What’s in a name? That other All Black team that isn’t very good
The All Blacks went 13-1-2 this year. Pretty good right? Not if you’re actually a New Zealander it seems, with questions being asked if the cracks are starting to show in the world champion’s armour. Seems a bit harsh, especially since the All Blacks also put up record wins over the Springboks and Wallabies.
But that’s just the way it is around here, which is why – at this time of the year – it’s more than a little galling to watch a team called the All Blacks get beaten by the United States. That result came in the early rounds of the World Sevens Series in Cape Town overnight.
Not just beaten either, in fact the All Blacks Sevens team was held to nil by an American side that ran in four tries. Now this isn’t a slight on the US Sevens programme, who have done outstandingly well on the World Sevens Series over the past few years. The latest win was their sixth over the All Blacks Sevens.
It’s more of a comment on how far Sevens has fallen a long way down the list of priorities of NZ Rugby. Right now the team has devolved into a youth grade outfit for guys that looking to secure contracts. That’s Mitre 10 Cup contracts, by the way, not Super Rugby. Star player Vilimoni Koroi, while admittedly still very young, didn’t even start for his Otago side when he made the switch back to fifteens a couple of months ago. Despite the seemingly bottomless pit of NZ coaching talent that’s currently heading up most national teams worldwide, the All Black Sevens don’t even have a local coach.
Is it NZ Rugby’s fault, though? Running a separate Sevens programme is a costly exercise, and you get the feeling that they wouldn’t do it if they didn’t have to. While this not might be entirely true, it is that they simply don’t have the money to make this team as great as it could be.
Which makes the reasoning to call them the All Blacks just that more baffling. For those who don’t know, the decision was made to align the top three men’s national teams as the All Blacks was made a few years ago: so we now have the All Blacks, the Maori All Blacks and the All Black Sevens.
The thinking behind it is, admittedly, sound. The All Black brand can keep going during the summer months, reaching far flung corners of the rugby world like Dubai, Vancouver and Singapore. But that brand strength is built on the fact that the All Blacks win a lot, and aren’t content to lose.
Anyone who was new to the game wouldn’t exactly get that impression that if they tuned in to see the All Blacks get beaten 22-0 by the US. If a newspaper anywhere in the world ran a story saying ‘US whip All Blacks’, no one can really complain about the accuracy of the wording (interesting to note that one of NZ’s two major media outlets simply refuses to call them by their official name, though).
Which, unfortunately for NZ Rugby, is what is happening – making their rebrand of the team and then subsequent non-commitment to financially support it basically counterproductive. Everyone who grew up in a rugby-heavy environment knows that the All Blacks and All Black Sevens have nothing to do with each other, but those who don’t would have no idea. And that’s the exact market that the rebrand was trying to reach.
The All Black Sevens are now perennial quarter-finalists on the World Sevens Series circuit. The irony that they were far more successful (winners of 12 world titles) when they were simply the NZ Sevens team, shouldn’t be lost on the marketing team who decided to rename them.
Comments on RugbyPass
This team does not beat the ABs sadly
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
3 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
3 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
54 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
54 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
3 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
54 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
54 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
54 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
54 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
54 Go to comments