Much comment has been made about the Wallaby forwards not meeting the challenge of Samoan and All Blacks forwards.
Many commentators view attacking the Wallaby soft underbelly as the blueprint to beating Australia in the rugby World Cup.
Some background. In previous generations of men, pubescent boys were taken from their mothers (which still occurs in indigenous societies) and put through a right-of-passage process, which in effect facilitated the boys making the psychological shift from being a boy to a man.
In the process, the boys faced their own mortality (in a controlled environment) facing the fear of the unknown, thereby steeling them for the rest of their lives.
In Samoa and New Zealand, this steel is known as “mana”.
Generation Y’s elite rugby players in Australia are metro males, who have a high awareness of self-image and are concerned with creating their own brand.
Their lives are driven by every different type of technology. In a sense, they are treated like rock stars.
Understanding the need for right-of-passage disappeared, as soon as the industrial revolution commenced and men lost their community with other men.
Except for military service, Generation Y has had little opportunity to go through a life-defining right-of-passage, and has little desire to assert manhood in an increasing feminine world.
Mana is a foreign concept to Generation Y. The metro male gets his status by the type and number of boys’ toys that he has.
In contrast, the Samoans come from a culture characterised by a high-level discipline around the family unit with strong connect to spirituality.
In this age, they view rugby as a vehicle for their right-of-passage – being their way of measuring themselves as men – the greater level of fearlessness, the greater level of mana.
It is interesting to see the Samoans in the Australian team, like Digby Ioane, who play with such fearlessness. Who will ever forget the fearlessness of another Samoan – Willie Ofahengaue?
Similarly, the concept of “mana” is part of the fabric of life in New Zealand. All Blacks are revered in day-to-day life.
The greater the level of fearlessness in their play, the greater level of “mana”, they are attributed by the people of New Zealand. This is the Maori way and is best reflected in the fierceness of their haka.
Mana sets the All Blacks apart from the rest of the rugby world and it provides tiny islands such as Samoa (and Tonga and Fiji) with the ability to “punch above their weight” – attack the Australian Metro underbelly and beat us.
New Zealand has very cleverly channelled the best islanders through their systems into the All Blacks – with every player seeking his own mana.
Until the Wallabies develop their own mana, they will never consistently defeat the All Blacks and in this day of professionalism, will struggle against other Pacific Island sides – especially when they can field their best players.
Mana is not an attitude – it has to be earned. It is a primordial strength known as fearlessness. The greater the fearlessness, the greater the mana.
Jackson
Guest
I just have a question: when the wallabies got belted by the ABs and others in the 70s, did they have 'mana'?
Rickety Knees
Roar Guru
I am pleased to say that the Wallabies played with 'mana' last night to defeat the Springboks in SA. Their fearlessness and courage was there by the bucket load. Can they win 2 in a row, beat the AB's in Brisbane and take the Tri Nations Cup in the process? Hmmm - they can if they maintain their mana.
Johnno
Guest
And GPS rugby needs an overhaul, and a new navigation system so they stop producing this pathetic and sad generation Y.
Jack Petro
Guest
yes and the hooch he smoked as a teenager!
mudskipper
Guest
Gen Y needs a GPS unit to workout where they need to be on the field... Moreover coaches need a GPS on them to show Gen Y how poor the work rate is because they just don't belive their coach anymore...
ooaahh
Guest
Willie Ofahengaue is Tongan. Ioane is the only Samoan to ever play for the wallabies. Otherwise a great article.
Rickety Knees
Roar Guru
Thanks Jeremy - I am trying to highlight one component of a multi layered component of humanity. It is that one layer that gets tested when life delivers on opportunity to find out who you really are - when all layers are peeled away and you are left with your core - do you succumb to fear or do you meet it head on. Mana is about meeting it head on.
jeremy
Guest
This is a beautifully written article, Rickety Knees, and reads very well. Interestingly you didn't look at non-physical rites of passage - the Jewish Bar Mitzvah has its roots in a form of rite of passage, where eloquence, composure and confidence were measured by a religious community. It's not always a physical test, it's a mental test as well. Rites of passage are a very odd thing - basically they relate to societal conformation, ie 'you must sacrifice something of yourself in order to be a member of this society and receive the benefits'. It's a very tribal - and in some ways, animalistic - thing. When members of the tribe don't want to sacrifice something in order to gain the benefits of being in the tribe, it makes the tribe very uneasy. In this way I think the Gen Y section isn't fair - Gen X (my gen) went through the exact same thing - "you ain't got no respect for your elders" - "you don't believe in anything" - "you think things just get handed to you" etc - all things that have been expressed directly to me. Nowadays that's put onto Gen Y when TBH the reason that Gen Y acts in the way it does is their selfish, greedy baby-boomer parents retroactively imposing the freedoms they were denied as children. Naturally in 25 years time, the problems with Gen Z or whatever it will be will be us selfish, greedy gen-x parents retroactively imposing the freedoms we were denied as young adults...unless of course the 2011 recession turns into the Great Depression of 2012 and we all have to head back to the countryside and grow our own food. Anyway, I digress. I think it's simplistic to state that it's just mana that will get the Wallabies past the All Blacks. For instance, even the culture of rugby between the two nations is markedly different - in New Zealand, it's the national sport. Forget league and football - they feature, but they can't be called the National Sport (note capitals). It's the preoccupation for children throughout the country, and from that it's the obsession of young men throughout the country. Australia, by comparison, has league (free flow of players betwixt these codes), association football, australian football (some cross-pollination between codes), basketball, cricket, etc. The preoccupation is 'sport' rather than 'rugby' and I feel that this means this dulls the focus of players on rugby.
mitzter
Guest
Yep bring back cotton jerseys and collars!!
jeremy
Guest
Hooray for Gen X! Now I have added appreciation for your cynicism :-)
ohtani's jacket
Guest
The 2008 team beat both the All Blacks and the Springboks. The All Blacks side that beat the Wallabies in Brisbane wasn't much different from the present All Black team. Aside from injuries to Kahui, Afoa, Boric and Toeava, the only players no longer in All Black contention are Somerville, So'oialo and Donald. In fact, if you compare it to the Wallabies line-up for that test, I'd argue that the scoreline reflects how much better things were when Deans first took over. To get that line-up playing as well as it did is much more impressive than what he's accomplished with this current team. The All Blacks weren't that weak in 2008. They weren't a great side but they had strong results that year. The 2009 side was weak and the Wallabies don't have much excuse for not beating them at least once that year.
Jackson
Guest
Yeah.... and I wonder what they did exactly in that military in the (bad) "old days"...?
Lorry
Guest
when everyone talks about 'discipline and respect' what do you mean?! Actually, crime has been on the decrease in Australia for years!!! There is a perception that 'the young people of today' have no respect but it's just wrong.... Look at King's Cross, it's far, far safer now than it was in the 1970s... also, Redfern used to be a no-go zone for police, not anymore.... And what about riots? There are far less of those in Australia now than in the past... There are so many rules today and look how we generally obey them totally! For example, 30 years ago people used to take eskies of booze to the footy (or the beach), used to piss on the stadium hill, pass out in pubs, have bonfires or camp on (non-city) beaches, ride a bike without a helmet, smoke inside... All that is unthinkable now! Not only would you be arrested/fined if you tried, but I don't even think young people would attempt to do those things! The media just sensationalises it by reporting any bit of alcohol affected violence anywhere.. Did they report a fight outside a pub 30 years ago? Um, no!
Lorry
Guest
Im with you Jiggles. there is alot of nonsense being written on this page! As I explained earlier and in another article, the so-called generation gap is mostly a marketing ploy... Bringing back military service would be horrendous- have you seen the number of suicides in the Russian military, where teenagers are forced to serve for 2 years?! There's no reason to think the same wouldn't happen here.... And, before someone goes on about how "only Gen Y wouldn't like it", I don't think many of those conscripted to Vietnam liked it very much, in fact many refused to go. Some of the talk on this page sounds like it was written by Mark Latham... Whilst I agree with his assessment of the awfulness of the current political climate, all that 'lost manhood' pseudo-psychology (Steve Bidulph etc) is ridiculous. Really, the feminists haven't taken over the society and they haven't made us men 'lose our manhood' haha!!! Isn't it good that we live in a society where domestic violence is no longer acceptable?! Let me tell you, in Russia where 'men are (still) men', it is still totally common place and the police do nothing about it... And, please don't claim that Gen Y is the first one into excessive materialism - that is a result of capitalism and, actually, you could argue it goes right back even further to tribal times (e.g. PNG women collect shells etc) and thus is part of human nature. Now, certainly this current crop of players cares alot about money and that is unfortunate, but that is the same in all sports and it is the result of the game (in fact all sports) becoming truly professional. What about Campo, despite always claiming he did it for 'love not money', remember he chased the dollar before rugby was even professional, schmoozing up to crooks like Berlusconi!!! And remember Phil Kearns and other 'traitor' decision to form World Cup Rugby or whatever it was called?!! I think we need to take off the rose-coloured glasses!!!
Sylvester Hyde
Guest
Colin Slade? Probably the same build as the early Merhts
Matt in Norway
Guest
I agree whole heartedly Rickety, living in Norway (with military service for school leavers), you can see the difference in these young blokes (and women) before and after they complete their time. In my view (and that's all it is Jiggles, my view), military service instills a sense of respect, toughness, and discipline in most who undertake it. Not only are they taught essential life skills that appear to be missing in a good majority of youngsters these days, they are taught that life is not all about them, selflessness so to speak. Not one of my Norwegian freinds who have esperienced military service has said it was a bad thing.
Jiggles
Roar Guru
2008 was a far more experienced team who should have put a very weak (by modern standards) all black team, and a bok team suffering from a world cup hangover to the sword. They couldn't. Consistency is all well and good, but the 08 team beat weak teams and lost to weak SH opponents. The bulk of this team is still incredibly young and inexperienced, facing a much stronger all blacks team and yet they have the same number of wins as the 08 team you champion. They are let down by a clown of a coach who provides no guidance what so ever. I think it's a testiment to their ability that they can go as well as they have with deans in charge.
ohtani's jacket
Guest
Australia still held the Bledisloe Cup in 2002 and had an opportunity to win the Tri-Nations in 2004. How does losing the Tri-Nations decider by 4 points compare to being completely out of the running last year? And the Wallabies were routed in Melbourne in 2010 in case you'd forgotten. The 2008 side also won their June test matches. Remember when Australia never used to lose those fixtures? This present side really needs to start winning matches on a consistent basis to justify all this potential they're supposed to have.
Jiggles
Roar Guru
The 08 team played 1 less game and had one less loss. they had the same number of wins 9. The 08 team played far weaker opposition than the '10 team. They failed in securing the best chance Australia has had at the Bledisloe and Tri-Nations since 2002. Alot of the same players from 08 failed the following year and got put out to greener pastures and replaced by younger players and with most of them no more than 20 years of age they rightly struggled. The '10 didn't have any blow out scores like South Africa. Again how is the 2008 team clearly better?
ohtani's jacket
Guest
I don't see the argument results wise -- the Wallabies went 9-5 that year. The following year they were 6-1-7 and last year they were 9-6. So far, in 2011 they're 1-3. The 2008 team may not look as good to you on paper but that was the closest the Wallabies have come to winning the Tri-Nations and being unbeaten on the end of year tour under Deans. What good are exciting young players if the team can't win?