All Blacks suffer from harsh expectations

Roar Pro

By James Mortimer, 17 Jun 2009 James Mortimer is a Roar Pro

Tagged:: All Blacks, Dan Carter, France Rugby, Mils Muliaina, Rugby Union

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The All Blacks have the cliché “you’re only as good as your last game” applied to them more than any team in world rugby, which puts into perspective the pressure that the players and coaching staff face.

When Dan Carter looked to move overseas, he said at the conclusion of the World Cup – where he took the field despite still suffering the effects of a calf strain – that he was unprepared for the pressure that both he and the squad felt in both the build up, and after the tournament.

A further comment was made by Carter – who has now resigned with the Canterbury Union – about the pressures of New Zealand rugby, saying that the expectation and pressure was felt at all levels, both on and off the field.

Interviews with Carter before leaving Perpignan indicated that, beyond the joys of living life in Europe, the lack of pressure in France was uplifting and equally quite surprising.

We now see this pressure applied again, after the All Blacks suffered a 27-22 loss to an excellent performance by the French.

In fact, it wasn’t that Les Bleus were particular brilliant, but rather executed a simple game plan to which the All Blacks couldn’t, and quite simply never, looked like countering.

As a consequence, the hounds are unleashed to the All Blacks’ door.

Equally, the memories of their ardent fans show themselves to be short indeed.

The comments have been remarkable.

“This proves that the NZRU made a mistake in reappointing Graham Henry.”

A coach who, with 64 games, has amassed a near 86% winning record, better than any other in rugby history of any country.

“The All Blacks have been playing poorly for quite some time.”

Their last match before France was a victory over England, their ninth straight win, securing a Grand Slam and winning their thirteenth test match for the calendar year.

“It was the worst All Black team on record, and the result proves it.”

It was a team where, from the 2008 All Blacks squad, seventeen players were injured, three were unavailable, and a further eight were simply not selected. Some remark that this is an excuse. It is merely a fact.

So, in theory, they should be cut some slack.

But, when you have a 74.4% winning record with 331 test victories over 106 years of test rugby, you are a heavily marked side.

By both foes and friends alike.

It wasn’t so much that the All Blacks lost, but the way in which they did.

One could argue that the most positive thing to come from the loss was the margin. To lose by only five points when completely outplayed is the mark of a team that has something to offer.

But unlike last year, when humbled by the Wallabies in Sydney, there will be no Richie McCaw to come in and add not only his mercurial brilliance to the team, but the talismanic leadership that this All Blacks team seems to thrive on.

As Rodney So’oialo found out last year, now Mils Muliaina, who had a brilliant debut year as captain for the Chiefs, has discovered the same difficult principle. Captaining a Super 14 team is one thing, but leading your country is an ordeal that makes mortals of otherwise outstanding players.

And never has it been shown so apparently that the domestic competition that is the pride of the Southern Hemisphere, is an unsuitable testing ground for the rigours of test match rugby.

The blowtorch has now been applied, and Henry and his troops will go back to try to rediscover the mana and the intensity that has allowed them to dominate world rugby by and large since 2004.

In Wellington, no excuses will suffice.

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The Crowd Says (18) | Page 1 of Comments

SouthernWaratah said | June 17th 2009 @ 8:51am | Report comment

Are they now suffering from the lack of a rotation policy? You’re only as good as the squad you pick and the players to back up the starting 15 and those players need game time at test level if they are to step in when required.

The super coach this year will be calling players in and out of starting spots for the Wallabies to ensure game time for all his players. That way if there is an injury there’s a player to step in. For so long the Kiwi nation has proclaimed the notion of don’t devalue the All Black jersey by handing it out to players that aren’t first choice. Maybe this season of injuries and the lack of development of squad players at test level might find the All Blacks out?

They again we’re 2 years out from a RWC so I’m expecting them to peak!

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Acer said | June 17th 2009 @ 9:33am | Report comment

It will be interesting for sure to see how New Zealand goes come the Tri-Nations,
The point many people are so quickly willing to overlook is that NZ is missing so many players from their starting lineup to injury. I don’t know if any other team in the world has had so many players out at the same time. Not only starting players but bench players also.

Unlike our Wallabies who are able to rotate players against Italy not because of necessity or injury but because Robbie can and seriously I think the Australian under 20′s would give the Italians a run for their money. New Zealand have been forced into a position that should we have been under we would quite simply put been under the hammer against this french team. NZ is playing with a 2nd string team and having to draw on third string players at the moment and I just wish people would wake up to reality a little.

I for one will not be taking them lightly come the Tri-Nations although I do think we will win lol

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pothale said | June 17th 2009 @ 9:40am | Report comment

Acer – for an avid Australian fan you are oddly defensive of New Zealand, given the great rivalry between the two countries. Do you support both at times?

I hadn’t realised that NZ was now playing with a second and third-string team – that seems a bit harsh on them. Is Mils Muliana a second/third string player?

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Acer said | June 17th 2009 @ 10:00am | Report comment

Pothale,

Yes I do support them when they are not playing the Wallabies and if you had actually read my posts you would have seen I had stated that geesh I don’t know what is it with some people.
I am a realist and recognise the fact that they are missing a huge chunk of their talent something you seem unwilling to acknowledge. You have this great hate inside of you towards them why?
Why is it Pothale that you are always throwing stones at them, you at times seem obsessed with picking holes in them at every chance you get?

I never ever stated Mils was second rate but how else would you class a team that was missing 7 players from its starting lineup not to mention also missing reserves which would normally take those starting spots? Do tell me that please.
I talk about them too because like I said to you on the other thread the NH competition has absolutely no relevance to me where as the fortunes of the All Blacks can and will directly impact the ability of the Wallabies potential to win the Tri-Nations this year and the Bledisloe Cup the greatest rivalry in all of world rugby.

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Jerry said | June 17th 2009 @ 10:04am | Report comment

Southern Tah – that is true to some extent, but I don’t think there was any way to avoid the current situation. The rotation policy (which I don’t really agree with, but that’s another thread) meant Henry had developed very good back ups in most positions and this meant that in 05/06 the B team could still beat most countries A teams. Of course, it’s not that simple as Henry very rarely played an out and out B team, preferring to stagger the rotation so that a team would feature 7 or 8 first choice guys along side the second stringers, ensuring that the team always had a solid core of experience.

But it’s those second tier guys that tend to head off to the NH as they aren’t getting enough time in the black jersey, even with rotation. It’s not like the current inexperienced players could really have been given much more of an opportunity – Read is really the only one who could concievably have been been promoted earlier. So, even if Henry had persisted with full fledged rotation last season I think the AB’s would still be in a similar position.

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pothale said | June 17th 2009 @ 10:13am | Report comment

Ah now I get it. Thanks for clarifying. I hadn’t recognised who you actually were and where you were coming from.

Relax – I was only taking the piss, it’s a bit of light-hearted banter. You’re entitled to your opinion, but chill out a little not everything in life is worth spitting the dummy over – as you say yourself. It’s only a forum with many different personalities with different opinions, isn’t that all?

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Rusty said | June 17th 2009 @ 10:41am | Report comment

The problem with the ABs is when you set the bar so high for so long the day you dont meet expectation is the day the sky falls. In realistic terms, they are still a great team with a great record but were beaten by a team that played better on the day. Unless perfectly fit players are withdrawn there is no second string team – only the best team you have at the time

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ohtani's jacket, said | June 17th 2009 @ 10:55am | Report comment

James,

I partially agree with what you’re saying, but you can’t exalt the All Blacks and not expect any kind of backlash.

The only thing that bugs me about attitudes towards the All Blacks is that if they’d beaten the French in both Tests, no-one would’ve been impressed with that. Myself and others would’ve continued to criticise the playing style or selections.

The wins don’t count for much by and large. They’re only really exciting when it’s backs to the wall stuff. The losses drag out for weeks, though. And when I lived in NZ, I knew plenty of people who were waiting to cut them down to size BEFORE the Test match. There’s no doubt that All Black loses are disappointing, but too many people I knew would write them off before kick-off. I dunno if it was a fear of losing or a prove me wrong attitude, but it used to drive me crazy.

I do think the All Blacks should be held to high expectations and high standards, and I’ll disagree with you if you think they’ve played well over their past six Test matches, but I think if people can’t handle one loss then they’re either a bit too spoilt or have lost perspective of the ups and downs of All Black history.

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Acer said | June 17th 2009 @ 11:58am | Report comment

Not sure what you get, or are you accusing me of being someone else?
By the way I guess your English from your attitude and lack of any humour.
Now back to rugby do you think England at full strength would’ve beaten Argentina on the weekend I certainly do?

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AndyS said | June 17th 2009 @ 1:20pm | Report comment

The ABs are suffering with a lot of injuries, weren’t as good as most have come to expect (and had a bit of a bad day on top IMO), and may even struggle in the 3N (but I wouldn’t bet on it). But even if this year is all a bit of a struggle, it may well prove the making of a successful 2011 RWC campaign. It is hardly uncommon – a bad year with injuries exposes a number of new players to the top level, some step up and the overall team is strengthened. Time will tell.

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