Wales sense vulnerability in All Blacks
By MARC HINTON in Cardiff - Stuff.co.nz
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OPINION: Now it gets interesting. Now we shall see if these All Blacks really have turned the corner, or if they've just been made to look good by a Wallabies outfit with some serious deficiencies.
I suspect the former; that the rebuilding process is already well under way, as the rubble of the three Boks tests this year is turned into foundations, and soon edifice.
But we should all know soon enough.
Wales, England and France will all fancy their chances of a rare All Blacks scalp on this northern tour, buoyed by what they saw with their own eyes in the Tri-Nations this year, or in the case of the French what they achieved themselves with the split June series in New Zealand.
They have all seen the All Blacks vulnerable. Shaken. Stirred.
They have seen, the cynics will say, the 'World Cup' All Blacks eventuate a couple of years ahead of schedule.
Whatever. They will have a spring in their step.
Already Warren Gatland has set the table nicely for week one in the north by declaring that the All Blacks have lost their aura of invincibility, and if that's the agenda for the week in Wales it should be an interesting one.
Clearly the northern hemisphere sides - wishful thinking or not - sense a vulnerability in these All Blacks, and in Wales at least there's 56 years of history to make good on if they're good enough.
I have no problem with Gatland's statement. If we're honest we'll admit he's right.
Plus, he's only doing what he thinks he needs to do to get his team over the line at the Millennium Stadium this weekend.
The canny Kiwi knows only too well that if his Welsh side are to have any chance of ending their 56-year drought against the All Blacks, then they have to get rid of the mental block. They have to believe they can slay the black beast.
So Gatland will be banging that drum all week no doubt, and good on him for doing so.
It's now up to the All Blacks to show that their vulnerable phase has passed, and that they're back on the upward curve.
The last two tests have demonstrated to me that they've addressed some of their deficiencies and that they're working hard at others.
In Wellington they suffocated the Wallabies beautifully, and in Tokyo they were good enough to take the best shots of a highly motivated Australian side and still win with something up their sleeve.
But this first week in Wales will be a difficult one. We've mentioned the confidence of their opponents. Then there's the travel and acclimatisation factor, and a couple of suspensions just to ratchet things up more.
Remember, under Graham Henry the All Blacks have never lost a non-World Cup test in the northern hemisphere.
They have their own high standards to uphold now. But I believe they're up for the challenge. The lineout crisis is over. There's some work needed at the scrum, all right. But the northern sides will struggle with the All Blacks' athleticism up front, and thus to limit their effectiveness at the breakdown.
And if the New Zealanders can win the battle of the tackle ball area over the next month, I wouldn't be surprised if we see their attacking game go up several notches.
There were real signs in Tokyo that the ball-in-hand attack isn't far off clicking. That the speed and skill of the attack, which the northern sides always struggle to contain, is coming back.
We shall see before too long, I suspect. The Welsh will talk this one up in a big way, because Gatland believes that's the agenda best pursued.
Normally that's grist to the mill for the All Blacks. Their challenge now is to show they can do the business against someone not named the Wallabies.
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ex all black fan #45 you think that the All Blacks couldn,t of handled England mate you are a joke.
What makes Warren Gatlands statement re the All Blacks so called "aura" right? Certainly not the results achieved by Wales. 8 or 9 wins since 1996 to the AB's. Its only the amount of rugby that is played internationally. As a supporter i get sick of the Northern hemisphere (especially Ireland)bleating on about All Black frailty. It comes across to me like we owe them a win just for how gallant in defeat they have been. Well winning is just as much a habit as losing so they better just get used to it. Unfortunately the only team under real pressure is the AB's. Wales have everything to gain and nothing to lose because losing is expected.
Oh dear 'All Weather Fan' ..you have just revealed yourself as one of those blinkered tragics that blamed the Ref...knowledgeable rugby fans (including several high profile ex All Blacks) could see disaster coming when the boys took a 'holiday' in Corsica and opted for modelling shoots over training..but you keep telling yourself that it was big meanie Wayne Barnes that cost Henry's 'invincible' rugby supermen the World Cup. Even if those pampered '07 All Blacks had scraped past France there was no way they would have handled a battle hardened England or South Africa..thats a fact mate.
Joseph #42
I too was disappointed Nick Evans left and think it is a waste. The enduring interview I remember with Nick Evans, prior to departure, was that he was saying how all his friends were on their OEs, earning pounds etc. In his case, suspect he was wanting to join them for party time and his mind wasn't 100% on the AB job.
EABF - Lots of whining as usual (hutch empty?) but no solutions - this confirms that you must be either Marc or a Pom troll.
So strange for such a wise rugby sage to blame only Graham for 2007 yet think there was no contribution from Wayne and Paddy (though of course nasty Mark Lawrence helped the ABs last weekend).
Please detail the last time a referee has not penalised a side in 40 minutes of rugby, as well as 2 times in an entire match, when on defence for most of it?
Savage - catch up bro.... Ex and I are not Deans fans! and clearly not Destiny Church potential fodder too.
Oh All Weather Fan - I think a bit of positive reaffirmation from Henry to Nick Evans rather than focusing on whether Carter will be drinking Bordeaux or Burgundy in his off-season would have gone A LONG WAY to securing Evans till 2011.
Evans was quoted in that he was poorly managed by AB's management. All he wanted was just some snippet of hope he would get some starts in Black if even against Mongolia!! to see him choose the black jersey over the increased English salary cap as you wrongly assert. ! It was only a matter of days between Evans announcing his Quins signing and Carter announcing his French sojourn so you tell me could that have been handled better by AB's management to ensure our best players would be available in 08? FTR traditionally any new player knocking on the AB's door would hang around for a chance to wear black and make a WC under previous regimes ..... clearly not these days aye?
As posted elsewhere...
I have found the AB's aura!!!
It was left in the overhead baggage compartment in a plastic bag on a flight from Tokyo to London. It is understood that it was Stephen Donald's responsibility to look after it as nobody would suspect him of having an aura of invincibility.
Can be claimed at Heathrow Airport's "Lost & Found" department. Must be claimed within 10 days or will be sold on e-Bay.
Aaah I just knew it wouldn't be long before someone blamed Wayne Barnes for the 2007 debacle....keep telling yourself that boys,oh and Suzy the Waitress cost us the Cup in '95, and oh George Bush blew up the Twin Towers and and they never did land on the Moon...
Richard, well put, a return to the old fashioned tours would be fantastic for NZ (and world) rugby...that would be the ideal way to 'blood' players. But Eaton, Leonard and Kaino aren't being 'blooded' are they? It is simply a case of player rotation...and If I was Cowan, Thompson or Donnelly I'd be almightily peeved off....these guys get axed and yet that lump Tialata stays in the team? Bizarre...
Im still laughing at the likes of Ex, Joseph etc. Henry is still coach, and Deans got beat 4-0. If you have nothing nice to say, then you're better off saying nothing, because its results that matter. As they say, BS wears a yellow jersey and sings about a man, a sheep, together, & alone in a billabong. This song makes Canterbury look positively glowing!
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