New Zealand is accepting of the defeat from schoolboy-like All Blacks
Admittedly, the All Blacks weren’t eliminated from the Rugby World Cup.
And, who’s to say they definitely will be?
After all, where there’s life, there’s hope. So, at least at this stage, we can’t say New Zealand won’t be left as the last team standing in France.
But I have to say I thought their tournament-opening defeat to France was pretty instructive.
I’ve been watching Rugby World Cups since 1987, when I was 12-years-old.
Now, New Zealand’s never been defeated at this point in the competition. When they have lost World Cup matches, they’ve been knocked out.
That’s been the cue for a hue and cry that’s been pretty savage on occasions. So, yes, we can look upon Saturday’s 27-13 loss to France and say it was no big deal. It
wasn’t campaign-ending and that all the eggs are still in the quarterfinal basket.
France was always a 50-50 proposition and we now have to sit through a few pointless pool match exercises until the All Blacks meet South Africa or Ireland in the last eight.
Lose that game and maybe then we’ll get a more visceral reaction from fans and media. But I won’t be surprised if we do.
I think under coach Ian Foster’s tenure we’ve become accustomed to defeat. We don’t necessarily accept it, but we expect it.
Hence the shrugs of shoulders I’ve had from people at work, the golf club, kids’ sport and social gatherings in recent days.
We are sadly, it appears, increasingly conditioned to failure.
As I watched the All Blacks play France, I wasn’t focused on the result. I simply wanted to see some effort. For the team not to roll over and play dead as soon as things got a bit difficult.
To me, that’s how badly this empire has crumbled.
I’ve seen lots of schoolboy rugby in my time. Plenty of teams who look very efficient when they’re on the front foot, but panic when they’re not.
That’s understandable. They’re boys, after all. You can’t put old heads on young shoulders.
So what’s the All Blacks’ excuse?
This is why I’ve been so critical of Foster for so long.
I saw him talk – yet again – about lessons and hard truths after Saturday’s loss. Well, the losses are mounting under his stewardship and nothing appears to have been learnt from any of them.
Schoolboys aren’t full-time. They don’t have an army of allegedly elite coaches at their disposal and unlimited resources.
Sure, there’s some video analysis and various meetings, but at a very rudimentary level compared to the All Blacks.
If the All Blacks are coached, you wouldn’t know it at times. If they have any game plans, they’re not obvious.
No, as time ticked away at Stade de France, our All Blacks played with all the clarity and aplomb of an average 1st XV.
Kick after kick after kick, neither for territory, nor with any great hope of being regathered either. Just giving the ball away because you don’t know what else to do.
All those training sessions, all those meetings, all those “lessons’’ that the coach continually talks about and the team serves up that?
It makes you wonder what they do all day.
But, hey, they’re still in the tournament, still talking about hard truths and still trying to give us the impression that there’s some method to this madness.
There’s a rugby team in there somewhere, it’s just that it might take Scott Robertson to find it.
In the meantime, the Rugby World Cup remains up for grabs. It’s just that, from a New Zealand point of view, I think we’d all be shocked if the All Blacks actually won it.
It’s the defeats we’re better-prepared for these days.
Comments on RugbyPass
Think it was a great defensive performance by Northampton. They didn't have stage fright in the first half, the Nienaber defense smothered them. They limited Leinster to 15-3 in the first half. It could have been over by then. A great try from Leinster in the start of the second half looked to have sealed it. But Byrne missed another conversion. Northampton started trying little kicks behind the Leinster wingers. Leinster messed one and Smith brilliantly made the conversion. Leinster decided to tighten the game after Byrne missed a straight forward penalty. A few errors got NH into the 22 and they scored and converted with a few minutes left. Another brilliant steal from Lawes saw NH have a final attack which was turned over by Conan. A classic semi final. World record attendance of 82,300. Leinsters 3 week preparation warranted for this one.
1 Go to commentsJust came back from the game and the atmosphere was amazing. Players stayed afterwards for more than a hour to sign stuff and take photos with fans. Great day out.
5 Go to commentsA great game. The Sharks without Etsebeth are a shadow of the team compared to when he plays. The limitations of Some of the expensive Sharks players are being exposed. Credit to Clermont for some exhilaration play at times.
5 Go to comments100% Mr Owens. But who would want to be a referee.? It must be the most difficult job on earth.
1 Go to commentsStarts to be overdone and oversold this systematic SA narrative…which nevertheless has the merit in this case to recognise blatant refereeing mistakes in their favor
5 Go to commentsNice article. Shades of Steinbeck. They can win the final if they take the game seriously; but only if they take it seriously.
5 Go to commentsWhat a sad way to end a glittering career. Somebody should tell him to delete his social media accounts and face the consequences of what he's done. Then he should slip away quietly into obscurity. This isn't likely to happen, something tells me he'll be back in The Sun / Daily Mail sooner rather than later.
3 Go to commentsguys its fine! he understands why he did what he did and has taken accountability for it; why should he have to be accountable to a court? after all he did was abuse people in person - its not as if he was engaging in _online_ abuse!
3 Go to commentsChiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
235 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
4 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
90 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
20 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
30 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
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