ABs fall behind the times
7 Jul 2010
If there’s one thing the All Blacks fear ahead of this year’s Tri-Nations, it’s getting caught out again by the Springboks, writes Marc Hinton in SA Rugby magazine.
There’s a saying that sums up the predicament facing the All Blacks ahead of this year’s Tri-Nations: ‘Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.’ Having been well and truly ambushed by the Springboks in 2009, there’s a foreboding feeling across New Zealand that Graham Henry and his men may be about to walk smack-bang into a repeat ransacking.
And that really would be distressing for a country that has always prided itself on being the ones setting the trends in this game. Not stuck in a seemingly perpetual cycle of reacting to what our greatest rivals are doing.
But the pessimistic view – one reinforced by events on the Super 14’s fields this year – is that’s exactly what we’re going to get in the pre-World Cup Tri-Nations season. In other words, the All Blacks, once the great innovators of world rugby, have become the followers; and it’s the mighty world champion Springboks who are the ones constantly tweaking their game and finding new ways to dominate the opposition.
Last year it was the concentrated high-kick-and-chase game that put the Springboks a step ahead of the All Blacks. They understood the danger of playing in your own half and rained bombs down on the bumbling Blacks back three, leaving the deluged New Zealanders grasping at pretty much everything but the rugby ball. Delivered with pinpoint accuracy and a splendid chase, it was a mighty tactic, immediately turning unpromising field position into prime-time ball.
This year … well, the game has evolved amazingly over the past six months or so, but by all appearances so have the South Africans. And once again – through the first Sanzar competition anyway – the New Zealand teams appear to be the ones on the back foot as they react less effectively to the big mauling style that’s come into vogue and the changes which favour the attacking teams at the breakdown, interspersed with some slightly more selective use of the aerial attack.
Last year, New Zealanders were stunned when the Springboks emerged a step ahead of their Tri-Nations rivals in terms of the laws, and the most effective use of them. But this year there’s a sense of simmering unease that we could be caught out a second time.
Henry admits that innovation remains one of the key aspects of the international game, and it’s something he’s taking a much more concentrated look at now that he’s assumed control of the attack and strategic portfolio. If the All Blacks are caught short this year, it will be well and truly on the boss’s head.
‘I think keeping abreast and trying to be innovative is an important part of the whole deal,’ says Henry. ‘When you’re at the coalface it’s quite difficult. But when you’re removed from the coalface you’ve got a bit of space and I love it. It’s a passion watching where the game’s going, how teams are evolving, and what methods they are using, and then making that available for our guys to look at.
‘I find that stimulating, so I spend a huge amount of time looking at that sort of stuff. Most people would be bored witless but I find it bloody good.’
What Henry’s saying is, trust him. He’s tracking the trends this year. He’ll have his men prepared.
To be fair, the All Blacks coaches, and New Zealand’s leading players, have had plenty of time to come to grips with what’s needed to blunt the effectiveness of the big rolling maul after a Super 14 where they saw lots of it from the South African sides. One or two Kiwi sides have been successful, others haven’t, though some of New Zealand rugby’s sharper minds remain concerned that the South Africans remain a step ahead of the All Blacks.
Former All Blacks selector Peter Thorburn, a fairly astute observer of the game, reckons New Zealanders have become ‘followers’ rather than leaders in the key area of creativity.
‘We have some fine coaches in this country who are doing their best. But I don’t think we are being creative enough,’ he says.
He believes the use of the rolling maul is a classic example of where South Africa has got its act together quickly and efficiently to make best use of a rule tweak that brought the tactic firmly back into play.
‘The point of mauling is to draw people into an area you have control over and open up space somewhere else. But the South Africans use it as a strike weapon. Good on them. They are being creative. Our guys should have been leading this from the start. But we have become followers in this area.’
And Thorburn says it’s foolish to expect anything but the Springboks to attack the All Blacks at maul time in the Tri-Nations. He’s also less than convinced that there’s enough in the New Zealand armoury to counter it.
‘I do share the concern that the maul is a forgotten art in New Zealand rugby,’ says Henry. ‘It’s something we have to address. We’ve spent a lot of time discussing the maul and talking to people whose expertise we value. We’re going to try to have it as part of our game plan this year because we think it’s absolutely essential. It’s got so much going for it for an attacking side.’
Assistant coach Steve Hansen, who’s reassumed the forwards portfolio after a spell with the backs on last year’s European tour, says he’s invigorated by the looming challenges, which are plentiful.
‘I think there are some big changes – the breakdown itself with the rule interpretations is tactically changing the game. Can we come back and match the way South Africa played last year? That’s exciting.’
And that maul, which he’ll be charged with plotting against?
‘It’s something we’ve got to get better at as a nation,’ says Hansen with a nod, noting a fairly universal reluctance to use the tactic since as far back as the early-80s. ‘We’ve got a lot of footage on various teams that are good at it, and we’re studying that footage, learning and putting processes in place.
‘The first thing you’ve got to learn is how to stop the maul. And when doing that, you also pick up how to use it effectively. As a trend, or tactic, in the game it’s really effective. We’ve got to say “Listen, we’re not good at this and we’ve got to be good at it because it’s an easy way to score five points”.’
But Hansen also calls for some faith that the All Blacks have learnt their lessons of 2009.
‘We’ll just continue doing things and just get better at them. We’ve got a bit more self-belief and on last year’s [European] tour we didn’t have people making system errors … It’s making sure the individuals are equipped to be able to do the job they want to do and have clarity of the role so they can do it with confidence. That’s the main thing.’
There’s certainly a much healthier respect for the South African game than perhaps there was last year. Losing to the Boks three times in a row has enforced that, and when Henry spoke to the New Zealand media for the first time this year he was at pains to point out that in his view it was the Boks, not Blacks, who were the No 1 side in the world last year, no matter what the IRB rankings said.
And the Bulls’ and Stormers’ Super 14 campaigns this year had just reinforced that in Henry’s mind, allied with what he’s sure is going to be an improved Wallabies outfit under Robbie Deans.
‘I think the Tri-Nations will be a boomer, and that’s an exciting challenge for us,’ adds Henry. ‘We’ve got to be the best we can be to do the business. I think we work well in those circumstances, the guys find the demands challenging and it will bring the best out of them.’
One other aspect of New Zealand rugby concerns Henry greatly heading into this international season. And it’s another area where New Zealand is lagging badly behind South Africa.
Through a combination of injuries and the continued erosion of New Zealand talent to the wealthy clubs in the north and Japan, Henry feels the depth at the top level of the Kiwi game is as shallow as it’s been in a long, long while. Maybe ever.
‘It’s been brought home to everybody, hasn’t it? It’s been obvious for some time,’ he says. ‘I think you noticed it in the Super 14 – New Zealand sides either had mature players who were All Blacks, or they had a lot of youngsters. There was very little middle-management, if you like.
‘That middle management has been the strength of New Zealand rugby for a long time because it puts pressure on the guys at the top and educates the guys coming through. They’re the sort of players who have gone for business reasons, and they’re the sort of players you miss.’
Henry says with close to a half-century of Kiwis now plying their trade in the big leagues of the north, and scores also having been lured to Japan, that New Zealand’s depth in that area just below the Test star has been badly dissipated.
‘I think it’s come home to roost. In the 2005 Grand Slam tour we played virtually two different teams against Ireland and Wales, and we couldn’t do that anymore. It’s a concern. There is a lack of real depth.’
Especially now, with an injury situation that’s as bad as Henry can remember it in his seven years with the All Blacks. He’s already lost Ali Williams, Jason Eaton, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Andrew Hore and Isaia Toeava for pretty much the year. A host of others are either hobbled shorter term, or coming off spells out. Then still others like Luke McAlister and Richard Kahui – men with solid Test experience – have rather lost their way on the form front.
It left Henry deeply concerned about his options in the second row and in midfield ahead of the Test season, while there is still no quality backup on hand for Dan Carter and Richie McCaw. They are simply irreplaceable in the All Blacks context. Other areas like hooker, scrumhalf and No 8 were not exactly overrun with form options either.
Maybe it’s why Henry said he was relishing his shift into the tactical role this season. Maybe, just maybe, this is a year when the All Blacks will start thinking outside the square. Stop being the followers, and start leading again.
It would be timely. The way the moons are aligning in the land of the long white cloud, it just may need something like that to lift the gloom ahead of a Test season not exactly brimming with promise.
– This article first appeared in the July issue of SA Rugby magazine.
87 Comments
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7 Jul 2010, 06:08 am
The idea was good; the execution poor.
7 Jul 2010, 06:45 am
Keo, i hope this dreck doesnt find it’s way into the Bok changing room. The All Blacks, was, is and will always be a MIGHTY challenge. To write about them as if they had fallen way behind the boks is nonsense.
Lets not forget – they won their last 7 odd tests. We won 5 out of 7…..
All Blacks at home always favourites IMHO, but will be epic tests
7 Jul 2010, 06:52 am
It’s true. It’s as if SA’s rugby brain shifted into another gear across all levels about a year ago. Quite remarkable. NZ definitely fell behind in the thinking stakes.
7 Jul 2010, 07:24 am
I am convinced that Keo and his merry band of men are embedded by the enemies of Western Province & SA Rugby. These guys always write off opponents of said teams before crucial encounters, only for supporters of said teams to have to face the music.
7 Jul 2010, 07:27 am
ABs are rubbish, Boks are gods… blah blah blah..
same old kak
going to be lots of venom spewed forth if these gods dont win this weekend…
one year of bad results and NZ has gone into such a serious decline if one is to believe all these different articles… going to enjoy seeing the knockers proven wrong this and next weekend.. anything other then a 15 point + margin to the boks is a total failure is it not? what with the lack of nous and quality players in NZ rugby…
7 Jul 2010, 07:35 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-5:
Are you PMSing this week?
7 Jul 2010, 07:38 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-5: NZ has been on an artificial high though Poppa
7 Jul 2010, 07:40 am
I hate this storyline. Rather say the Boks have a better lock pairing, or a stronger back row, or a more consistent flyhalf, and a brilliant no 9. These factors – barring the last one which is no longer the case- are why we won last year. Not because of some airy fairy theory that we are now the great innovators of the game.
Matfield decimated their line out and we won as a result. Du Preez and Morne Steyn outkicked them and we won the as a result.
We just have better talent than the current depleted All Black team. This innovation **** is hogwash.
7 Jul 2010, 07:42 am
@Sonito(Sonito)-6: not at all why? because I dont agree with the theory?
@sglazer(sglazer)-7: oh thats right, I forgot about the travel rush…
7 Jul 2010, 07:45 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-9:
U seem a little stressed.
7 Jul 2010, 07:45 am
likely bok team for sat.
Zane Kirchner, Jean de Villiers, Jaque Fourie, Wynand Olivier, Bryan Habana, Morné Steyn, Ricky Januarie, Pierre Spies, Francois Louw, Schalk Burger, Victor Matfield, Dannie, Jannie du Plessis, John Smit (captain) and Gurthrö Steenkamp.
7 Jul 2010, 07:48 am
@Sonito(Sonito)-10: well, if having faith in my team and getting fed up with the constant belittling of anything NZ is being stressed, then guilty as charged…
7 Jul 2010, 07:59 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-9: It’s like the financial bubble. One only really knows how artificial it was looking back. Soon come.
7 Jul 2010, 08:00 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-5: Poppa, don’t worry so much about the people on this site. They’re Springbok extremists so to speak. It’s like visiting The Silver Fern as a South African. The average supporter on the street has a lot of respect for All Black rugby and view games against you guys as the biggest ones of the year. Bok superiority is completely overstated at this stage. There really isn’t much to choose from between these two teams, especially with Frans Steyn and Fourie du Preez out of the picture. It’s going to be a cracker and I can’t wait!
7 Jul 2010, 08:13 am
@Sonito(Sonito)-10: i sense another tantrum coming
7 Jul 2010, 08:13 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-5:
@Tacitus(Tacitus)-8:
@wernergreeff fanclub membership 3(wernergreeff fanclub membership 1)-4:
MArc Hinton… whowrote the article…
is a New Zealander….!!
7 Jul 2010, 08:16 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-15:
Thanks for pointing that out. I also noticed the use of the word “we”, in the article. So it appears that the loyal AB fans here have a traitor in their midst.
7 Jul 2010, 08:22 am
@ufo(ufo)-16: I know that…
@Transformation(Transformation)-15: whatever trans… glad your so perfect all the time?
7 Jul 2010, 08:24 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-15:
Yip, I think he needs a hug.
7 Jul 2010, 08:26 am
this article was by a kiwi poppa, YOUR kiwi journo wrote this.
just because silverfern and wesuckkiwfanknob.com refused to run it doesnt mean the nasty widdle saffas are talking nasty about the precious all blacks again.
grow a spine and quit it with the neanderthal/corpse shagging comments.
sheep shagger
(gloves are off, its 3n time baby yeah!)
7 Jul 2010, 08:28 am
ok, on reflection my last comment was a bit harsh for this time of the morning.
apologies pops.
there is no such site as wesuckkiwifanknob.com
7 Jul 2010, 08:30 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-18:
so then how can it be “blah blah blah.. same old kak”
by Keo and his merry men according to Werner etc…
since when and for how long have New Zealand rugby writers been dishing up “ABs are rubbish, Boks are gods…”
seems poppa bud… that the only “same old kak blah blah…” is your reaction to a negative opinion…
7 Jul 2010, 08:31 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-18: like a cheating wife, it hurts to be reminded. I feel your pain.
7 Jul 2010, 08:34 am
@mamma_lou(mamma_lou)-23:
Sorry to hear about your marital problems, Mamma.
7 Jul 2010, 08:35 am
@ufo(ufo)-22: really, the same old kak refers to the constant denigration of NZ rugby by all and sundry and that which is forever proudly displayed on this blog..
after one poor season by the ABs high standards. (10 wins from 14 tests, most countries would love that)
I could understand if its 3 or 4 years, but after 1 season? please…
going to be fun watching the bubble burst..
7 Jul 2010, 08:37 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-25:
In the ABs case, the bubble has already burst.
7 Jul 2010, 08:38 am
@David(David)-24: had a prenup, she took the debt.
7 Jul 2010, 08:41 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-25:
and if the bubble does not burst??? Are you going to be ok??
7 Jul 2010, 08:42 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-25: so you disagree that the boks adapted better to law changes, last year?
7 Jul 2010, 08:44 am
‘I do share the concern that the maul is a forgotten art in New Zealand rugby,’ says Henry. ‘It’s something we have to address. We’ve spent a lot of time discussing the maul and talking to people whose expertise we value. We’re going to try to have it as part of our game plan this year because we think it’s absolutely essential. It’s got so much going for it for an attacking side.’
What you Kiwi’s don’t get is the fact that you need a lineout before you can maul with confidence. Really Henry has been burying his head in the sand for years now. The lineouts have always been Henry’s All Blacks Achilles heal. Read should help on Saturday, but Thorn is NOT a lineout player. Too much league.
7 Jul 2010, 08:44 am
@mamma_lou(mamma_lou)-27:
Wise man. I wasn’t so lucky.
7 Jul 2010, 08:45 am
@Sonito(Sonito)-28: I’ll be fine, contrary to popular belief…
a loss or two to you guys means you will very much wear the favourites tag next year and no one will expect much from the ABs, which will remove the expectation on the team going into the tourny..
7 Jul 2010, 08:47 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-25:
poppa… i’m not saying i agree with it… i don’t… the All Blacks always have been, are and will be immense and play rugby of the very highest calibre… of course i’ll be backing the Boks… but won’t be surprised at an AB victory… Just as we get up for all AB games the ABs are (now) gonna be getting up for all SA games… which – if you’re honest about it – they haven’t been doing for the last so many years… many modern AB players have said they know their dad’s generation admired and respected the Boks, but they couldn’t see what the fuss was about as Aus, Eng and France were more important teams to play… Aus and NZ are often suggesting they don’t need the Boks and 3N as the Bledisloe is way more important than that…
remember a few years ago when the ABs reserved their new haka for teams they especially revered… but gave the Boks the old one…?? didn’t see too many NZ rugby fans complaining about the disrespect shown to the Boks then…??
Suzie’s real name is Karma… and she really is a *****…
my point was that this is not just the same old same old AB denigration from the ‘one-eyed’ SA media and fans… this is from one of NZ’s leading rugby writers… and I would suggest that it’s the first time this sort of thing has been written by a Kiwi scribe… possibly ever…
7 Jul 2010, 08:48 am
@mamma_lou(mamma_lou)-29: where have I said that?
if the kick/chase game plan is your idea of “innovation” then so be it..
7 Jul 2010, 08:49 am
If the ABs go in to next years RWC with this, supposed, ‘fear’ of the opposition then their chances of succeeding double.
If the Boks go in to next years RWC believing that the opposition, supposedly, ‘fear’ them, then their chances halve.
7 Jul 2010, 08:51 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-35:
What New Zealand rugby writers write and the Sprinbok players believe and know… are two very different things…
7 Jul 2010, 08:53 am
Lots of sour Kiwis after this weekend.
I have seen it before. Never seen so many lemons as I saw after a certain AB’s vs Baabaas game last year.
This will be similar but on a larger scale…
7 Jul 2010, 08:55 am
Remember Kiwis – Decorum…
No throwing plastic beer bottles onto the field if things don’t go your way…
7 Jul 2010, 08:56 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-34: whatever your opinion of the tactics, it worked. Then again with new law interpretation this year at super 14 same thing. Thats all the article is saying
7 Jul 2010, 08:57 am
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-38:
Im sure the referee will be safe from harm.
7 Jul 2010, 08:58 am
Marc Hinton and Peter Thorburn are knowledgable, rational, decent men.
Good on you for speaking out…
7 Jul 2010, 09:00 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-40: Those who tackle refs have a first name of Pete.
How many Petes in Kiwiland?
A first time in Eden Park – Big Maori Pete makes a statment to the world…?
7 Jul 2010, 09:02 am
anyway…
good luck to both teams… it’s gonna be a clash of giants… like two bull elephants going full-tilt at each other…
may they play rugby of a standard that makes the rest of the world **** themselves at the very thought of playing either side…
Go Bokke…! Hope PDivvie has a new plan up his sleeve…
7 Jul 2010, 09:04 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-34: @Black Panther(Black Panther)-35: Look, you guys may win the 3N, but to me it will just be a papering over of the cracks. You have HUGE lineout issues and although you guys have selected better young locks this year the time has come to drop Thorn and replace him with the promising Whitelock. Its as I have always said:
Choose a lock
Choose a lineout
Choose a life.
Henry chose something different
@ufo(ufo)-33: KAK!! The new haka was 1st done against us nobjockey.
7 Jul 2010, 09:08 am
@ufo(ufo)-43: therein lies the kiwi problem. No-one in sa know what pdivvie will do, so how can they prepare?
7 Jul 2010, 09:08 am
@Ratel Brussow(Morne Steyn is under-rated)-44: this is true.
kapa a pango (hope i got that right, no disrespect intended kiwis) was debut’ed against the boks.
the traditional enemy.
a massive sign of respect imo.
i cant wait for sat.
7 Jul 2010, 09:10 am
@Ratel Brussow(Morne Steyn is under-rated)-44: Very true
7 Jul 2010, 09:11 am
@Ratel Brussow(Morne Steyn is under-rated)-44:
there’s a truism that says “rather keep your mouth shut and let people think you’re a fool… than open it and confirm their opinion…”
pity you’re such a halfwit pr.ick you never learnt to read before commenting and making yourself look as stupid as you really are…
I never said they did not perform their haka for us first… so where did you read that…?
but a year or so later they did it against other teams… but not against us… because they reckoned they had our number… how much more disrespectful than to say the Boks no longer warranted the new haka…?
now you better get back into class before your teacher find’s you sitting on the toilet with your blackberry… and thinks you’re playing with something else…
7 Jul 2010, 09:11 am
@ufo(ufo)-43:
respec’ !
7 Jul 2010, 09:17 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-32:
So what you are saying is that if you beat us this year you will probaly choke in the WC.
So are you hoping the AB’s loose then?
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