If the World Cup is the Holy Grail then surely all would be forgiven if Robbie Dean’s men manage to win it next year. It’s not that they have done that badly, but they haven’t exactly been setting the world on fire in the past couple of seasons.
They haven’t won the Tri Nations or held the Bledisloe Cup during Dean’s time at the helm and they are just holding out France for number 3 position on the IRB world rankings at the moment.
His win/loss ratio isn’t much to write home about either but to his credit the Wallabies are capable of beating any team in the world on their night.
Obviously, supporters would prefer to pick up a few titles and the odd trophy along the way but has it become acceptable for a coach to redeem himself by simply winning a World Cup?
Has it got to the stage where all teams are building towards the World Cup and are prepared to sacrifice a few games in order to win it or is it a case of ‘if we happen to win the Cup then it’s a bonus?’
Which way around is it?
Perhaps it’s a bit of both and getting the balance right is half the battle.
Just curious to know what the mindset is and how each country approaches it. What do the supporters think? Are they willing to take a few losses if it means winning the World Cup? Perhaps the expectations are different for each country?
The All Blacks, for example, place great pressure on themselves to win every game regardless. Supporters would love to win the World Cup but at the same time are happy that they are ranked number 1 in the world and have the highest winning percentage of any country.
In contrast, South Africa’s trophy cabinet is full but still ranked number 2 while also having a lower winning percentage.
For argument’s sake, the All Blacks are winning the intangible battle and South Africa the tangible at the moment, proving that one does not necessarily equate to the other. If you prefer tangible then South Africa is leading the way but if you prefer intangible then The All Blacks are.
In some ways it comes down to personal preference and each supporter will scramble to find any piece of evidence to support their argument but the question remains, does winning the World Cup override all this?
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.
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