Why are we so good at the rugby?
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<p>How many of us walked to school with friends/family and passed a ball on the way? Or were pretty much glued to a rugby ball which you'd just pass, kick, throw around on a daily basis.</p>
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<p>I remember we used to make up games to try and kick or pass through a hole in a fence or some other kind of challenge. Not to mention playing forceback to hone your kicking skills. At college every spare moment was for playing touch or league/scrag (easier than setting up lunchtime rugby) and if you didn't have training you probably had a pick up game at the park.</p>
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<p>That all adds up and by the time you are growing and starting to find out if you are a back or a forward you've got a skill base to work with. </p>
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<p>One team I played in always had goal kicking challenges after Tuesday or Thursday practice - and there would always be that one toe-hacking prop or lock who was dead keen to be the kicker on sat! ha ha awesome thread man, this has taken me way back :good1: </p> -
Meritocracy. From grass roots up. In our best moments we have been loyal to a fault with it, in our worst moments we stumble. So many of the great things about All Black rugby stem out of it - McCaw willing to play 6/8 when needed at the drop of a hat, Henry being willing to cut the throat of a guy like Mils who he recruited at HS level when Dagg deserved a spot, to being willing to persist with proven commodities like Ted/McCaw/Smith/Shag after failures. <br><br>
Not just at AB level. Every lower level we reinforce this the stronger the whole structure is.<br><br>
No gifting NRL converts AB jerseys, no giving veterans undeserved victory laps, no crowning middling results with long term contracts or commitments (did Ted or Shag ever sign a contract as long as Cheika's), and absolutely no skiting or shit talking in the media. No senior players going into bat for their mates either.<br><br>
Same applies to the Australian cricket team during their best times.<br><br>
The real pity is Bok rugby has this in them too which is why they were such formidable appointments. It was always about winning too. But this current situation for better or worse could run more counter to that culture.<br><br>
So while you'd think professionalism would make it tougher against little old NZ, it probably helped. More money, more ego the easier it is to stray from anything else but performance on the park. -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Baron Silas Greenback" data-cid="593000" data-time="1467255033">
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<p>I think confidence is the key. </p>
<p>Any sport is about getting in that 'zone' where everything you do just seems better and easier. Nearly every AB in every game seems to be in that zone, even the debutantes who have no real claim to it. You see it when out of form AB's seemt o thrive in the AB environment,. they havent suddenly found form, they arent being helped by other players.. it is all mental.</p>
<p>Where does the confidence come from? A winning history and clture and the the knowledge that the 22 guys in the team with you are all confident bastards in the 'zone'. You always elevate your game when yuo play with such people, even average players up thier game. Not because the others make them look better, but because they know they are good, they know the team mates are good, they know they are in the best team in the world. </p>
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<p>You cannot fake or manufacture this sort of mentality, the Aussies show it in numerous sports.</p>
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<p>Agree with this mental stuff and would add good decision-making under stress. </p>
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<p>More of a recent thing and obviously doesn't apply at al levels of the game.</p> -
<p>Here's an overseas perspective, a good read imho.</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2015/sep/11/all-blacks-how-new-zealand-sustains-its-rugby-dynasty'>https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2015/sep/11/all-blacks-how-new-zealand-sustains-its-rugby-dynasty</a></p> -
<p>The culture of success that defines the post-2007 era is probably down to realising that having all the other stuff (fitness, skills, ambition) isn't always enough. A lot of work was clearly done in the top two inches, as well as putting the destiny (and the legacy) of the All Blacks into the players' hands. That is only the very tip-top of the iceberg though.</p>
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<p>If we go back down the chain, I think its the aspiration that is part of a majority of Kiwi kids to play for the ABs one day. At various stages, the knowledge that you won't probably dawns on you, but when you've got a proper national competition at schools level - even if its dominated by a handful of schools - the exposure is what you get most of all.</p>
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<p>Contrast that to Australia: we have schools who proudly trumpet their "rugby nursery" qualities, however they're in limited supply, in limited areas, with limited competition. And look, some of the GPS schools here would slaughter their competition if it was open slather, but how the fuck is anyone else going to get better when a few sections of the system are hoovering up the best talent, and no-one can see what a step up looks like? It would be a hard road, but I'd like to see the ARU open things up a bit over here and try to emulate that widespread competition that NZ has.</p>
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<p>After all, that's why League and AFL are so big here: big competitions, exposure for kids at all schools, and the chance for the little bloke to slay Goliath.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="592972" data-time="1467250978">
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<p>That's true, did those guys who just left build a culture of excellence? I remember it was Ted's first challenge, to turn a pretty ordinary, booze-fueled culture around. Is our success down to Richie?</p>
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<p> End of 2004, start of 2005 Henry, Smith and Hansen meet with two senior team members and it was there that it was decided to move away from the booze culture. Would love to know who the senior players were. Tana and Ritchie?</p> -
I blame Deans......for us being good [emoji41]<br><br>
A couple of big changes that have really stuck out to me are the clear cultural and professional expectations of the team that it seems existing and newbies buy into and secondly the focus on fitness. Have we seen a halfback, open side (McCaw), locks, etc play at such a high level for 80 minutes?<br><br>
It doesn't mean we are infallible or teams won't roll us, but these things seem to give us every opportunity to be in every test. <br><br><br>
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk -
<p>I'm guessing many of you have seen this, but I coach (not rugby) for a living so it was great to see all that excellence distilled into 15 points! Maybe it helps answer the question, maybe not. You guys would know better than me. But interesting, nonetheless. </p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="ACT Crusader" data-cid="593101" data-time="1467286310">
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<p>A couple of big changes that have really stuck out to me are the clear cultural and professional expectations of the team that it seems existing and newbies buy into and secondly the focus on fitness. Have we seen a halfback, open side (McCaw), locks, etc play at such a high level for 80 minutes?</p>
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<p>I've no doubt that people are well aware that if they don't, they won't be a part of the group.</p> -
<p>1. Complete focus on rugby. Almost all other countries have competing sports/focii.</p>
<p>2. Genuine teamwork. Lack of ludicrous individual contracts keep ego in check.</p>
<p>3. Accountability. Ask John Hart's team when they returned from that game which I don't remember.</p>
<p>4. Simple hard work. There weren't many easy paths to greatness in NZ apart from hard work.</p> -
<p>Everything above and</p>
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<p>Play for NZ, play in NZ</p> -
Much to do with the pull of the Black jersey, supersedes money in a way that is not true for other countries. There is also unwavering support and cooperation from coaches and administrators outside of the set up. A focus on skills ,as opposed to size and strength , which cannot be taught in later years. Fitness , not in of itself but an ability to execute at a high level late in games. Finally coaches can treat ABs as more of a club than an all-star team. Not necessarily the best form players but always the best team with the best culture, one which gets the best out of players.
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<p>I think that has a fair bit do to with it, there is all the technical on field reasons with great players and great coaches , you wont get too far if you dont get all that right , </p>
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<p>But I would say beneath all that , the wanting to play for the jersey and not let it down culture , is stronger in NZ than anywhere else </p> -
<p>In answer to the original question, I think NZ current dominance is a relatively recent phenomenon.</p>
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<p>Pre 2011, we might well be asking, why can't NZ win a world cup?</p>
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<p>NZ performance will revert to the mean some time in the next few years, so long as it is post the 2019 RWC final in Japan I am OK with that.<br><br>
So NZ have been no 1 ranked since 2009 I think it is when I last checked to see when this current reign started.</p>
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<p>I think Steve Hansen is hands down the best coach/manager of the "modern era", since say the first world cup in 1987. And he came after/with Ted who after a second throw at the stumps won RWC in 2011, and it seems there is now a very valuable blueprint/template for the management/culture side of the team, which others have alluded to.</p>
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<p>In the last four to six years, notwithstanding the fitness and skills etc, I really think the mental skills part from Gilbert Enoka is a massive part of the success, the players often talk about it when interviewed (Dan Carter), the performance in the last ten minutes or so over the last four years where tight games have been won in the last five or ten minutes when previously they would have been lost, have happened for a good reason. I think this is what has made a good team and good players great.</p>
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<p>Witness this try, the mental application, physical skills and belief to score this try was just unbelievable
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<p>Oh, and Aaron Smith!</p> -
<p>In regard to the RWC drought, I thnk it can be attributed to our legacy as much as our winning...that saying 'the legacy you face is more intimidating than any opposition' works both ways.</p>
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<p>How many greats of our game had played and failed in a RWC, going into an event as favorite, with the cloud of failure hanging over those great ABs that had gone before you must play on your mind; if they couldn't win, how are we supposed to?</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Hooroo" data-cid="593148" data-time="1467321728">
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<p>MAN!!! I was getting nervous watching that and I already kknew the result! That was really incredible! Who didn't touch the ball?</p>
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<p>Ritchie. Pretty sure he was the only one!</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="593149" data-time="1467321812">
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<p>In regard to the RWC drought, I thnk it can be attributed to our legacy as much as our winning...that saying 'the legacy you face is more intimidating than any opposition' works both ways.</p>
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<p>How many greats of our game had played and failed in a RWC, going into an event as favorite, with the cloud of failure hanging over those great ABs that had gone before you must play on your mind; if they couldn't win, how are we supposed to?</p>
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<p>Agree with this, and I think conquering the mental side of this challenge has helped the ABs perform so well in the last six years.</p>
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<p>If you compare the England football team, and I don't think they are comparable, because they fall down in the skills and many other areas, I think the mental side of things absolutely cripples them.</p>