loss to France, the ABs went home. With a semi-final loss, the losing team has to stay behind to confront the ignominy of fighting for third place - hence the bronze final. That game was played yesterday, and I was pleased to attend it. A 40-17 result in Tokyo vindicated the ABs, and showed the effective attacking side that they were. Fans were reminded of this. The inclusion of Ben Smith as a winger, perhaps for the last time, saw him score two tries. He made his own point, that he should not have been left out of the England game. After 50 plus caps, who can disagree. If you have to choose between experience and great speed for a winger, choose the former. The experienced player can find space that the tyro speedster may not see. Even in defence, both Sam Cane (who was left out of the starting lineup against England) played like a man possessed. The ABs could have done with him flanking last week. Against a multi-phase Welsh attack, the ABs held their own, and scored tries in return. It was a creditable performance, and a good send off for departing stalwarts. To see their children joining them in the field defined for the world what they were as players and fathers.
What impressed was the rebound from a difficult week of great disappointment. The team came through, and even though the Bronze final was a game that no one wanted to play, both AB and Wales showed up, and produced a performance of great pluck and courage. The great teams pick themselves up from defeat, re-invent, adapt and ultimately survive a test of character.
It is the same for life, as it is in sport.
The All Blacks have been a dominant force in world rugby. For the past 14 years, they have only lost 10 matches out of more than a 100 tests - less than 10%. It was with much anticipation that fans (like myself) expected that the ABs would lift the cup for an unprecedented 3rd time in a row, and to be a 4-time world champion (including 1987, 2011 and 2015). What a prospect of seeing Captain Kieran Read lift the cup at the end of a 6 week long tournament, peppered with a natural disaster (typhoon) and other upsets. The ABs were on course to reach that outcome, and we all prayed that this would be so. The AB coaches, led by the indefatigable Steve Hanson, were committed to this task, and for most of the tournament, they could see it through, and were quietly confident that the time honored tactical choices that have been made, over the type of play, the players to be deployed, were all part of a time-tested vernacular, which yielded the desired results and outcome. RWC 2019 would also have seen the ending of several careers in the All Black jersey, including Keiran Read, Ben Smith, Sonny Bill Williams, Ryan Crotty, amongst others. What greater valediction than for these loyal and steadfast servants of NZ rugby to participate in and exit with the World Cup - in style with the cup in their hands.
And then came last Saturday (26 Oct). The Semi-final against England would be one match that will, for the foreseeable future, be etched in the annals of AB history. Quite simply and inexplicably - the ABs were outplayed in virtually every aspect of this all-consuming game. England played like a team possessed, made very few errors, and exploited obvious lacuna in AB play. The ABs were starved of possession and control. They could not launch their attacking game, they were subject to big hits and lost much ball at the breakdown. Many commentators (including former ABs) have never seen a more complete and rigorous performance by an England team. They launched high balls, they took advantage of the AB’s lack of experience at 11 and 14 (more 14 - Seville Reece) and launched aerial bombs. The ABs left out, in my mind, experienced players like Ben Smith, who could be readily counted upon to inject pace and speed when most needed in a game. A big tactical switch to start Scott Barrett as one of the wing forwards, may have left Sam Cane looking askance. From the coaches’ point of view, they were worried about the size of the English pack and loose forwards. In the end size did matter - the ABs were outplayed by a better and more formidable side. England’s game management was superior, and the ABs were defeated 19-7. Out of the tournament - the brutality of the knock-out phase of RWC 2019 wounded deeply, for player, coach and fan. For those of us who flew into Japan in keen expectation of a Final that included the ABs, the sudden exit from the RWC Final meant a desperate and ignominious search for tickets to the Bronze Final.
A former Prime Minister of New Zealand once said that he would prefer to be the NZ PM than the All Blacks’ Captain after losing a test match the day before. The past week has been excruciating for the team. For the fan, it was a huge disappointment - we coveted the prospect of RWC glory that has so often eluded the ABs, up until 2011 and 2015. Pride and faith had been restored from the difficult quarter final of 2007, when the ABs unceremoniously lost to France. The expectation of winning was restored and firmly ensconced. Until last week. For the player and management, one can only imagine the rigors of internal review this past week and reform accompanied by recriminations by the media and a slew of other unwelcome commentary. The team had to find it within themselves to pick themselves up from the floor, and get ready for Friday (today) - the Bronze final. For an AB team, defeats rarely come, but when they do, the team is unaccustomed to them, and adjustments have to be made. Against this were the constraints of 5-days preparation that was required for a bronze final.
In 2007, with a quarter final loss to France, the ABs went home. With a semi-final loss, the losing team has to stay behind to confront the ignominy of fighting for third place - hence the bronze final. That game was played yesterday, and I was pleased to attend it. A 40-17 result in Tokyo vindicated the ABs, and showed the effective attacking side that they were. Fans were reminded of this. The inclusion of Ben Smith as a winger, perhaps for the last time, saw him score two tries. He made his own point, that he should not have been left out of the England game. After 50 plus caps, who can disagree. If you have to choose between experience and great speed for a winger, choose the former. The experienced player can find space that the tyro speedster may not see. Even in defence, both Sam Cane (who was left out of the starting lineup against England) played like a man possessed. The ABs could have done with him flanking last week. Against a multi-phase Welsh attack, the ABs held their own, and scored tries in return. It was a creditable performance, and a good send off for departing stalwarts. To see their children joining them in the field defined for the world what they were as players and fathers.
What impressed was the rebound from a difficult week of great disappointment. The team came through, and even though the Bronze final was a game that no one wanted to play, both AB and Wales showed up, and produced a performance of great pluck and courage. The great teams pick themselves up from defeat, re-invent, adapt and ultimately survive a test of character.
It is the same for life, as it is in sport.
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