All Black brains, rather than brawn, is the reason for New Zealand’s dominance in this year’s Tri-Nations tournament.
Rugby 365
While most critics are debating whether the Kiwis are, again, peaking too early – a year out from the World Cup – New Zealand pundits feel their national team is simply outsmarting the rest.
Retired All Blacks, and World Cup veterans, Craig Dowd and Jeff Wilson said on the Sportal podcast State of the Union that the All Blacks are beating the opposition in the ‘top two inches’.
They were speaking ahead of the second Tri-Nations/Bledisloe Cup Test between the All Blacks and Wallabies in Christchurch on Saturday.
New Zealand top the Tri-Nations table with a full-house 15 points – having beaten South Africa twice (32-12 and 31-17) and smashed Australia by a near record margin 49-28 last week.
Victory over the Wallabies this week will ensure they cannot be hauled in, with the 2010 Tri-Nations tournament at its halfway stage only.
The Wallabies need to win all three their remaining matches against the Kiwis to claim the Bledisloe Cup – which has been in New Zealand since 2003.
“What we are seeing is a mental edge, a really tough mental edge, from the All Blacks forward pack,” said Dowd.
“You can talk peaking and all the rest of it, but to have that edge and to have that confidence, that forward pack can look each other in the eyes and say, ‘I know what you’re going to contribute so all I have got to is my job and we’re going to be fine’.
“They’ve got that level of confidence which is brilliant,” he added.
Wilson said the World Cup was about winning three big games in a row.
“We’ve just done that and that’s a crucial thing, that’s where they will get confidence from the fact that it goes quarterfinal, semifinal, final. We’ll always be in that quarterfinal, we’re good enough to get there.
“It’s just a matter of can we play three big games and they’ve just proven that they can, they’re good enough to get up for three big matches.
“If you get on that roll and you get that confidence, it’s not about peaking. It’s really now, ok, have we got the depth to cover injury? That’s what probably everybody will be asking now,” Wilson said.
“We know this top team can do it, what about the next tier. At some point we have to see them. You’ve given them Wales and Ireland, are you now prepared to give them South Africa and Australia?”
August 3rd, 2010 at 2:16 pm
When they fall – if they fall -
it will be with more than just
a bump.
August 3rd, 2010 at 2:55 pm
August 3rd, 2010 at 2:58 pm
Again a year too soon? Next year they cry again
August 3rd, 2010 at 3:00 pm
The one guy calls them cheats, the next guy geniusses.
August 3rd, 2010 at 3:35 pm
Reply to Morné @ 3:00 pm:
So they must then be
cheating geniusses.
August 3rd, 2010 at 3:37 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 3:35 pm:
Or genius cheaters
August 3rd, 2010 at 3:43 pm
Reply to Ollie @ 3:37 pm:
Isn’t that ‘genial cheaters’?
August 3rd, 2010 at 3:47 pm
genial cheating geniuses?
August 3rd, 2010 at 3:52 pm
Jirre maar die blare raak in vervoering oor hulle span.
Ons check julle volgende jaar.
August 3rd, 2010 at 3:53 pm
Reply to manvanstaal @ 3:52 pm:
I bet Gregan would savour the chance to say “4 more years”
August 3rd, 2010 at 3:54 pm
OK, I see Flip in the Bulls
team.
No story about his hearing.
Deduction: He was warned.
For a clear punch???
Should have been 4 weeks,
and that is lenient.
August 3rd, 2010 at 4:00 pm
Reply to Ollie @ 3:53 pm: Me too.
August 3rd, 2010 at 4:10 pm
Reply to Ollie @ 3:53 pm:
Maybe FDP should say it
I recall in 2006 the Henry squad system was in full swing and Kiwi fans bragged that they had the first second and third best sides in the world…
Unfortunately they crashed out in what…. oh yes… the quarterfinals….
Eina
Worst finish ever…
On a par with our 2003 exit… at least we fired our coach…
I think that old Patrick (RIP) was 100% correct when he said the headmaster has just one plan… and the AB’s when Plan A fails… have no Plan B… and Plan A’s success is down to good players rather than decent coaching.
August 3rd, 2010 at 4:11 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 3:54 pm:
Was it a clear punch?
August 3rd, 2010 at 4:21 pm
Reply to DavidS @ 4:10 pm:
Personally I would like Brussouw whispering it McCaws ear at final whistle of the final
August 3rd, 2010 at 4:44 pm
Reply to DavidS @ 4:11 pm:
Well, I saw it clearly
on the replay. Lefty to
the side of the jaw, both
players standing.
That’s why he was cited.
August 3rd, 2010 at 4:55 pm
OK, seems he did not make
contact.
SEE NEW THREAD.
August 3rd, 2010 at 5:14 pm
Reply to Ollie @ 4:21 pm:
Man I would love that
adding something like “cheaters never prosper..”
August 3rd, 2010 at 5:28 pm
Reply to DavidS @ 5:14 pm:
And Bakkies blowing them kisses.
August 3rd, 2010 at 10:38 pm
Reply to Ollie @ 4:21 pm: thats if the boks make the final, the way they are going they’ll be luck to make it out of the pool stage.
August 3rd, 2010 at 11:01 pm
Reply to BokRav @ 10:38 pm:
We can but dream, can’t we?
Fact it the Boks cannot change
their approach now – we just
don’t have the creative players
to change sails now.
August 4th, 2010 at 2:59 am
Reply to Boertjie @ 11:01 pm: the boks will be back, divvy just needs to swallow his pride and admit the game plan isn’t work and change. Problem is I just don’t think Divvy has the experience and skill to do so.