Independent review of the World Cup.

Much has been said about the revision of the New Zealand World Cup campaign. Blames have been like knifes, thrown here and there to any unwarded back.

Our dear friends at RugbyHeaven ask why the World Cup revision has been published only after 6 months are past and the new coach is already appointed. I wonder if this terrible timing would have been so harshly criticised by them with Robbie Deans coaching the All Blacks. Richie McCaw has also been blamed of lack of leadership (again).

I have not paid much attention to any of these comments but I want to talk about the last one, appeared again within the articles of RugbyHeaven, by an ex All-Blacks coach, Laurie Mains.

Laurie Mains is surgerily right when he says that such revision cannot seriously focus only on 10 minutes of a match. NZRU should not be pleased with such a simple analysis. I mean, just remember the infamous article: "France pose absolutely no threat to the All Blacks". Even if the All Blacks would have won that match via a drop goal, it became clear that France certainly posed a kind of threat. The question after Laurie Mains article is: How did the All Blacks manage to perform worse than ever? This has not been answered yet. Laurie also asks loudly for the apparent lack of independence in a so-called independent review. Why no ex All Black coaches were asked to give their opinions?

All in all, it seems certain that NZRU should put more effort in trying to be more open. Now I wonder... Why was Deans not chosen? Has it got to do with the different ways that Deans and Henry carry these things? Is Deans too open for the NZRU?

Interview to Percy Mongomery

What follows is a translation of the interview that Springbok Percy Montgomery conceded to spanish newspaper El Mundo Deportivo on Feb 22 2008.

Coming from Saint Petersburg, where he and his teammates were awarded the Laureus Trophy for the best team of 2008, Percy Montgomery warmly welcomes us. "To be honest, I know spanish football (soccer) better than spanish rugby. My eldest son, who plays more footbal than rugby, has already watched a football game in Barcelona, but I don't know the cicty, yet; I've been told it's beautiful but I find myself at home here in Perpignan", says Percy.
Why did you move from South Africa to France? we ask him. "A change was much needed. I always wanted to play in France. As a child I watched Les Bleus tests and after winning the World Cup I made my mind. Besides, I like the french lifestyle and I also love the way they play rugby, the way the ball is passed here; their gamestyle is much like mine, so with these factors, and the fact that life in Perpignan is quietter than in my country, that the USAP has made it so easy (house, car), here I am...", he answers.
He's delighted with the house, neighbours, weather, food and language. He's also delighted of leaving his country after the World Cup madness. "I needed to leave, find new challenges: European Cup. That's what they have hired me for". Montgomery says that rugby is South Africa's national sport, but he finds names like Gary Player and now Ernie Els have helped a lot putting South Africa under the spotlight. "'Big Easy' is a great rugby aficionado and watched the final at Paris. Once it was over, he came with president Mbeki and we celebrated the triumph with some beer", he explains. About the third time myth, he says: "Of course there is a third time! Once you have won, there's no better way to celebrate than with a beer".
The 6 Nations is played by northern hemisphere teams wheras the southerns -South Africa, Australia and New Zealand- play the TriNations. "It would be wonderful to play the 6 Nations, but that's what the World Cup was made; to gather all big teams. The All Blacks are always favourites in the World Cup, althought they have only once won (1987). Montgomery thinks the kiwis have a lot of pressure, a lot is expected of them... But they are great players, I do have good friends there and next Rugby Wolrd Cup edition they will be favourites again", he points out.
Montgomery is adamant that the successes of the national rugby team (They won their first title in 1995) "has united people of different cultures and skin-colours, and that's very positive. The World Cup helped my country to feel a little bit more united. The celebration was spectacular".
The World Cup triumph helps the image of South Africa towards the 2010 Football World Cup. "Of course, we not only have the 'Big Five' (Lions, Leopards, Buffalos, Elefants and Cheetahs). We have a very beautiful country, a wonderful weather and security, although it's a problem, is being figthed by the government. I love my country but crime is a real problem and the government is facing it".
Montgomery has met a few times apratheid icon, ex-president Nelson Mandela. "I feel very lucky that I got to know him. He's a very good person and a big follower of ours. There is a before and after Mandela and my country has changed due to him".


See the original intervew (in spanish) at: El Mundo Deportivo

The All Blacks are a number of steps ahead

England has just defeated Italy 23 - 19 in Rome. Struggling again during the second half.
France defeated Scotland last week 6 - 27 at Murrayfield.

What Can I say? In RWC pool C New Zealand managed to defeat Scotland 40 -0 and sweep Italy 76-14.

The power is right there. New Zealand is a number of steps ahead of both England and France.

Why did we lose?

December the 12th. Two months ago we received a painful defeat that left most of us empty. It happened at Cardiff, October the 6th. The score was close, 18-20, the tears were intense, the scars so deep.

It still hurts to me but as a new year is drawing near, I think it's time to move on. And I think having my say on what went wrong is a required step in that direction.

Over the past two months I have read this and that and I have not got a clue on what went wrong. I know the numbers: $ 20 million spent, the reconditioning program, the number of games every player had, I can tell you the surprises of that day's line up: Howlett not in, Mils at centre, Robinson at second line, All Blacks coach claiming that the team had to learn from the errors on 2003...

I have gathered a few different points of view on why did we lose:

• Planet Rugby has an interesting post. It states that New Zealand did not play that day the way it used to do. Too many rucks, much too different of what had taken the All Blacks to beat France the previous 5 times they met.


• At Yahoo! Answers you will find lots of opinions: Most of french fans blame it to over-confidence. Some say the All Blacks proved not to being able to win a close game, some say the player selection was not good and some say simply France was better that day.

• If you can separate fair opinions from gossip, maybe you could try to get some decent opinions at NZ Herald.
  
• Graham Henry blaming on to referee Wayn Barnes can be found at Scoop

But none of this has really convinced me. What is missing? What needs to be filled?

It is hard to tell. Players tried their best, the coach tried his best, but so did the french, and I think there were some key points that should be merged to have a decent answer to the question WHY?

1. France had been studying New Zealand for the last two years, trying different game displays in every previous loss to see how to tame the All Blacks. They used this experience to their benefit.
2. The gameplan that France proposed was queer enough for All Blacks not to be familiar with. True that french players were not familiar with it either, but the fight of the french was against the All Blacks, not against the gameplan. The top favourites were drawn to something they did not expect.
3. The french defense was superb. Much has been said of the number of rucks that the All Blacks provoked. But of course they would have preferred line breaks as they usually did during the previous tests against France! The high number of rucks created show the hability of french players to successfully defend. Don't forget that Laporte claimed that discipline had been the key.
4. Fear. Once again, New Zealand team seem to have put their sights a bit further and they did not expect this game to be particularly difficult. When things went really ill and France scored their 20th point, fear was on All Blacks faces. I recall the previously uttered words by Jonah Lomu: "Silently everybody knows what they have to do, they live by the fear of losing." I am afraid that fear was too present for players and that did not allow them to manage a close contested game as they have previously (without any fear) in a number of times, namely this very season at Durban or at the winner-takes-all match at Auckland.
5. Strategy. The drop goal should not be once and again overlooked as a resource. And I think it is a weakness that ought not to belong to the All Blacks. It is true we all like seeing tries. It is true that we don't like too much kicking, but when a clear chance is in front of you as it was on October the 6th, is it wise to overlook it? I don't question the brave decision of not taking a drop goal then, I question the decision of not taking any drop goals.
6. It happens. It is part of the sport. Wayne Barnes could made a wrong call. It happens. Luke McAlister ought not to have missed the kick, it happens.

And to finish this long post I would like to remind you what happened during the first 28 years of Football World Cup. Arch-favourites Brazil were once and again eliminated including the unforgetable Maracanazo in 1950. It was not until 1958 that Pelé took his team to the highest place. We don't remember the suffering of Brazil, though. We remember that they have been champions 5 times and that they are the best team of the world.

Thus, I only ask for patience.