‘All Blacks are still favourites’
29 Sep 2011
Bryan Habana has challenged the popular perception that the Springboks are the team to beat at this World Cup.
Many of the New Zealand newspapers, television shows and radio stations have hailed the arrival of the Boks following their two big wins against Fiji and Namibia. ‘Can anybody beat this side?’ seems to be a popular question and theme running through the local media.
The All Blacks made a statement last Saturday when they thumped France 37-17. It was a significant result, as it all but ensured that they won Pool A (they should collect a further five points against Canada this Sunday). It was also a significant performance, as while a number of individuals shone it was a polished collective effort that sent the strongest message to New Zealand’s would-be challengers.
Habana confirmed that the Boks have taken note, and moved to play down the hype born on the back of South Africa’s big wins over Fiji and Namibia.
According to Habana, only one team has arrived at this tournament. For a team like the Boks, the recent performances need to be viewed in context. They are still a long way away from where they need to be.
‘The All Blacks have really laid down a marker, and they are the only team to have qualified for the play-offs,’ said Habana. ‘They are still the favourites.’
Habana said there’s still room for improvement before the do or die game against the Wallabies in the quarter-final. The Boks also won’t take anything for granted against Samoa, as a loose performance against the islanders could potentially cost them a place in the final eight.
‘When we went away from our structures [against Namibia] there were individual errors. We were good when we got back into our structures later in the game.
‘I believe the best is yet to come from this side. It’s been difficult [to build much momentum] with all the injuries over the last three weeks. The [first-choice] combinations haven’t had much of an opportunity to play together. There’s a lot to improve on, and we should start to see those combos clicking in the coming game.’
The Boks put 59 points past Samoa in the previous Test between these two sides. Habana was in top form on that occasion, scoring four tries.
Unfortunately, the Boks’ most prolific try-scorer has struggled to rediscover that kind of form in the subsequent four years, and in 2011 the team as a collective has battled to fire against the top sides. While Samoa is not in the top echelon, they will ask more questions than Fiji and Namibia.
‘They’ve improved a lot since 2007,’ said Habana. ‘They’ve always been physical but they are playing with a lot more structure in 2011.
‘We have to give our all. You can’t go into this game worrying about injuries [ahead of a probable quarter-final], rugby is a collision sport not a contact sport. If you’re worried about injuries you shouldn’t be playing rugby.’
By Jon Cardinelli, in Auckland
172 Comments
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29 Sep 2011, 07:49 am
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-45: hengse klomp geld daai broer…
een slangpik en hys gone….
maar hel dis n mooi dier daai.
ek wou nog bie oppie swartwitpense maar my moed het my begewe….
manne cheers ek moet waai.
29 Sep 2011, 07:50 am
@Gunther(gunther)-36:
It was “watch and learn ” not look but i’m happy to take that one on the chin and I can always rely on you to remind me on a weekly basis
29 Sep 2011, 07:51 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-50: I still worry they may be bringing him back too early, especially after the training mishap… dont expect him to play a full game though, he definitely needs the hit out..
29 Sep 2011, 07:53 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-53:
Why the need to rush him ?!
bring him off the bench in QterF, give him 30mins vs tiring defences.
He’s from Papakura. We breed em tough there, fella. Ask Jerome.
29 Sep 2011, 07:55 am
@NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-46: Yep. From our Qtr final on it will be 2009 revisited. Just wait. We dominated a lot of the key areas in Durban with an underdone side. PE our defense was shocking but Wales scored a single try, albeit dubious with a wealth of possession.
29 Sep 2011, 07:56 am
@NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-52:
Its been a while my china.
What with the World Cup on our doorstep again and your boys being the favourites again and you blowin hard again it seemed topical.
You not going back to take in a few games?
29 Sep 2011, 07:59 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-54: lived at Ramarama for just over a year and attended Tipene, so know full well that area
29 Sep 2011, 07:59 am
@UptheGuts(UptheGuts)-55:
They were the youngest least-experienced Wales side in their history. And they made the Boks look like amateurs for 60mins.
29 Sep 2011, 08:01 am
@Gunther(gunther)-56:
Was back in town for the opening night quick six day piss drinking trip, couldn’t spare any longer the twins are still young and have just started crawling so its all hands on deck, get Trany to check the archives no favourite tag from me the only comment I’ve made is that beating NZ at the garden of Eden will be a difficult assignment.
29 Sep 2011, 08:05 am
read is in his moer.
29 Sep 2011, 08:06 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-58:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/5706536/Kieran-Read-a-definite-ABs-starter-Hansen
29 Sep 2011, 08:07 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-58:
and sadly, for the welsh….the scorboard actually does matter…
29 Sep 2011, 08:07 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-61:
Great news Pops, silky skills off the back of the scrum.
29 Sep 2011, 08:11 am
@NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-63: yep, they mention Kahui is still out and Jane may not play because of the head knock… Guilford may get his first WC game…
29 Sep 2011, 08:13 am
Well done Bryan… good realistic feet-on-the-ground stuff…
Anyone who doesn’t believe the All Blacks are sizzling hot favourites to take the title…
are just stirring…
or really need their heads read…!!
29 Sep 2011, 08:15 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-64:
Mills will go to 99 not out then
29 Sep 2011, 08:17 am
@NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-66: yep, a back three of Mils, Guildford and Toeava Id imagine… think they will want to nurse dagg after his scare versus france, maybe on the bench with Slade as their utility…
29 Sep 2011, 08:18 am
2 of England’s coaching staff has been suspended.Seems they tried to switch the ball when Jonny was going for the poles.
29 Sep 2011, 08:24 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-67:
Dagg needs game time though if he’s over his niggle and Slade needs to see some action as well. DC will drop another one over just to keep them guessing.
29 Sep 2011, 08:27 am
@NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-69: Im hoping they will stick to the core of the side that faced France…
just read on stuff that Mike Cron is leaving the AB setup after the WC…not happy..
29 Sep 2011, 08:36 am
And when did this popular perception occur?? I thought it was still the kiwi’s and that some kiwi articles where saying that the Boks are the best bet to topple them but thats it! Where can I find an article that the Boks are the current team to beat? I’d love to read it.
29 Sep 2011, 08:37 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-58: Yep, we had no right to win that game but we did. Surely that counts for something. The way they worked that try to clinch it was simply awesome. What you call believe…if you will.
29 Sep 2011, 08:46 am
@reechie maak so lank die pan warm, bakkies bring die wors…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-62:
Not what Krusty has been telling everyone.
29 Sep 2011, 08:47 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-57:
no sh*t.
My Dad had his office in RamaRama and my Uncle owns half the farmland.
Knew a nice Maori girl there….hope she wasnt your sister….
29 Sep 2011, 08:49 am
@NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-59:
Nice good on yer.
Would loved to have been there.
29 Sep 2011, 08:53 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-73:
it dosn’t matter for the boks because we’ve beaten them 26 times already, but it matters to the welsh because everybody beats them again and again…
for some teams the scoeboard doesn’t matter…but for others its everything…
29 Sep 2011, 09:08 am
Bookies and journos opinions are just that opinions.
SA are the biggest threat to the AB’s in MY opinion.
All things going as expected, NZ and SA should meet in the semi, but I would like to sound out a word of caution here.
Australia!
Don’t get ahead of yourselves SA!
29 Sep 2011, 09:15 am
the Aussies will all be injured or back in jail way before the final. No threat at all!
29 Sep 2011, 09:15 am
@Black Panther(Black Panther)-74: there you go Panties, KKK is not the only one with more than one farm here
29 Sep 2011, 09:19 am
this would be hilarious if it came to pass
Hansen wants top job
Thursday, 29 September 2011 2.38 p.m.
Steve Hansen has confirmed he wants to take over from All Blacks head coach Graham Henry after the Rugby World Cup.
With fellow assistant coach Wayne Smith joining the Chiefs for next year’s Super Rugby campaign and scrum coach Mike Cron also stepping down from his All Blacks role to concentrate on developing young talent, interest has turned to Hansen’s future.
When asked what his plans were post-World Cup, the man who succeeded Henry as Wales coach replied: “I can’t answer you because I don’t select who becomes the next All Black coach.”
But he made it clear he wanted the All Blacks top job after eight years working alongside Smith as Henry’s assistant.
The trio will bring up their 100th Test match in charge of the All Blacks against Canada in Wellington on Sunday.
There was plenty of feeling when captain Richie McCaw reached his century Test milestone against France on Saturday, but Hansen did not expect this Sunday to be quite so emotionally charged.
“I don’t think it will be too emotional. It is a pretty good achievement though,” Hansen said.
“I don’t think you will see another head coach do that. It’s a long campaign to be able to do it, I think eight years.”
“He (Henry) has been pretty successful with it too. He’s got a great record hasn’t he? About 85 or 86 percent (success rate). The rest of us just tagged along for the ride.”
If the All Blacks win the 2011 Rugby World Cup, Hansen is likely to be the favourite to take over from Henry.
But if New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive Steve Tew is true to his word, the All Blacks may not contest the next tournament in England in 2015 if a restructuring of the International Rugby Board and World Cup financial and commercial models are not undertaken.
Currently, the top-10 rugby nations lose millions of dollars of revenue and sponsorship by attending the tournament and Tew has said that is just not sustainable.
Tew’s stance has the backing of Hansen. “If that was what was deemed to be the right thing to help the game then that’s what you do,” he said.
“All Steve said was there needs to be a look at the model for revenue … because we are going broke. That’s the reality.”
“Can we afford the game? I’m not sure about that. You’d have to ask him (Tew) about that. That’s what he’s saying. We need to have revenue-sharing. It sounds a good model to me.”
“(But) it’s an administrator’s job to administrate the game. Our job is to coach and the players job is to play.”
“You have an awareness of what’s going on around you. We’re supportive of what he’s saying. End of story really.”
29 Sep 2011, 09:20 am
@umbhoxoswede(umbhoxoswede)-71:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/5685130/French-says-Springboks-look-best-for-World-Cup
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/best-of-sport-analysis/news/article.cfm?c_id=1502180&objectid=10754525
29 Sep 2011, 09:20 am
I just saw a doublecab bakkie with the reg” MCCAW 07″.
Must be Staal.
29 Sep 2011, 09:20 am
I just saw a doublecab bakkie with the reg” MCCAW 07 GP”
Must be Staal.
29 Sep 2011, 09:24 am
Boks, the perpetual overachievers, when will they as standing world champs be favourite’s, and own the tag?
29 Sep 2011, 09:25 am
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-84: we are the favourites, now what?
29 Sep 2011, 09:26 am
Hansen would make an excellent coach …after the choke goes down.
29 Sep 2011, 09:26 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-80:
As a comedy show its would pall into insignificance compared to the PdV series.
Now that has been a classic.
Right now we are all waiting to see if the writers will surprise us with a twist in the final episode..
29 Sep 2011, 09:26 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-80: he was being groomed for the job in 07 Trans, so old news that one..
29 Sep 2011, 09:28 am
@Brads(Brads)-87:
Like Forrest Gump
Becoming a winner without anyone anywhere knowing how!
29 Sep 2011, 09:29 am
Hansen would be okay. Repeat okay.
Not my preference though.
29 Sep 2011, 09:32 am
Transie 87: please preface all your comments concerning the boks with the favourite’s tag, please, in order that we AB fans know who we are up against and can plan appropriately!
Sinilindele magwalandini!!!! lol
29 Sep 2011, 09:33 am
@Brads(Brads)-87: yep, more “if kevvy said he didn’t do it, then he didn’t”
29 Sep 2011, 09:35 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-88: i didn’t know that, let Stevvie get the JOB!
29 Sep 2011, 09:38 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-93: was supposed to happen after 07, but things went pear shaped….
29 Sep 2011, 09:41 am
@mpundulu(mpundulu)-91: all black supporters have developed all sort of theories to avoid being tagged as favourites bwhahahaha “in 2003 england were the favourites because they’d beaten everyone going into that tournament”, now we have new zealand who has a better win ratio than the 2003 english team literally ducking being tagged as favourites….love it
us supporters of World Cup favorites, the Boks, are not concerned with sideshows and tag shirking
29 Sep 2011, 09:46 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-79:
maybe it’s just one really big farm.
with lots of um sheep.
29 Sep 2011, 09:55 am
@Gunther(gunther)-96: i’m nore worried about the Maori girl Panties says he “knew” in NyamaRama…
29 Sep 2011, 10:05 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-95:
29 Sep 2011, 10:07 am
@Transformation(Transformation)-97:
haibo!
29 Sep 2011, 10:07 am
All Blacks have already planned their tickertape parade and road routes.
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