What's that sound? Alarm bells. We got a look at what happens when the All Blacks cupboard starts to get bare, and boy, it's scary.Before last night's test in Dunedin the French played the humble card, as they often have before tipping New Zealand over.
The cries of "we're not worthy" were almost deafening. The All Blacks were monsters, the French had ultimate respect for them. No matter how new an All Black was he commanded complete respect.
And then, in a way that every Francophile could love, they treated the Crocked Blacks to the full range of what French rugby offers.
There were the slippery, fly-paper-handed backs, men like fullback Maxime Medard, who stepped around tackles, then slipped the ball to the likes of wing Cedric Heymans, whose boots burnt speed marks down the touchline at Carisbrook.
But, as we've seen so many times, as well as the dancers there's rarely a shortage of cement mixtures in the French ranks either.
With not even a nod to the pieties uttered during the week, men whose looks would scare their own children smacked into the breakdowns with an almost feral pleasure that clearly rattled the All Blacks.
Gifford hits the nail on the head. The All Blacks took the French lightly last night, and paid the price. But worse than that - the All Blacks got out-muscled and out-passioned by the French. That's something that doesn't happen often, and it's not something we enjoyed watching. Nor, would we suspect, all those Southern Men, All Blacks all of days gone by who had been presented with their test caps on Friday night.
But wait; there's more! Gifford reminds us that the French have reinforcements, and will be an even sterner challenge in Wellington next Saturday - he writes:
But if you want to really have some restless nights in the week ahead, consider this.
Some of the best French players, the men who played in the club final, will be available in Wellington next week.
The All Blacks should be better next week, more tactically aware, more driven. But expect the French to offer more too. Back in 1994 they overcame a stuttering All Black side in Christchurch, then, a week later at Eden Park, when their hopes of a win looked dashed, ran the length of the field for the famous try from the end of the earth.
To avoid that fate for these All Blacks will require some shrewd work during the week, and nothing less than clinical execution of the game plan. Anything less and it could be another blue day next Saturday.
We have our tickets for the Cake Tin next Saturday night, and Mrs Inventory and I will be there cheering the All Blacks on. Because that's what REAL fans do - they stick with their team through thick and thin. And we should know - we've been supporters of the Hurricanes since the inception of "Super Rugby", and we've supported the New Zealand cricketers for well over 40 years. But we certainly hope that the All Blacks turn up on Saturday night, and put on the kind of performance that we've come to expect. Because that's what REAL All Black teams do!
16 comments:
There are huge problems in New Zealand Rugby at the top levels. The non selection of Robbie Deans as coach was a major blunder.
Laurie Mains summed it up exceptionally well on radio today when he said no AB coach should do more than 4 years and I agree whole heartedly with him. You need new blood.
On the field there is a lack of nous among most of the players, including some of the so called leadership group. There is no sign of developing players to fill gaps where we as a country are hugely deficient compared to other countries - No 8 being a prime example for the last five or 6 years.
Finally we must stop players going overseas - Aaron Mauger is a prime case along with Carter of course and there is talk of Ali Williams doing the same.
God forbid if those who say we should pick overseas based players get their way. It will be the end of the NPC, the Super 14 and rugby as we know it.
should be a cracker of a game
wounded all blacks
reinforced french
i'm taking my 16 year old daughter and 12 year old son
see you there!
I was doing some thinking the other night Gavin, and I realised that the last time I saw the AB's play in Welly was 1998 against the Boks - at Athletic Park. I've either been otherwise occupied or unable to get a ticket for Cake Tin tests. We're staying up the coast (for about half the price - no cheap deals in town this weekend!), and will do the train thing. Probably dine at the Backbencher beforehand, and also pre-hydrate!
heh, despite living in wellington i've never been to a stadium test
the last two tests i can remember attending are at ahtletic park against south africa and a french game ... one of them was the last ever test at athletic park
quite possibly i was at that same sa test in 98!
i also went to the final game at athletic park, which wikipedia tells me was wellington v otago in the npc
I have not been to a rugby match of any type at the Cake Tin but went to three tests at Atheletic Park.
1968 against the French when Villepreux kicked that magnificent goal. Are any of you old enough to remember what rugby balls were like then. K>R> Tremain captained the AB's.
1978 (I think) v Australia which I think was Campese's first test and he made Stu Wilson look very average.
About 1994 v Australia when Kearns made the gesture to Fitzpatrick. It was the weekend of the Rugby on Saturday and League on Sunday but as I had my 14 year old son and his mate we went straight home to Waipawa after the rugby.
Leadership on and off the field has been lacking for several years. Handling errors at the level of the All Blacks are inexcusable. If a player can't handle the ball he has no business being in the AB's. He may be the most talented and dynamic thing since ??? but if he can't handle the ball he is a wasted space.
Intercept tries from looping passes and aimless kicking away of possession appear to be the game plan, and they can't even execute that correctly. I watch little rugby these days so I have had my test for the year and can go back to sudoku and other important things.
pdm - from memory, the Kearns/Fitzy test was 1990. I was at the 1978 test you mentioned, and can certainly remember the leather "bricks" which masqueraded for rugby balls back in the 60's and 70's.
My first rtip to the Park was the third test vs the 1971 Lions. Dad took me down on the train from Palmy, and we got a taxi up to the ground. We joined the end of the queue at the southern end around 7am and it was already half a mile from the gates. From where we were on the bank, I could see the queue outside, and up until about half an hour before kickoff it was still back past where we had started! By then the ground was chokka.
pique oil - I am with you on the handling - the so called `golden one' (Toeava) has never been able to catch and retain the ball under pressure. Nonu is not much better - you will never see him star when the game is high pressure - his try was `laid on' for him on Saturday as has been the case with most of his Super 14 tries this year.
INV2 - your old man must have been rich if you could take a taxi that far in those days. lol.
pdm - don't forget that those were the days before the first oil shock (1973 from memory), so fuel was 40-odd cents a gallon - and taxi drivers spoke English!
INV2 - they also knew the way to the park.
In 1978 my broth in law and I got a bus from a pub on Courtenay Place and then a bus back to the same pub. Might have been what is now Molly Malones.
Campese made his debut in 1982, not 1978.
Here’s a trivia question for you: What occurred for the first time in that 1978 test?
(And now blights every test played in NZ)
Hint: something about the crowd.
Thta would be the booing of Kenny Wright as he took a shot at goal right at the end of the match which would have given the Ockers a win. To my eternal shame, I was a part of it but I will blame my lack of age and rather significant consumption of amber fluid for my boorish behaviour.
Which reminds me - the gents' toilets underneath the old Millard Stand were quite possibly the worst I have ever had to avail myself of at any sportsground anywhere!
Wow Inv; good knowledge.
BTW, was alarmed that the crowd on Saturday was doing it from the first kick on.
As for the loos; apparently the Women’s ones were worse.
Interesting point of speculation LB - had the Aussies won at Wellington, would the All Blacks have turned up for the third test at Eden Park, and thus prevented Greg Cornelson from scoring four tries?
The test I was at Leicester Rutledge (may have been his first test) was the NZ openside and he actually charged one of the penalties.
I don't recall booing but more than likely did.
Interesting question Inv,
At first reading I’d have said the Cornelson thing would never have occurred, but that was the start of an era for the Wallabies.
And in the next 2 years they owned the All Blacks, so maybe it would’ve happened anyway.
Ah, the days of Gary Seear bumbling around at the back of the scrum and missing easy tackles. Reminds me of last Saturday really.
Post a Comment