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Rugby union would make a good fiction novel – we have all the essentials.
We have a setting – the rugby world. We have a good plot that has no definitive ending.
We could consider the ending of an era the epilogue but we know that a new cast of characters will proceed to the story’s sequel. Sequel upon sequel upon sequel.
We have a fearsome antagonist. Our antagonist likes to wear black like the Grim Reaper. He holds dominion over our Seven Kingdoms like the Lannisters do over Westeros. He holds a following greater than that of Darth Vader. He is our Lord Voldemort. The All Blacks.
Before the whole of Kiwi Central jump up to their keyboards to attack this lonely South African, don’t take me literally, I am not saying the All Blacks truly dabble in the Dark Side of the Force or are practicing the Unforgivable Curses. This is solely for fictional effect.
But it does have truth to it.
What do Lord Voldemort, Darth Vader and the Lannisters have in common? They are considerably stronger than their foes, they enjoy years of domination. They might lose battles but they win the war. The good guys usually win by luck or passion, but seldom do they overpower the opponent.
The All Blacks are and always have been the best team to have graced a rugby pitch.
They are brilliant, they ooze excellence, and they play the game with a true William Webb Ellis spirit.
A lot of you might say that they are fearsome but not much so in a World Cup outside of New Zealand. The chances of them losing in the 2015 World Cup are very much alive. I’m not saying they will, but they can. History shows it.
But even if they do, even if say the Wallabies win it and bask in glory for four years, will anyone really believe that the world champions are better than the number one side in the world? I wouldn’t.
I love a World Cup, that feeling is just unlike any other. But does it outweigh the four years preceding it? The All Blacks basically just say, “Oh well we’ll just dominate them handsomely the next four years until everyone sees we’re still the best.”
It’s that simple.
So who are our protagonists? Well looking at the history of rugby union that would probably be the Wallabies and the Springboks. England will be our deuteragonist.
Which country will actually break this dark hold the All Blacks have on world rugby? Let’s look at our cast.
Australia
The Wallabies have the players to become the next dominant team in the world, but depth will always be a problem for them. If Australia had all their players on form and available I would be very, very nervous about this weekend’s game.
The thing is though, while the Wallabies can field a mighty impressive match-day 23, the moment injuries hit them their powers deplete notably.
They are the only team that can currently match the All Blacks in skill and stamina. But their biggest downfall is that there is absolutely no structure to their play.
Australians may differ from me but structure is a complete necessity for a great team. The Wallabies lack a good tactical kicking game and until they fix this I don’t see them at the top any time soon.
South Africa
The complete opposite of the Wallabies. The Springboks at their absolute best and I do mean their absolute best can easily dispatch the All Blacks in tactical kicking and at set phase.
Last weekend they destroyed the All Blacks in the scrums and lineouts with relative ease for most of the match and that was from a Bok team that has been struggling all year. Imagine them at full strength.
So tactical play is a go but attacking play is a definite no. The Boks have the best depth in the world when you include their overseas players, but until the Boks learn how to attack they will never beat the All Blacks consistently.
England
A team that had always been very similar to the Springboks, England have never been a consistent world force. With the exception of 2003, they have very seldom fielded a side that can match the Big Three of the Southern Hemisphere.
They have come a long way under Stuart Lancaster but they rely too much on their 2012 win over the Darkness. As the Boks showed, it doesn’t matter if you come close, you need to win.
So the war rages on and the All Blacks are still standing tall. Will anyone ever dethrone them? Can anyone think of a strategy to do so?
Our teams hold the pen in their hands, staring at a blank page.
Will they simply continue their current roles, or will they rewrite history as we know it?
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.