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On Sunday I watched the best rugby union team in the world prove there are negatives to being number one.
The All Blacks played a vigorous English outfit, determined to replay the 2012 Test at Twickenham, where they shockingly beat the men in black.
The English were as desperate and determined as any outfit I have seen face the All Blacks this year.
They rushed up in defence, attacked every maul and niggled at any given time.
They had absolutely everything in their favour – the home crowd advantage, the media, the right calls, and they very nearly recorded an all-important victory.
The media were slagging off the All Blacks all week, disputing the use of the Haka, and questioning the All Blacks’ aura. The crowd also did their part, booing during the Haka, and forcing the referee to make outlandish calls by pressure of their voices.
The crowd was so volatile we got called out of possibly a 14-point turnaround, with a clear try being disallowed, followed by a woeful call for a penalty try. Not only that, the All Blacks played with 14 men for a ridiculous yellow card, which the TMO said not to award.
All of this, and the All Blacks weren’t flustered once! There may have been anxious moments during huddles, but they didn’t allow the English to see any sign of weakness.
This takes me to more recent teams at number one.
The Miami Heat formed the ‘Big 3’ in the summer of 2009-2010. They were automatically targeted, not so much by officials, but by media outlets and opposing teams.
In their path to greatness, they stumbled at the start of the race, losing abysmally in the finals. During the middle course of the race they gained momentum and were able to overcome their first hurdle (twice). Going into their final leg of the race, they reached for greatness – three championships in a row.
The toll of being the best team in the world eventually caused them too falter, being absolutely hammered by a seasoned Spurs outfit. Ultimately the Heat’s Big 3 dispersed.
So how much pressure can the best teams in the world take?
Yes, they are the best teams in their given sport, but does that mean the officiating has to be harder on them? Does that mean the opponents get calls their way, just so the team can possibly lose? Does that mean they get treated differently to any other professional team in that sport?
The All Blacks are being targeted. They are continuously pushed to their mental and physical capabilities. They are constantly told that they are losing their mantle. How much can one organisation take before they snap and react?
If England played any other team in the world the game and atmosphere would have been very different.
The bar is set high for the world’s number one teams, but are we running them down in hopes they lose? Or are we running them because we just hate being the teams behind them?
Whatever the answer, I know one thing – the 2007 World Cup squad, no matter how many talented players they had, would have crumbled under Sunday’s pressure. The way this team handles adversity is world class.
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.