Eales: Blacks have more to lose
24 Jul 2008
The pressure is on the All Blacks’ coaching staff who are all well past their sell-by date, says Wallabies legend John Eales.
Eales told the media in Australia he was shocked when he first heard Graham Henry, Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith were retained after another World Cup failure. Eales admitted the All Blacks have performed well outside of this tournament, but felt the team needed a fresh approach.
The All Blacks beat the Springboks in the first Tri-Nations Test and lost in the second. They’ve failed to impress in either fixture. The Wallabies weren’t at their best last week in Perth, but Eales said there would be a settling period under new coach Robbie Deans.
“It’s a very different psychology the All Blacks are under to what we’re under – we’ve been rebuilding for quite a while now and we’ve had a couple of false starts, short periods under different coaches,” he said.
“Now Robbie Deans has come in and you have that period where people forgive you a bit. The All Blacks are well past that, so that puts more pressure on them, there’s no question.
“The psychology of backing up after you’ve had a really disappointing result at the World Cup is difficult, more difficult than backing up with a big change to what’s happening.”
Eales fears the incumbent coaching staff can offer nothing new, and this will prevent the All Blacks from progressing.
“They are a very good coaching staff and I respect them a lot, but how differently can the same coaching staff do things? People know it didn’t work for them last time.
“It’s a bit harsh judging the All Blacks like this. In that time they’ve also had wonderful success in everything except the World Cup. So that would be playing on their mind.
“I’m surprised they didn’t change something.”
24 Comments
24 Jul 2008, 13:08 pm
first!
24 Jul 2008, 13:14 pm
2nd! And scraping the dragon barrel…
24 Jul 2008, 13:15 pm
I remember Eales kicking for posts. aah those were the days. In fact, no they weren’t.. Austraaalia was actually pretty good back then.
24 Jul 2008, 13:16 pm
Ranger, why don’t we help out poor JC here. The journos are struggling man, let’s get the # posts up!
24 Jul 2008, 13:21 pm
Something for our NZ friends out there…from IOL
Wellington – A New Zealand judge has slammed parents who called their child Talua Does the Hula from Hawaii and ordered she be given a more suitable name.
“It makes a fool of the child and sets her up with a social disability and handicap,” Family Court Judge Rob Murfitt said, ruling that the nine-year-old be made a guardian of the court until she gets a new name.
The girl, the subject of a custody battle between her separated parents, told the judge she was so embarrassed she had not revealed her given name, which was not officially registered, to her friends for fear of being mocked and teased, the Taranaki Daily News reported.
The judge told the paper that Family Court judges were “dismayed by the eccentricity of names” that parents were giving their children, citing twins named Fish and Chips and Benson and Hedges (a brand of cigarettes).
Other names included Number 16 Bus Shelter, Midnight Chardonnay, Fat Boy, Cinderella Beauty Blossom, Got Lucky and *** Fruit, the judge said.
24 Jul 2008, 13:29 pm
Every time I listen to Deans I get worried about what he will achieve with the Wallabies.
He is a remaaaarkable bloke.
He has the ability to speak about his opposition as if he deeply cares about them. He also has a way of identifying what issues journos will raise with him.
And then he comes up with a reply that leaves journos frustrated as he covers all angles comprehensively. And this he says with a facial expression that gives nothing away.
He speaks slowly but is very calculating.
I’ve always wondered where the Crusaders got their deep self belief from. I dont anymore.
24 Jul 2008, 13:34 pm
#6 Sheriff: You said it man…Oh, to have him coach us for the next four years!
24 Jul 2008, 13:35 pm
#5 Kerneels: Well, they do make a good point. Imagine the embarrasment of calling your child Graham in New Zealand.
It’s almost as bad as baa-baa. Reminds me of the Beckhams. Their son Brooklyn was called that because that’s where he was conceived, apparantly. A comedy chat show host in the UK (can’t remember who) remarked at the time it was a good thing the poor boy wasn’t born in Peckham! hehe.
24 Jul 2008, 13:39 pm
#5 Kerneels: faaaaaaaaaark that is funny man, LMAO!!!
24 Jul 2008, 13:47 pm
#3 rhaegar: Remeber Eales jumping and catching the ball in front of the posts when the other team was kicking for goal. Classic
24 Jul 2008, 13:50 pm
Just like a Wobblies – AB test from the “old” days – they wheel out the recent ‘ex’ players to spruik things up a bit.
All washed down with a pleasant West Australian Semillon Chardonnay or Shiraz at the various “corporate” lunches that aboud in a week like this in Aussie.
‘Nobody’ was probably paid $5k to stand up and praat kak. And he did!
24 Jul 2008, 13:53 pm
#10 beesblaas: yes, I remember that! Who was it against again? Man, those aussies are sneaky buggers. Did you see their scrumhalf “spinning” the ball into his hooker’s boots! The audacity!
Anything they can get away with… wait a minute, why are the boks always squeeky clean and yet we get carded, cited and blown (not in a nice way)!?
24 Jul 2008, 13:57 pm
#12 rhaegar: Don’t remember. Mark Andrews did it a few times, after a while it became illegal. Maybe because a SA tried it…
24 Jul 2008, 13:59 pm
all blacks should shut these cocky aussies, a narrow victory against a tired bok team does nt warrant such stupid comments robbie deans would love to have GH overall record mind they have nt won a world cup in a long time
either
24 Jul 2008, 14:05 pm
#6 Sheriff: Agree with you about Deans – he breeds a winning culture , which to anybody who doesnt support the Aussies , should spell trouble …… It is not just the style of play that he incourages but the ability to install self belief into the team which by the way they executed moves against the Springboks , could signal a new dawn for Austrailian rugby. and imagine when they are able to scrum properly !!!!
24 Jul 2008, 14:07 pm
#11 BillTong: oui to you too!
24 Jul 2008, 14:09 pm
#5 Kerneels: got a good idea who might have chosen this name – Cinderella Beauty Blossom
24 Jul 2008, 14:25 pm
#17 BuckT: I don’t know, but I suspect Tackles’ real name is ‘Thought-it-was-up-the-*******’ or ‘Thursday-19-October-1987-mommy-was-drunk-at-noon’
24 Jul 2008, 14:37 pm
#16 BuckT:
Ahh BuckT Comment allez vous? Ca va?
24 Jul 2008, 15:28 pm
#15 stew: Worrying for us Bok supporters as we are hardly making headway it seems in the technical departments of the game. Rather we learn from other S14 teams …
24 Jul 2008, 16:47 pm
#18 Kerneels: #18 Kerneels: Bwahahahaha!
24 Jul 2008, 18:15 pm
#14 k.camron: compared to the narrow victory the Boks secured over a NZ team that has lost half of its team to Europe and had three first team players out
24 Jul 2008, 20:05 pm
#3 rhaegar: When Eales played it was before Aussie put the 49-0 on the Boks.
24 Jul 2008, 22:29 pm
Eales you clown,of course NZ have more to lose.Tri nations cup and Bledisloe cup is a good start.
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