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Steve Hansen's unlikely friendship with Kiwi rugby nemesis
Away from plotting to end each other’s tournaments, Steve Hansen caught up with Andy Farrell, New Zealand rugby’s recent nemesis, in Tokyo this week.
Swapping stories with opposition coaches may seem unusual but having been around the test rugby block for the best part of 17 years now, Hansen knows virtually every international mentor.
Farrell’s defensive systems have caused the All Blacks major problems since the 2017 British and Irish Lions tour but those on-field frustrations don’t prevent friendships flourishing.
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While he doesn’t get on with everyone in the international coaching fraternity, Hansen shared a similar friendship with former Springboks coach Heyneke Meyer.
In a week such as this, if there’s anyone that understands the pressures and emotions surrounding the most important test in four years, it’s your opposite number.
Continue reading below…
Ironically, Hansen mentioning his casual meeting with Farrell helps drive home the reality of the All Blacks’ World Cup quarter-final with Ireland.
“Come the final whistle one will go right and one will go left. Stage right would be the way to go. We all understand that,” Hansen said.
“I caught up with Andy Farrell yesterday and had a bit of a yarn to him. In that conversation that was brought up, that one of us will be going home. That’s just the cold hard facts of the World Cup. We’ve experienced it ourselves in ’07 and there’s no guarantees we won’t experience it again.
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“Ireland are in the situation where they haven’t gone past the quarter-finals. They know what it’s like to go home so they’ll be doing their darndest not to, and we’ll be the same.
“You hope it becomes a good game of rugby that excites the tournament, it’s not affected by cards and at the end of it no one has any excuses and you then have to take your fate on the chin.
“Sport, like life, is not always fair. Sometimes you’re going to get the rub of the green and sometimes you’re not but the measure of your character is how you deal with either one of those things when the game is over.”
The other side of the equation, one Hansen and All Blacks captain Kieran Read are completely blocking from their minds, is the scenario where defeat immediately ends their respective tenures.
The same is true for Irish coach Joe Schmidt. This will, of course, be the case each week they remain in Japan.
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“You haven’t got room to get gaga emotional,” Hansen said. “When the tournament is over that’s when you step back and have a reflection on what’s next, what’s life going to be like but in the meantime it’s not even in your mind.
“You put a lot in so there’s a lot of emotional energy used but you don’t really suffer from the emotional side until it’s all over. You get bone tired. Win, lose or draw that happens.”
With pride and passion bubbling within, test weeks are emotional at the best of times but there is no denying a World Cup knockout match is an entirely different beast.
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For Read and his men on the field, they must walk the fine line between embracing and suppressing emotions. Get too hyped and there is a danger of losing heads and inviting Nigel Owens to add to the flurry of costly cards we’ve seen at this tournament.
Equally, though, the grand stage should also inspire.
“You’ve got to embrace what the occasion is going to bring,” Read said. “A finals game will certainly bring you a little bit more nerves, a little bit more pressure, which does create a bit of stuff in you physically which is great to have.
“It’s important to mix that with a clear mind. I want the guys to be pretty fired up for this game. We need to be in the right space but you can’t be over that line. You’ve got to be in the right area.”
Who deals with this dynamic best will exit Tokyo Stadium stage right.
This article first appeared on nzherald.co.nz and was republished with permission.
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Comments on RugbyPass
“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to comments