Thanks to Mungo69 who asked this question about my favourites team: “Great side, who do you think would be strong enough to coach a team that is chock full of personalities?”
It gave me the idea for this article as to who the coach would be.
I looked at the All Blacks’ coaches since 1949 and drew up my first list of prospective candidates:
Fred Allen 100 per cent winning record
JJ Stewart 54.5 per cent
Jack Gleeson 76.9 per cent
Brian Lochore 77.8 per cent
Alex Wylie 86.2 per cent
John Hart 75.6 per cent
John Mitchell 82.1 per cent
Graham Henry 85.4 per cent
Steve Hansen 86.9 per cent
There are some surprises there. I thought JJ Stewart would be higher, as from memory I thought he was an exceptional coach.
John Mitchell was the opposite. I am surprised his percentage is so high. Fred Allen is impressive. He won 14 out of 14 games.
Jack Gleeson I recall being an innovative coach. Alex Wylie has quite a high percentage too.
John Hart divided fans but was still a successful coach. Graham Henry and Steve Hansen have impressive figures.
(Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)
For some reason I always think of Brian Lochore the player, rather than the coach. He was of course the head coach of the All Blacks’ World Cup-winning side in 1987, ably assisted by Wylie and Hart.
So that is my narrowed-down field of nine coaches to take charge of my favourites rugby team.
What qualities will be required to coach such a team? With head strong individuals in the team, a strong leader is required.
I need someone who would be a strong disciplinarian, not afraid to stand up to those players, who could manage issues their own way and someone who earned total respect from the players.
I need an inspirational figure who created a little fear. My coach would not be influenced by officialdom, would set trainings as a basis for perfection and would insist on playing an entertaining style of rugby.
He would bring out the best in players both on and off the field, with their potential fulfilled.
From those nine candidates I had the challenging task of narrowing them down to the final cut of two. These two fulfill the personal characteristics needed to coach this team.
They are leaders of men who want good people playing good rugby. And the two are Graham Henry and Fred Allen.
Some exceptionally good candidates are left out, especially Steve Hansen. I believe Hansen took over a good team, whereas Graham Henry created one.
Any of the other candidates would have done an excellent job of coaching the favourites team, but Henry and Allen had that little extra that is not easy to define.
Both were strong disciplinarians who were confident enough to pull into line anyone in the team, no matter their status as a player.
(Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
So now it is time to announce my decision as to who would coach out of Graham Henry and Fred Allen.
I was quite aware of what Henry had achieved, not so much with Allen, so I did further research on him.
He was coaching when I was young, so I do not have good memories of him, apart from what my father told me.
However, what I found out led me to decide that Fred Allen would be coach of this mythical team.
He is a leader of men, a strong disciplinarian and a coach responsible for a free-flowing style of rugby.
Graham Henry would have done a magnificent job, but Allen created the style of rugby that Henry’s teams played.
So, who is Fred Allen?
Allen was born in Oamaru in 1920 but was educated in Christchurch and played for the Linwood Club.
As a player he captained the Canterbury Colts in 1938 and was selected for Canterbury in 1939.
After returning from World War Two, where he served as a lieutenant, he settled in Auckland and played for Auckland Grammar Old Boys 1946 to ’48.
Allen was selected for the All Blacks in 1946 and in 1949 was selected as captain for the 1949 tour to South Africa, which they lost 4-0.
His retirement followed and he was rumoured to have thrown his boots off the ship during his return.
Winston McCarthy labelled Allen “one of the finest five-eighths and the greatest sidestepper off either foot.”
Coaching then called and Fred Allen was selector-coach for Auckland during their record reign of 25 Ranfurly Shield matches.
He became an All Blacks selector before becoming All Blacks coach in 1966. Through various tours and matches from 1966 to 1968, Allen became the only ever unbeaten All Blacks coach in 37 matches.
That included being unbeaten in 14 Test matches. He not only was unbeaten but played a fluent style of rugby.
As a motivational coach he was granted the nickname of ‘The Needle’ through his ability to push even the top All Blacks to greater achievements.
The legendary Colin Meads was often the victim of a tongue lashing from Allen. Sir Colin Meads once said: “He was a great coach, a real task master. Used to give me hell, but a top man.”
Legendary All Blacks coach Fred Allen (Photo by S&G/PA Images via Getty Images)
Author Alex McKay said: “By going after the best players, really giving them a demanding time, I think a lot of the other players sort of thought ‘oh gosh, if he’s gonna have a go at [Colin] Meads like that, what’s he gonna say to me?”
The Kiwi league team provided Allen with the desire to make the union game more entertaining. Between the 1940s and ’60s the All Blacks played a boring, ten-man kicking game, but Allen coached his team to run the ball and play open rugby.
You can probably attribute today’s fast-paced game to what Allen achieved in the ’60s. To sum it up, he was the “father of the modern game,” said McKay.
The coaching of Allen not only had a lasting influence on rugby, but on its players as well.
Bill Davis hailed Allen as one of the greatest coaches: “I’d say he was probably the best All Black coach ever, he took no prisoners… tough, tough love… Most players had a lot of respect for Allen and a little fear.”
Fred Allen’s training sessions were hard, with perfection of basic skills the key.
Before he died in 2012, Allen stated his aversion over the rule changes to journalist Peter Malcouronne: “they stupidly keep changing the laws, but the fundamentals are the same. Position, possession and pace, it is a simple game.”
Fred Allen showed his players that they could achieve anything in life and they certainly did that.
Many entered parliament. I’m not sure if that is an accolade these days! Some were knighted and most became valued members of the wider community.
The unbeaten 1967 All Blacks featured legendary players including Sid Going, Kel Tremain, Waka Nathan, Ian Kirkpatrick, Chris Laidlaw, the Meads brothers, Earle Kirton, Ken Gray, Fergie McCormick and were captained by Brian Lochore.
“I always thought that ’67 team was probably the greatest to play for the All Blacks, and there have been some great ones,” Steve Hansen said.
Hansen states that the way the ‘67 All Blacks played the game was a major reason why he respects them so much. He added that many of those players could be comfortable playing Super Rugby today. All attributed to Fred Allen.
How would today’s All Blacks compare with such a team? Not well I suspect. Would Fred Allen’s style improve such a team? Would they handle the hard discipline coached by Allen? We can only guess.
I wish I knew him better. He sounds like a great man; a fine, inspiring person.
Brian Lochore described Fred Allen “as the patriarch of New Zealand rugby.”
Fred is the coach of my favourites team.
Riccardo
Roar Rookie
Good call on the Needle Peter. A no-nonsense coach but also a real innovator of the game at the time. Get your point on Shag but I would argue some of his selections and enhancement of the team saw it through one of the best periods in All Black history, until Chicago, the Lions and then that awful semi against a fine England team. You contend Henry and for his creation of that team which is fair but even he had issues around management and selection that were highlighted by 2007. And while fans tend to malign Hart that 1996 team was brilliant, a close second to the 2015 team for this fan...
Coker
Roar Rookie
First, it's Wyllie, not Wylie. Second, Henry didn't create a great team — for the first 5 years he just picked the players introduced by Mitchell and Deans. Arguably, the team didn't become great until Hansen took it over. The same could be said of Allen — he inherited the team that defeated the Boks 3-1 in 1965. Third, Allen never had to coach against the Boks. Not his fault of course, but it obviously means there's an asterisk against his record. If he'd continued for one more year, he may well not be in this discussion.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
I like Biltong. He's a guest. Keep the guest!!! LOL
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Haha I think they share the same DNA….
Tim J
Roar Rookie
He should have learnt from Graham Henry, as he gave the best interviews.
Tim J
Roar Rookie
PW, no grief here. Won the first RWC, and the first team to defend! Now have three, so yes you can bring up the 95 RWC! :laughing: :laughing:
Tim J
Roar Rookie
:thumbup:
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
We might say also Madkiwi, that Hart was also a perfect whinger. As during Main's time there, that's all he did.
Phil
Guest
Sheek,I still have nightmares watching a game at TG Milner with my beloved Woodies up against Randwick with all 3 Ellas.Even though we all hated Randwick,you couldn't help but be in awe with the skills of those 3 and the understanding they had with each other.
Ruckit
Roar Rookie
Bleed
Nick Turnbull
Roar Guru
Good mate.
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
Your so right stillmissit!! But possibly before 2027, as many think that he'll go after 2023, when his contract is up. Then again, he has created a list of firsts, during his time with the AB's, as in, the first coach to lose to the Puma's, been involved, with all the losses to Ireland, even as assistant to Shag. IMO, he couldn't organise a pub raffle.
stillmissit
Roar Guru
Muzzo are you suggesting 2027? That would be the height of madness..
sheek
Roar Guru
Of course, Jones started his talkback career in 1987, & this had a direct impact on the Wallabies losing their edge. Jones had a morning show, so changed training to the afternoon, which the players resented having to wait around all day (according to Farr-Jones). In any case, Jones was distracted & the players were tired of hearing his voice after 4 years. It was sad to see a great team waste away.
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
True sheek, but Jones was the one that was instrumental in such a talent for Australian rugby, retiring so soon, as said by brother Glenn. When he arrived at the Tigers with his blonde, Brian, at toe, his reputation was well known by then, thus resulting at his tenure, not being that long. My good mate, the North Ryde dustman, Olsen, told us many a story, of his pathetic tenure, & most of it, wasn't good. Hence after that, he started his talk back garbage radio show.
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
Yep stillmissit, but the big hurdle is that the NZRFU, has Foster signed up till the next RWC. More stupidity by them, as it's so obvious they are not doing their jobs thoroughly.
sheek
Roar Guru
Muzzo, I'm not disagreeing with anything you say about Jones, nor Ella's greatness. I'm not a fan of Jones. When he was coach of Kings school & I was playing for an East Sydney based school back around the mid-70s, we were coming back to the shed after a pre-match warmup (this is at Kings) & he had his team at the corner of the shed & was yelling profanities about us & our religion (which wasn't CofE). We didn't know who he was then, & we've all looked at each other & thought, "who is this goose?" So I have no reason to like Jones. But I can appreciate his good qualities, & yes, he was a good motivator. He was also smart is getting the right people around him. He had Alec Evans as his assistant coach, & Evans basically made the team what it was. Jones wasn't a fool. In fact he was very smart. After losing his first series to the ABs, which the Wallas should have won, he made some astute decisions. Realising he needed a recognised goal kicker, he dropped Hawker for Lynagh. Then on the GS tour, while Slack remained captain for important decisions like kicking for goal or touch, Ella was given carte blanche free reign for on-field running tactical moves. Jones & Ella may have occupied the opposite ends of the philosophical spectrum, but Jones was smart enough to give Ella his head. So when Ella says he retired early for fear of being dropped, that's just nonsense.
stillmissit
Roar Guru
Muzzo, one thing nobody likes is being told the screaming obvious and every Ozzie, rugby fan or not, knows we've been done by the AB's over history. Ditto for every country in the world except S.A. I don't expect Foster to last to the RWC but you never know.
Harry Jones
Expert
Thanks! Enjoy this series.
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
sheek, TBH, Jones was never a good coach, but he was a great motivator. That's all he had, as that squad he toured the BI, as coach with was a team that was virtually put in place by Bob Dwyer. Remember him? A very good coach. Apart from that you have your opinion on the matter, which you are entitled too, but I'm basing mine, on what came out of Glenn's mouth. Jones was known as a nit picker, as far as the coaching part was, & as what was told to me on his arrival at the Tiger's with his little boy 'Brian' tagging along. He actually tried the same thing with our old mate Olsen, as he too was known as not a good trainer, in which he freely admits, but in his case, that proved the wrong thing to do, as the Maori side of Olsen came out. As most anybody knew, when Olsen pulled on that black jersey, he was a far different kettle of fish. Mind you, Jones did go to the Tigers with a reputation.