Shades of the cotton-wool club in 2019's All Blacks management policy?
With the ever-increasing demands of professional rugby pushing players to their limits, it’s become an annual tradition for New Zealand’s top players to spend some enforced time on the sidelines during the Super Rugby season.
Last year, six camps spread throughout the season pulled almost 40 players from their Super Rugby sides to spend time training in the All Blacks environment. These camps didn’t overlap with any matches, but the Chiefs were forced to omit eight of their players from a game in South Africa against the Sharks so that they could return to New Zealand for the midweek camp.
All Blacks were also required to be rested from at least two matches during the season to ensure player welfare wasn’t compromised – a rule which has existed for a number of years now.
2019 sees management of All Blacks by their Super Rugby teams stepped up a notch – as has come to be expected in World Cup years. The same two-match rest is required for All Blacks but their transition from the offseason into Super Rugby has also been carefully managed.
Over the first three matches, All Blacks are expected to play for no more than 180 minutes total. Supporters will be hopeful that this is a flexible rule as some players will likely hit the 160-minute mark after only the initial two games.
Some All Blacks who clocked up significant hours last year, including Kieran Read and Beauden Barrett, have also been held back from playing any matches this early into the season.
Looking forward to the rest of the season, All Blacks are also limited to appearing in five games in a row – though whether a bye breaks up this rule has not been made clear.
Although the ire of many will be raised when they realise that we are once again in for a season of Super Rugby that will at times be devoid of some of New Zealand’s top players, this year’s management policy doesn’t compare to the first blanket management policy introduced in 2007 – it is, however, a small step up from what we’ve seen in recent times.
Go back to the last World Cup in 2015 and there were far fewer restrictions on coaches when it came to which players they were allowed to field.
Like now, all All Blacks who were utilised on 2014’s end of year tour were required to stand down for two games during the season. This resulted in some bit-part All Blacks being rested when their workloads were, in fact, lesser than some of their franchise teammates. Other than this restriction, there were no other blanket distractions for Super Rugby teams.
Senior players Read and Sam Whitelock had mini-sabbaticals built into their contracts which allowed them to sit out the early part of the season whilst others such as Richie McCaw spent considerable spells on the sidelines due to injury – but these arrangements were very much on a case by case basis.
Using results as the only benchmark, 2015’s resting policy was a success as the All Blacks went on to become the first team to win back-to back World Cups when they toppled Australia at Twickenham in the latter part of the year.
Four years earlier, McCaw was the only All Black to start the season watching from the stands. Although players had brief spells throughout the season, this seemed to be as much about keeping them fresh and firing for the playoffs as it was about preparing them for the Rugby World Cup. There was no widely publicised resting policy for New Zealand’s international reps in 2011 – hardly surprising, given what happened four years prior.
2007 lives on as an infamous year in New Zealand rugby history for a number of reasons: The All Blacks were knocked out of the World Cup in France by the hosts (the only time NZ has failed to progress past the quarterfinals), no New Zealand team made the Super Rugby final (which has happened only three times in the competition’s 23-year history), and – the cause often blamed for both the other issues – then All Blacks coach Graham Henry pulled 22 players from Super Rugby for half the competition, seriously weakening the New Zealand sides and leaving many players under-conditioned.
You can, to some extent, understand Henry’s rationale for his so-called “cotton-wool club” – the last thing a coach wants during a World Cup is to be utilising tired, overworked players. What happened, however, is the exact opposite; the All Blacks showed up at the World Cup looking they were still trying to find their form after a long pre-season.
The argument for keeping players sidelined during that 2007 season is weakened further when you consider that the All Blacks possessed arguably the greatest depth they’ve ever had in their squad during that period.
On New Zealand’s 2006 end of year tour, the All Blacks swept through England, France (twice) and Wales, with only Dan Carter and Richie McCaw starting all four matches. A year earlier, the All Blacks secured a Grand Slam on their tour and at one point completely swapped out their starting XV between matches against Wales and Ireland (winning both matches by 38 points).
In 2007 the All Blacks had two legitimate contenders for world class players in every single position so an injury here or there would have had limited impact on the squad as a whole.
After their performance at the World Cup, Henry eventually branded the cotton-wool club a mistake – which did little to make New Zealand supporters feel any better about the horror show that was 2007.
Henry’s decision to pull players from Super Rugby in 2007 was the first widespread player management policy instigated in New Zealand rugby for a World Cup year. Given it had been 20 years since the All Blacks last triumphed, you can appreciate why Henry thought that a change might do the team some good. The abysmal outcome of the enforced stand-downs, however, has all but guaranteed that we will likely never see such a comprehensive plan utilised in the future – which all fans will be happy for.
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Comments on RugbyPass
You doing the same thing I disliked about the example of Samisoni Taukei'aho, Nick. He’s great the way he is, you’re trying to do what modern-day coaches frustrate me doing, turning everyone into the perfect athlete. Next thing you’ll be telling me you’ll bench him until he’s hit that arbitrary marker, and can’t overtake the current guy who’s doing all his workons. He’s a young Kieran Read, through and through, plays wide and has threat, mainly (and evident in your clips) through his two hand carry and speed. Just let him work on that, or whatever he wants, and determine his own future. Play God and you risk the players going sideways, like Read did, instead of being a Toutai Kefu. I mean I was in the same camp for a while, wanting our tight five to have the size, and carry ability, as the teams they were getting beat by. Now I’m starting to believe those teams just have better skilled and practiced individuals, bigger by upwards of 5kg sometimes, sure, but more influentially they have those intrinsic skills of trust and awareness. Basically our guys just didn’t know wtf they were doing. Don’t think I’m trying to prove a point here but hasn’t Caleb Clarke been in much better form this year, or does he just ‘look’ better now that he’s not always trying to use his size?
43 Go to commentsThe pack lacks a little in height for the line out and I wouldn’t be completely convinced by some of the combinations till we see it in action.
5 Go to commentsThe side is good but lacks experience. International playing bona fides udually trumps super rugby form for good reason. And incumbents are usually stuck with. Codie Taylor should start or come off the bench. B Barrett will start at fullback. Blackadder has not earned the position, Finau has. TJs experience and competitiveness earns him a starting role, Christie or Ratima off the bench
5 Go to commentsPretty good side. Scott Barrett should be the captain. Ethan Blackadder a great choice at blindside. He is going to go from strength to strength having made a couple of starts for the Crusaders. Scott Robertson rates him highly. Perenara could start a no 9.
5 Go to commentsI question and with respect. Was enough done over the last few years to bring through new blood knowing the Whitelocks and co couldn’t last forever. There should have been more done to future proof the team. New squad new coach, he and they weren’t set up well. IMO
6 Go to commentsJacobsen will definitely be in the 23
5 Go to commentsLots of discussion points, Ben, but two glaring follies IMO: 1. Blackadder at 6. Has done nothing so far this season to justify his selection. Did you see him going backwards in contact at the weekend? Simply has not got the physical presence at 6: we need a Scott Barrett or a Finau (or wildcard Ah Kuoi), beasts who are big enough to play lock, like Frizzell. If Barret played at 6, Paddy could be joined at lock by Vai’i or one of the young giants we need to promote, like Darry or Lord (if he ever gets on the field). Blackadder best left to join the queue for 7. 2. Not even a mention for Christie? Ratima gets caught at crucial times at the back of the ruck when he hesitates on the pass. The only way he starts would be if Christie and TJ are injured.
5 Go to commentsWhat a dagg in more ways than one
6 Go to commentsRegroup come back next year but sack some of the coaching team and don't be like the ABs last minute sacking. If Crusaders don't do well ABs don't do well.
5 Go to commentsProctor Definitely inform again this year had a hell of a season last year and this year is looking even better. Still mixed feelings about Ioane tho.
4 Go to commentsDagg is still trying to get enough headlines to make himself relevant enough to get a job. The Crusaders went back to square one at all levels. Shelve this season and nail the next one.
6 Go to commentsHe was in such great form. Sad for him but only a short term injury and it will be great to see him back for the finals.
1 Go to commentsAfter their 5/0 start, I had the Crusaders to finish Top 4 only…they lost the plot in Perth but will reload and back themselves vs 4th placed Rebels…
5 Go to commentsBoth nations missed a great opportunity to book a game that would have had a lot of interest from around the world. I understand these games can’t be organised in 5 minutes but they should have found a way to make it happen. I don’t think Wales are ducking anyone but it’s a bad look haha.
3 Go to commentsIt will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
3 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
3 Go to comments