All Blacks Coaching Decision Really No Surprise: What I Said Five Weeks Ago

August 17/22

This was offered after the second Irish test in response to a social media comment by a friend.

*******

Another line: worse before better.

If we lose the third test vs Ireland, get stuffed in the two tests versus the Springboks in the Republic, and maybe befuddle away the Bledisloe, that could be enough.

However, we are likely to cobble it enough together, only to have the rudest awakening at RWC2023, when other sides raise their game, and we don’t presently have that gear.

Lord literally knows I hope I look even more the fool than normally.

*******

I sincerely hope I am wrong about the 2023 conclusion!

And I do think Jase Ryan and Joe Schmidt are horizon changing additions, so my words above before these changes were made, also need to factor this upgraded capacity.

With Jase and Joe effectively running the forwards and backs, there is not only serious coaching mitigation, but also significant elevation.

At the specific Assistant level, it probably does not get any better for an All Blacks side.

This is most definitely a positive!

But I cannot hide from the reality that I am genuinely saddened for both Razor and the All Blacks. I think he has so much to offer, and on more than one level. I hope we see it one day soon at the international level with the All Blacks.

However, there is a potential looming horizon that requires an All Blacks failure to locate this destination, and who really wants that?!

I have to say it, but I think Jase Ryan made a serious long term miscalculation when accepting the Foster offer. His double act with Razor may now not find a serious future collaboration, at least in the shorter term. I don’t think the All Blacks forwards get turned around after the Irish series, and into the Republic, in such a short space of time, unless he is involved. At the time when talk about Ryan started to rise, given his clear statements about his closeness to Robertson, I was a little grieved he decided to get involved. I thought he would take the Tony Brown line and stay connected with his head coach. It only required another couple of weeks. I don’t think two losses in the Republic could have assuaged the already dominant public push for change. Then he would have been the Assistant, but with Scott “Razor” Robertson as Head.

Not necessarily a leading narrative in most people’s minds, but that singular Ryan decision has effectively defined what has transpired, and is not necessarily finished in 2023. The travesty after the next Rugby World Cup is that if it is again Team Ian Foster vs Team Scott Robertson squaring off, and the All Blacks win in Paris, where does Ryan land?

He likely stays put with Foster, and so the irony of the recent aping of the Saders by the Foster-led All Blacks, but without the chief architect, only becomes a darker shade in this sporting tragedy. I guess you could describe this imitation as a sporting form of flattery.

I am hopeful either the NZRU or Foster make the right call, which could easily become an opportunity for Joe Schmidt, given the organisation’s recent track record.

It seems we are witnessing another example of, it’s not what you know, but who you know.

Wherever you stand, the only way this conversation will likely be satiated is if the All Blacks hold William Webb Ellis aloft in Paris in 2023.

If they do, any sadness will quickly become celebration, even as I believe Razor would have located this summit, if given the chance.

What Say You?

iamjonnyking

How to Understand the Right Way Forward in this Ian Foster vs Scott Robertson Debate

August 16/22

If this is the first piece on the All Blacks head coaching subject that you are reading from yours truly, let me inform for reading awareness, I have been team Razor since the loss versus England at the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

If you rightly understand no one has a neutral interpretive lens, this is my looking glass, discerning the best way forward in this All Blacks head coaching debate.

This matter has become more situationally complicated, because (1) the proper time to take this change was unwisely side-stepped because of the proximity to the Republic leg, in the Rugby Championship, (2) the impact of a comeback victory at Ellis Park, coupled with (3) an emotional relief and over-exuberance that seems to have obscured the cause-and-effect for this victory, and (4) a longer term amnesia of the All Blacks playing trajectory, which (5) was reflective of the leadership decisions round coaching personnel and player selections.

Simple really!

To put this increasingly convoluted debate into a more singular frame, the following is how I would explain the essential question on the head coach, which is around winning the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

(A) Option One is now long gone, but was the original intended crew, leading through to the big event in France. They had been contractually locked in, where these were fairly recently confirmed, and contracts extended.

Of course, this has Ian Foster as head coach, and Messrs Plumtree and Mooar as Assistant sidekicks.

Potential to win RWC2023? Unlikely, and maybe that is at very best, but thankfully we won’t have to test.

*******

(B) Ian Foster as head coach, but now with Jase Ryan added in as Assistant, and potentially another future name.

Potential to win RWC2023? Possible. And I think that is fair. It is certainly risen since the second test in South Africa.

I say this mostly because of the impact of Ryan, but also as a recognition that forwards decide who wins a test match, while backs by how much, as the cliche goes. But it is a fundamentally sound line. I could also add that adversity has brought this playing unit together. This is a growing vibe. If it continues, it could make this proposal more emphatic.

But at this stage, my position should be mostly viewed as recognition of my belief in Jase Ryan. You only need to listen for a minute to know he has it. He understands how to get his message across. Yes, there is rugby nous, but most people at the elite level have the facts, but can you communicate and prepare your troops so that they can best execute?  Ryan has a proven track record. It would not surprise me if someone like Sam Whitelock told Foster that Ryan was the man they required, as the feedback hadn’t been so good on Plumtree.

This Ryan development provides little positive insight on Foster as this seems like it was more required. We already know “Fozzy” is a good bloke and has strong character assets. I think these have been reaffirmed through this saga.

*******

(C) Scott Robertson as head coach, Jase Ryan as Assistant, and maybe Leon MacDonald, Jason Holland and others thrown in.

Potential to win RWC2023? Probable.

You may think that is a big call when a new coach is just starting and under such troubling circumstances, and where the main event is only some thirteen months away. In many respects, it normatively is. But I am not under the impression the man affectionately known as “Razor” is your everyday coaching cat.

When this is combined with the New Zealand rugby talent pool and depth that is still world leading, coupled with Robertson and Ryan’s ability to get create a winning culture that draws maximum value, which is undisputed and maximised through their combined history and force, including other names to positively boot, I believe this is our wisest way forward to tackle events in France.

The NZRU cannot get stuck in an entirely detached now. While looking twelve months backs will be different from twelve months forward as Jase Ryan has been added, small margins will separate at the business end of a tournament.

Razor has the ability to create such a conducive winning culture that when this is coupled with the best technical coaches, supreme rugby talent, and unlimited resources, the results will take care of themselves.

*******

I am prepared to call it now. Because they get the best out of their players, the trajectory for the opposition would be scary.

Sometimes getting the correct insight is gained when asking the opposition. I think if you asked, most would prefer the All Blacks to keep Foster.

The typical Kiwi conservatism must be shelved for a brave vision. Objectivity does not care about anyone’s feelings. The future will not worry about the past.

It is time for the NZRU to ignore the noise, and make a call that isn’t moved by the emotion of a single win, but is willing to ask the harder more fundamental questions, removing confusion related to sentiment.

Razor is the future!

The time has gone past nigh to embrace.

Make it happen board, we are getting bored with the delay!

What Say You?

Until Next Time

iamjonnyking

The NZRU-Foster Coaching Saga: Why Timing is Everything

August 14/22

Good leadership is not only knowing the right decisions to make, but crucially, understanding the right time to take those decisions.

This distinction can literally make a good decision into a bad decision.

The longer I reflect on the NZRU’s head coaching mishandling, the more it reeks of mismanagement, and the more it creeks like a badly damaged ship under strain in treacherous waters.

You only need to work back from the growing cause-and-effect post the All Blacks comeback victory at Ellis Park to perceive of the incoherent recent decision making process.

As I write this on Sunday night, the NZRU is in the continuation of that process, deciding the All Blacks head coaching future of Ian Foster. After parking this decision until the team’s return to New Zealand in another strange public messaging performance, the consequences of their indecisiveness are starting to become more entirely laid bare.

We can gauge this landscape when analysing the lack of an astute timing take in their decision make.

If the NZRU sacked Foster right after the Irish series, which was the correct time, although there would have been some consternation, a clean slate for Razor Robertson, Jase Ryan, and Co. would have been decisively created.

Potential hypotheticals would have been limited because the sequence of bad results clearly indicated the only way to go playing up was through a clean out.

It is now abundantly clear Jase Ryan is transforming the All Blacks forwards, and is a significant reason why light is at the end of a dark tunnel. The forwards are beginning to reassert their excellence, opening a wider door for the backs, where there remains plenty of room for the entire unit to grow.

If this specialist forwards role was the only real pertinent issue, then the decision is simple. Foster stays, and after the result in Johannesburg, there is a renewed sense of purpose, with a hopeful horizon and positive trajectory.

However, if Foster remains the issue, removing him after this victory recklessly opens the door to creating further complications—with players, and a possible cloud of doubt for the incoming Robertson. Good leadership should have known these hypotheticals into the future and have taken the right decisions to remove the possibility of steering right through it.

I am confident if Razor had led a coaching team to the Republic, given the singular positive translation through Ryan as exemplar, this change-for-good impact would have only been magnified.

A new coaching unit would have then surged after the decisive leadership change post the playing fortunes reversal in the second Springbok test, where growing momentum and an engaged public sentiment would have communicated this has been the right direction for the All Blacks to take.

If I am Robertson right now, and I know I am on the cusp of the All Blacks head coaching dream gig, I am concerned I am walking into a hornet’s nest, where I don’t necessarily have the dressing room, as the conversation is shifting. Given the proximity to the 2023 Rugby World Cup and the need to maximise time, maybe I stay clear, allow the smoke to settle, give it a little over 12 months, and let the results make it abundantly categorical in France.

The longer this melodrama extends the right time to take this decision moves into increasingly contentious territory.

The NZRU effectively made this scenario a reality when only bringing in Jase Ryan, and not putting a full stop on the Foster narrative.

This is why the lack of clarity—which as Isa Nacewa I believe rightly intimated on Sunday night’s, The Breakdown—appears indicative of an apparent behind-the-scenes shafting of Foster, and I would add, doesn’t align with an intentional flourishing change movement. It doesn’t reflect a clear leadership plan that understands the destination is often defined by the journey’s course.

In my own estimation, probably for the first time in any Foster head coaching reign, he has appeared most viable. The players are seemingly fully in his corner. They have gone through the fire with this man, watched him stand up for the group, appeared to push through the other side together—and now you want to pull the pin?

The lack of decisive leadership then means you’ve created this potential now.

Of course, objectively this is only one test, and the requirements to get to the top are nowhere near confirmed, but because of the horrible timing of the NZRU’s undertakings, they have removed a clear line of justification between any sacking cause-and-effect.

It’s a little like disciplining a child weeks after they’ve done something wrong. It not only rings hollow, but will likely do the opposite of good. It won’t make sense. It will be confusing, even disturbing. All of which underscores the leading line of this piece, and the lack of recent leadership.

In my opinion, the NZRU is nearing a no short term win category, if they are not already right there.

If they sack Foster now, they have potentially set the next guy (presuming Razor) up with a hypothetical scenario creating a narrative where Foster just needed more time, with his last result proving any thesis right. But the right guy should have been given this South African platform to shine, underscoring the vital importance of the right timing, especially when the future is so close in France.

On the other hand, if they retain Foster, basically because of this one result, in my view, they don’t objectively have the best coaching set-up for the national team, which means if their goal was to move to this direction, they have effectively led themselves in the opposite direction to achieving through mismanagement.

All round craziness!

At a larger applicational level, most everyone with any penchant for leading will take practical solace from their own cognitive aptitude when peering into other specific leadership contexts.

What can separate the good from the great is not only grasping the right decision to make, but empathetically interpreting the correct time to decisively take it.

The All Blacks head coaching saga is the latest example in leadership gone wrong.

I have been all-in on Scott “Razor” Robertson since we lost in the semifinal of the Rugby World Cup in 2019. It was time to be brave and make change. The NZRU ostensibly admitted this mistake when very recently appointing Razor’s sidekick. My consistent public pronouncements have had this long term pattern.

However, probably for the first time, although I believe that previous course of action still remains an opportunity lost, I am beginning to consider whether change is as practically feasible now without blowing the All Blacks cultural situation up, thereby poisoning the waters should Robertson be called in.

If taken, Foster and the players will have some understandable consternation, even feelings of betrayal after the comeback-from-the-dead victory at Ellis Park, underscoring the leadership mishandling of the All Blscks board that effectively punted after the Irish series.

The emotion of the win at Ellis Park has certainly helped Foster’s bid. A close two-point loss would have made the next movement easy. If the NZRU had decided to only keep Foster because of the timing of the South African leg, they will need character backbone and leadership savvy to communicate a new direction. There will be some blowback. They must ride that storm, because they can see the sun on the horizon.

Otherwise the chaos may have just started, and nobody who supports the All Blacks should think that is the way forward, irrespective of who has the head coaching portfolio.

What Say You?

For this record, I still want to see some pretty bad break-dancing in Paris come late 2023!

iamjonnyking

What Should’ve Happened After RWC2019 Must Happen Now

July 18/22

Behold the King writeth!

If only “righting” our rugby ship was this straightforward.

Credit to Foster and Cane. They have done such a good job, they nearly brought me back to Twitter. So close, like the winning try scorer getting tackled in the corner, I am only posting this on the blog.

When twenty-seven different posts would’ve been required, even the wordy I, decided that total was one Gehenna of a thread, and so took this lesser option.

I wrote the corpus of this piece after the 2nd Test versus Ireland, but decided to give them the 3rd. However, this has also been ruminating for much longer. It is tIme to let it go.

This cannot go on!

This may be described as a long read. I don’t know your reading limit. But if you’ve known me for some time, I am good for it. Also been more than a few years between offerings.

Before I really begin, it would only be chivalrously sporting to offer a Full-Credit-Fitzpatrick to Ireland. The afterglow will live long I am sure. Enjoy.

However, don’t take the following personally, but this piece isn’t on you. It is about the rugby team that beats under Aotearoa’s sporting chest.

Let us begin.

We should have never arrived at this juncture. The writing had been on the wall for a very long time, and well before 2019.

It was clear when viewing through his head coaching time with the Chiefs, Foster wasn’t the man to lead the national team moving forward.

There is no doubt Ian Foster is a top bloke, cares deeply for the Black jersey, and has technical nous. He provided it and proved it for an extended stretch under Hansen. But equally the same, when he has not stayed in that lane, and strayed, things haven’t gone swimmingly.

These roles are very different in practice, and time and again, underscored Foster’s best coaching position, the assistant.

The head coach is less technician, more life coach. Less nuts and bolts, more vision casting and big picture. Less specific to the field, more comprehensive throughout all of life.

The All Blacks were stale under the Hansen reign by 2019, and it was time to bring a different edge through a proven style of Razor.

Rennie would’ve even been a better bet than his Chiefs predecessor. He proved when taking over from Fozzy that Dave was the head coach with championship qualities. By the time the NZRU started their own process, he’d already effectively jumped the ditch. He knew the fix was in.

This sorry mess is on the NZRU.

Reappointing Henry after the 07 debacle made sense in that moment, especially after four more years, Byron, would lift the curse at the Garden.

But that was a wholly different time and place. The rugby calculus had changed after 2019. We didn’t need conservative continuity, but more like something radical.

The ruthlessness so symptomatic of McCaw’s previous reign was rejected for the rubber stamp, for the play it again, Sam, charade.

And Cane has had a solid backrow trade, but has since waned, and is now realistically, at best, the fourth opensider in NZ after Papali’i, Ardie, and Blackadder—where that could be even stretching it.

Our mix is wrong, our balance now missing, our edge mostly lost, our legacy getting stuffed.
Leadership is about making the hard decisions, which maybe, no one else is willing to take at the time, because you see beyond the noise of the moment, and view the right destination on the horizon.

Again, this sorry mess is on the NZRU.

They allowed the PR campaign from current players, a previous coach, and a pretty impressive longer track record, amongst other groupthink, to sway objectivity. Where they had been ruthless, they became gutless, and we are now rudderless.

New Zealand’s talent and depth still much the same, but today’s playing trajectory lacks clarity, ingenuity, verve, or edge. There is little Joie de Vivre and a sense the players will sacrifice for the coach. They play with no telos, and when media talk of the week is silent, the on-the-field performance has mostly confirmed this.

Do not be fooled into thinking this would be satiated by a third test win at home versus Ireland. Spoiler alert: you should already know it didn’t happen.  And when a knockout death match in France is just round the corner in a Quarter, this is not about today’s singular sporting battle, but tomorrow’s rugby war.

Unless hard decisions are made, 23 is shaping as the Everest of our recent decent. Have we seen any sign a side under Foster’s lead can locate an altitude reflective of a RWC come knockout time?!

Of course, we are not there yet, Papa Smurf. The present regime can still theoretically claim William Webb Ellis will take another stroll down south if given the required time.

However, even at this later than ideal stage, that is a far riskier proposition than swiftly appointing Razor, with Leon Mac and Jase Ryan wingmen, keeping Joe Schmidt in the selection boot, if at all possible—and for the record, Ardie Savea is my leader-of-men captain.

The time is nigh for the NZRU to do the opposite of the previous decision and be brave—looking squarely in the face of fear and failure—knowing our history is more than a superficial passing phase, and we can return very quickly to the glory days.

Ask a Manchester United fan what it feels like once the man at the top becomes wrong, and this faulty code in the DNA keeps on repeating that same spawn.

I’ll admit, my years inside the fish bowl can easily make one cynical about the process. Therefore, one expects some donkey kong resistance to the bleeding obvious. If they’re adamant to the bitter end, don’t patronise us with sorry after the fact. I think we all know it’s not on purpose.

Instead, play like your words are actions on the field of dreams, and prove you’re willing to do whatever it takes, when it most matters come test time.

Time to live the myth and be the Men in Black again instead of some hype machine only delivering off the field of play.

McCawesomeness—I had to drop that term of endearment again somewhere!

These words are motivated by a long time sporting love that was passed on by my dad. It’s in our genes. It courses through our mortal frame. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, a wise Solomon once said, which means this is about the All Blacks on the field flourishing future.

Enough from me. For now. Hopefully Wednesday shows the type of vision we all need to see.

And maybe I will tweet again.

Maybe.

iamjonnyking—still the bloviating Shakespeare of Rugby

BackingBlackBlog: Thirty-Third Piece

August 22/21

No matter who you are, from patriotic and loyal fan of the All Blacks to an ardent and opposing foe-booing-critic, when the restrains of the Haka are about to be unleashed, all seems unified as a captive audience has been won, and the time old tradition is once again renewed on the field of sporting dreams.

Decades have passed since the life was breathed into this heartbeat, as the significance of this challenge was matched by the intensity, passion, and commitment to honour this piece of All Black and New Zealand cultural heritage.

Recently, while, Ka Mate, will always have pride of place, the All Blacks personally inspired rendition, Kapa O Pango, has encouraged much public outcry for its declaration to be viewed on a Test Match night, as such has been approving of those longing, screaming, and dreaming of All Black!

This Saturday Night, as the All Blacks are the Black Beast as the King in Kong, this Tradition will rise again, as our Boys in Black take on the Nation of the Wobbly.

However, while the teams are the same, the man, Piri Weepu, who has recently been in the middle of so much more than the just the 80, will not be on this Telecom BackingBlack End of Year Tour time, and the question remains, who will lead the Haka?

If the Haka is the All Blacks heartbeat for war, then the one who is defining this moment, the individual who is calling this forth, exclaiming forth its restrains, preaching out life to the darkness, has a vitally important position, role, and call!

While Captain McCaw and Hooker Mealamu have ably lead this before, if the BackingBlackBlogger would have his way, he would put the Haka into another Gear, Hosea Gear.  While this destructive winger may not make it onto the playing podium, should he play, there is no other who has so previously graced this role with such intensity, passion, and commitment!

While it may well be another, I would put the Haka into the Hands of Hosea!

What Say You?

Who Do You Want to Lead the Haka?  Why?

Only 3 Sleeps Till Saturday!

Until Next Time

iamjonnyking

BackingBlackBlog: Thirty-Second Piece

August 22/21

Since we last warmed ourselves with another stirring come-from-behind All Black beat-down, in my role as the BACKINGBLACKBLOGGER, I have had the occasional task of dealing with a grief-stricken supporter, lost and lonely in an All Black-free world!  Not sure what to do with their weekend, not sure how to fill this time, they are left mourning another International season’s passing, pining for a new International season to begin!

Welcome To a New Week World!

Yes, next Saturday Night, from a Hong Kong central and city skyline, the All Blacks are BACK, and better than ever!

While we are desperate for the Boys to turn out the lights on the Jersey of Bling, we do hope that the Sonny will be shining as the Blackness seek to make the Aussies Go All, Oo, Ah, Glenn McGrath, as we hit them for six, making it 11 in a row!

However, with all that has recently gone on before, with the All Blacks going unbeaten in 2010 to-date, stretching back into 2009, making it 15 in a row, What are your expectations for the Telecom BackingBlack Tour?

Yes, I expect that you will probably lean toward, winning, let’s drill a bit deeper down here!

Therefore, in this very short post, which is intended for us all to go crazy in the comments, write down your wish list for the All Blacks Telecom BackingBlack Tour, 2010 

While I am not the All Black Santa… and even if I was, I wouldn’t be inclined to write a note to myself, when I very easily and very often talk to myself, here is my list

The BACKINGBLACKBLOGGER’S TBBT WISH LIST!

1] That We Would Win Every Match on Tour – Had to Include It!

2] We would show-case an increasing diverse way of finishing off the opposition, which would be apparent even in a given performance.  Game-plan growth!

3] Our Tight-Five would lay down the heat and hurt, particularly thinking about scrum-time.  Might as well include the line-out. May any issues in this phase be a figment from the past.

4] That We Would Give Enough Playing Time To See and Show Our Sonny-Side Off.  I hope SBW expresses himself on the field!

5] It would be clear whether Stephen Donald and Daniel Braid were potential legitimate back-ups to Dan and Richie.

6] Brad Thorn would have perfect health and fitness, finishing this Tour with his sights set fully on 2011.

7] Hosea Gear and Alby Matthewson would mark this Tour on the field.  It is TIME… particularly for Hosea!  Also, Alby would find a new Twittering way to celebrate scoring! 😉

8] Mealamu and Hore would have strong, HEALTHY Tours.

9] Robbie Fruean will be added as cover for injury, buy would stay on Tour, even finding his way onto the field, near the end of the Tour!

While I could go on, you must!

Yes, it is now your turn to unleash your desires onto this blog, for the All Blacks jaunt to the North.

There is just over one week to go!

Let the build-up begin!

Until Next Time

iamjonnyking

BackingBlackBlog: Thirty-First Piece

August 22/21

Yes, the Saturday night before the Sunday announcement, and in the bowels of All Blacks rugby, claim and counter-claim were being proposed by many an arm-chair selector, making their case for why this player should Tour and this player should not.

In all of these discussions, the name Piri Weepu would barely have received a murmur, let alone a mention!

Why so?

When discussing the selection issue names like Brad Thorn, Kieran Read, Conrad Smith and Cory Jane, to name a number, rarely come up for debate. These players are in the form of their rugby lives and are as dead, as a stone-cold certainty… Ben Franks is getting there [insert: looks like Stone Cold Steve Austin with that goatee]. These players have earned their title as, Sure Things, something that the recent All Blacks play of one Piri has definitely warranted and deserved.

All this may have seemed like a world away from reality, when in the World Cup of 2007… Stop Reminding Me!… Sorry!…. All this was a world away when Piri Weepuwas shockingly set aside as we went North for another rugbying jaunt, in pursuit of another “i am,” Will-i-am… Webb Ellis!

However, just as time would heal old wounds, we bring you forward to Saturday October 16th 2010 in Wellington-again-had-Wind, as the Lions let loose on their Hurricanes bed-fellows, the Naki [insert: Taranaki] in the latest round of the ITM Cup. While there were moments to remember, only one sticks resolutely in my mind!

The Devil is definitely in the Details therefore let this blogger simply say that what would transpire would make Piri Weepu the Biggest Selection Shocker… and this time it would be Graham Henry who would be the one waving his fist at this misfortune [insert: or expletives to that effect].

What to Say Now?

While Bugger may seem appropriate, let us not dwell on this moment. In this season of All Blacks rugby Piri Weepu has put the Bugger into Bigger things on the field of hopes and dreams, and is one reason why this has been a domestic season to remember!

Reflecting on a playing career, we very easily discuss and document a player’s rise from potential to reality and, while such is the nature of words on a page, there is no guarantee that this transaction would ever take place.  There are too many variables to take into consideration to sufficiently detail, with history providing many an example of players who had the gifts to succeed.

While it would be unwarranted to connect this last paragraph to Weepu’s All Blacks career, if it had stopped at 2009 and ceased before 2010, we would have missed his own very killer cross-over.

From this blogger’s standpoint, in the year 2010 Piri Weepu the rugby player has truly found himself, and the All Blacks may very well have found the answer to the recent perennial half-back shuffle.  While Jimmy Cowan would want to challenge and dispute… and he is up for it…  the wrinkles in Weepu’s game have been smoothed, and his edge has been sharpened.

While Henry and Co. have played share and share alike for the Number 9 spot, whenever Henry has called on Piri he has delivered… in all phases, even when Dan lost his kicking boots for a half, and in the wind of that Wellington night, he would Powza it over versus the Boks!

These are Great Rugby Memories from a Season to Savour!

If you are feeling gutted for the man on fire, consider his personal disappointment at this time. If you have interacted with his tweet, you will know that he is loyal to those he has bonded with, and so, with close and long-time friend, the Twitter King, Neemia Tialata, Tweeps would be updated with a smiling Hacksaw Jim Dugganeven as his hopes for a Grand Slam lay in a plaster-ous ruin

As the timing of the moment would have it, it would be Saturday night that would provide the biggest selection shocker of the weekend, even before Graham Henry and Co. would arrive on early Sunday evening to deliver a team that had just lost its Pow!

I can not help but feel gutted for the man who has seemingly grown so much in a year, both on and off the field!

With all this in mind, we at BackingBlack send out much love or aroha to Piri!  We can’t wait to tweet you back on the field of our All Blacks dreams and your All Blacks realities.  We know you can come back stronger for this period of pain, as you set your course for Rugby World Cup glory.

That is surely enough from me, but while I stop this flow, I encourage and exhort  you all to comment out some love for our All Blacks number 9 Piri Weepu as he begins the road to recovery!

He’ll Be Back!

… and so will I… Not as exciting, I know!

Until Next Time

iamjonnyking

BackingBlackBlog: Thirtieth Piece

August 22/21

And if you want the wings to fly to Wales to watch the All Blacks live and in the flesh on the Telecom BackingBlack Tour, stay tuned for details! Don’t worry members, we’ll email you details as soon as they’re released.

Yes, that was a paid message from our sponsors – you don’t wanna miss out on this opportunity of a life-time!

Just so you know, this isn’t a holiday to go sunning yourself, this is the UK, after all… not forgetting the seasonal realities… Yes, should you win, you will be heading to Wales, who will no doubt be saying they will beat us, again, boyo, to watch our Boys in All Black!

And so, yesterday at Eden Park, in the City of Squalls that we also refer to as Auckland, the latest instalment in a great All Black tradition took place: the squad for the Telecom BACKINGBLACK Tour was announced.

If you want to read the squad in full, I suggest you visit… here!

Now that it has been named, it is our job to discuss, dissect, diverge, and divulge on what we the fans, in our individual positions of authority, think of Graham Henry and Co’s latest line-up to depart our Shaky Shores!

Can you handle the Jandel… Summer is Coming, Can’t You Tell?!

To fulfill this transaction, we will discuss these selections in three categories: Sure Things, those players who were always going to be there. Surprises, those selections that made us sit up and smirk! Finally, Shockers, those players who have missed out… but how?!

While I am sure Henry and Co. are certain in their selections, I would be surprised if there were too many oracles who picked all 30.  When Henry confirmed that the philosophy was to replicate a Rugby World Cup squad, it did impact on the selections… nevertheless, here we go!

Sure Things

The following names, or most of the names, do not need any introduction or introspection, as they were really never in doubt, even on this side of the selection fence.  Messrs McCaw, Thorn, Mealamu, Hore, Woodcock, Franks x 2, Afoa, Boric, Donnelly, Whitelock, Kaino, Read, Cowan, Matthewson, Carter, Nonu, Smith, Toeava, Jane, Rokocoko, Sivivatu, and Muliaina, were all solid money bet-selections beforehand and proved to be on it, when the squad was announced!

Most of these boys were solid-to-standouts in the recent Tri-Nations unbeaten run, and so were always going to be selected! The others had been standouts, and now that they are fit again, they are back in Black!

Speaking of, we must send a special BACKINGBLACK shout-out to Piri Weepu, a man who was always going to make it! We are gutted for you, bro, but know you’ll come back stronger than ever!  Kia Kaha, and we’ll be right there tweeting with ya!

Another sure thing that we have pointed out on the blog before was the elevation of…. S>>>B>>>W…. Yes, it is now official, and with his recent performances on the field, I am stoked that there is general satisfaction that the man has done enough!

This is where it could get interesting…

Surprises

Hikawera Elliott – His inclusion as a surprise really relates to the decision to take 3 specialist hookers. Corey Flynn’s injury, and the injury cloud over Mealamu and Hore, means the All Blacks selectors decided to take another Hooker.  Henry indicated that if both rakes were fit and firing, they were inclined to only take 2, as John Afoa is being groomed as a Front-Rower of all trades.  However, given Elliott’s form, his ability with ball in hand, the injury to Flynn, and the decision to take 3 Specialists, the flightpath was cleared for his All Black takeoff, and he is on the plane.

Daniel Braid – The perennial search for a back-up to Richie McCaw found a Back to the Future contestant for this tour.  Many have been tried, and yet we still search for someone to mimic Marty Holah, who was world-class in his own right. Braid was touted as a boy with wonder in his boots, but McCaw was his kryptonite to an All Black ascension.  However, after a successful stint in Queensland, which was encouraged by the new rule interpretations, the Daniel of the Braid variety [there is a younger brother, Luke] was lured back to NZ, which indicated what the Coaching Triumvirate were thinking. Therefore, while I would have been keen for some, fresh meat [insert: Matt Todd… his time will come] in this position, given that they want a specialist back-up to McCaw, the big surprise with Braid may come in the fact that the All Blacks selectors often take a hybrid to cover Richie, the Energizer Rugby Player!

Liam Messam –  I like Messam as a person and a player… Ahhhh, warm fuzzies… However, I am still trying to see him in that one position in the loose-forward trio.  He still remains a bench player who can cover the back row.  He has definitely developed his game over the years, and has had his heart ripped out… a.k.a. Victor Vito style… but has come back as a much more dependable and solid performer. Physically gifted, no doubt, but has yet to mark his territory at this level.  While it may be a matter of who would replace him, given Coach Henry’s reference to him as a No. 8 [any Colin Bourke supporters out there?], he has no better example than Kieran Read to imitate on this Teleocom BackinBlack Tour, as he will get a chance to remove the doubt, making beliebers of us all!

Andy Ellis – This man may go down as the most disliked All Black in this squad.  To be frank, and I am not related, while he is yet to really do anything substantial in an All Black jersey, I see the potential in Andy Ellis, where others do not.  While it seems reasonable to conclude that he is only there as a result of the Weepu woe, he has the opportunity to re-stake his claim. He will have to work hard to change people’s minds about his worth, but there is only one way this will transpire! Yes, a surprise addition before Saturday evening, but his form for Canterbury has been noted… Can he step up?

Stephen Donald – I have blogged on other shores about a possible rationale for the Donald inclusion. However, given his demotion behind Mike Delaney Tunes some 12 months previous, the talk of his need to move to the number 12 shirt, the rise and potential of Cruden and Slade, the re-selection of Stephen is still head-scratching for some.  Yes, he has come back strong in the ITM Cup, but as has been affirmed by McCaw himself, this is a couple of levels below International rugby, which is where the skill-set of Donald has struggled.  Tenacious, hard working and a good team man though he is, is he an International First-Five who could lead the All Blacks to Rugby World Cup success? And while Cruden and Slade have the upside of a very big upside, I remain-to-be-convinced whether Donald can operate in the International arena when his time will be a vacant reality, and his Transformer mechanics [insert: can be robotic] are in the pressure cooker.

Hosea Gear –  What?  “You must be kidding,” goes many a-supporter, “It’s about time!”  Yes, the drums have been beating for this behemoth in the wing, for years.  What a week it has been for “H,” from Commonwealth GOLD to All Black GOLD. Can it get any sweeter?  While I am a fan of this man’s finishing ability, it has been his work rate that has near doubled that was obviously the selling point for Henry and Co., which explains why now is the time that they have added Hosea, particularly noteworthy considering the log-jam in the wing positions.  Therefore, while I had other names on my mind, I am happy with this surprise, as long as he can reproduce, which is the key question from this time 12 months back, when Gear was given his first big All Black break!

Shockers

When we have players in mind, very often we have not thought through the ramifications of each selection, and how this player, who we think must make it, compliments and fits the Squad as a whole.  Therefore, these players are those who many would have found a position for, even if 30 players plus 1, breaks the bank!

Victor Vito – Sadly for Victor, I do wonder if the memory of that glaring over-read versus Australia did not play a large part in him missing out on this Tour Party, particularly when the introduction of Jerome Kaino was decisive in the final result, to boot. While that may read a little unfairly, I would think it would have been such things [insert: work-rate] that would have split Vito and Messam in the Selectors’ minds.  Messam has removed much of the fundamental flaws in his game, and has had to go to the Wilderness to work these through, and now it is Victor’s turn.  If only 2 Hookers were taken, I would think Victor Vito would have more than likely, been in… grinning.

Aaron Cruden – Talking about Aaron can be transposed onto Colin Slade, as both seemed to be peas in the same pod, in the perennial search for Dan Carter’s back-up.  Cruden, again, seems to be paying for his part in an indifferent All Black 60 at Sydney.  While this was a team affair, such is the nature of International sport.  Personally, I am surprised they have not taken this opportunity to further develop this young man’s undoubted gifts.  His return to the ITM Cup had allayed many doubts, but the Donald’s form screamed, you’re fired, as he came back breathing fire.  Cruden will be back, the boy has too much up top, and has been through too much adversity to allow this set-back to stifle his spirit.  Next Year’s Super Rugby competition will be definitive in who gets the All Blacks No. 2 No. 10, and there are three starters, desperate for action.

Colin Slade –  While Cruden’s stock went south in Sydney, Slade’s shot north, as his introduction coincided with the All Blacks’ re-awakening.  While a direct cause and effect is pushing the envelope, he did do everything right in the final 20, affirming that he can handle the kitchen.  I would have taken both Cruden and Slade, as I believe they are both the present-to-the-future, and such time would have been invaluable, particularly in 12 months time.  However, like Cruden, he will have a Highlanders outfit to prove his pivot potential, although, poison chalice anyone?!

Robbie Fruean – The Freakish Fear Factor of the Freight Train [credit to a tweep before a Marshall for this] that is the Robbie Fruean Express was very tough deny.  I would have been inclined to only take 2 half-backs, as this boy’s upside is seemingly the size of Sonny!  We have few backs who actually put the fear of God into the opposition, but Fruean has this Factor on tap. The fact that he can also play on the wing is another tick in my book.  I would have used this time to develop another mid-field combination further with SBW… even with the addition of Toeava, as time in the saddle with DC would have been invaluable. Henry has spoken of how close Fruean was to selection, and we may still see him on Tour, as injuries are always a possibility, but a huge Super season awaits!

Rene Ranger – Last, but by no means least, is Rene “ROD” Ranger… Ranger of Danger… who has missed the cut.  My last memory of Ranger is coming on in Sydney, making a real impact, as the All Blacks pushed on toward victory… Oh, and that ad! It does seem that the Selectors who are Coaches have gone for more specialists on this Tour, which means Ranger’s diversity is missing in action. For mine, the boy has such a bench upside that his lack of selection is a little surprising, although, once again, battling it out for a spot in 30 is no easy beat.  Ranger needs a big Super season in one position where he can be tested against all-other-comers, as utility can be hard to beat!

There we have it!

Yes, there are other names that can be added, and we encourage you to be free with your thoughts, opinions, and perspectives.  While Israel Dagg could be added to the Shockers, such is only as a result of the grief and shock of many who found out that he was unable to Tour as injured… He Will Be Back…

… and, so will I, as I am wont to read and interact with your comments… You are going to comment!

Let’s get some interaction going, as the buffet is open, and it is all you can read, tweet, and something that rhymes with comment! 😉

WHAT SAY YOU?

Until Next Time

iamjonnyking

BackingBlackBlog: Twenty-Ninth Piece

August 22/21

To open I’d like to remind you of a little sunshine – a little Sydney Smile to darken your world. Check out the BackingBlack Facebook page here to see some great fan pics from the last Bledisloe showdown.

While that may seem like an ideal elixir, we do trust it will be sufficient for what is about to follow, as it is nearly time to go there.

But, before there can be here, we must point out that we have been here before!  Yes, with Parts One and Two in this blogging series we have choked on an object, Bill, and now with this final instalment, our Trilogy is complete…Mwahahaha!

I am aware that this post may encourage moments of great emotion, therefore, prepare yourself as we get this gagging thing going along again!

We begin this account in the year 2003, with the BackingBlack Blogger resident in the Western Island of Oi, Oi, Oi Oi-ville. Therefore, when the Rugby World Cup ventured onto the Horizon, desperate places called for desperate times, desiring desperate realities… Yes, only World Cup Glory would keep the wolves away! 

Leading up to this tournament this seemed perfectly reasonable, as the All Black coaching staff had perfected the “silence is golden” strategy, and the All Blacks unit had unleashed an attacking brand of rugby that had shocked the opposition into silence… encouraging some outrageous realities, like teams forgetting to tackle!

In the Tri-Nations of 2003, leading up to the Rugby World Cup, the All Blacks had inflicted two 50-point away victories, one each against the Boof-Boks and the Wobblies, where the rugby world had witnessed lightning in a bottle… sublime and mesmeric!

While the All Blacks had played their hand, and it was indeed impressive, hindsight would prove it was a Tournament too soon!

If the All Blacks have been hot favourites before any Rugby World Cup, this may have been their hottest, as it had only been a matter of months since this team had dismantled the opposition, and this is surely not enough time to turn things around. However, the dawning of that final Tri-Nations match versus the Wobblies, where the Blacks only won, 21-17, at home, would find its ultimate expression in a Sydney Semi-Final Night!

On that night our one-dimensional attacking game found its equal in an all-out Aussie defence that would play its final a week too soon, beating our boys, 22-10. This match was decided on penalties, as both sides crossed for one try apiece.  With the pain there for all to see, Jerry Collins stayed out on the field of dreams, waiting for the nightmare to end!

Choking?  While that may be the perspective of some, the All Blacks were never really in it after  Mils Muliaina was denied that try, which lead to a Sterling effort, giving the Australians that little bit of belief that they needed. With home ground advantage, and an All Blacks team stuck on repeat, the Wobblies ground their way to victory! A lesson to be learned… No?

While 2003 proved painful when living in an Australian world, what would transpire in 2007 would hurt on a whole new level!

Yes, the 2007 Rugby World Cup enters the building, and is greeted with a deathly silence, a grieving silence of all the departed hopes and dreams of New Zealand and All Blacks supporters who look on in shocked silence at what could have, and should have, been!

While they say time heals old wounds, three more years Byron doesn’t quite sound or feel like the real thing, and as we move into the fourth, the reminder of what transpired on that Cardiff day wounds like a Whale… afresh!

Gutted!

It is fair to say that, while what transpired in the 1995 affair still sickens the stomach, the events surrounding this Quarter-Final arouse some serious sensibilities in this BackingBlack Blogger.

While this match has been pulled apart from one pillar to a given post… in my view there has yet to be a sufficient statement of events that does justice to what transpired on this day.

Therefore, in this post, there are some things that I believe need to be said!

Simply put, He Stuffed Up!

Yes, I am sure we all know who I am referencing here, the pasty and not very tasty English Referee, Wayne Barnes, who very quickly became public enemy number one for All Blacks fans.

So What Went Wrong?

Any activity handled by humanity is a reality prone to mistakes. Which means while the forward pass, in particular, was unfortunate, I can sort-of-stomach a Referee missing such individual calls, as these things happen in a Test.

The issue with Barnes, which he must be called out on, is that he allowed one team, France, to do whatever it took to stop another team, the All Blacks, and it was to hell with the rules of the game.  In an analysis of events, it should matter little which teams are playing in a given encounter, as the laws of the game are what give Union definition and life… and these are supposed to be colour-blind!

In a match where the team ranked number 1 in the world is dominating both territory and possession, yet does not receive one penalty in the last 50 minutes of a Test Match, is not only exceptional, in my opinion, it is a mirage of the real thing.

The only ‘choking” reality on that Cardiff afternoon was one Referee who lost the plot.

Well, goes the refrain, the All Blacks still should have won, and they should have done more!  

Well, if I may, that is a load of theoretical mumbo jumbo, which misses the point!

The All Blacks did do enough, however, as Barnes proved, there was nothing the All Blacks could do, save scoring tries, and maybe a drop-kick, which would have been nice, to impact on the scoreboard. When have such limited working conditions ever been part of the game we love?

Barnes gave away the rules of game of Rugby! Union stopped breathing for a time!

Yes, the All Blacks “should” have won that game easily! 

France should have been penalised off the park, and no one would be talking about that result now. The All Blacks should have scored at least 9 to 15 points as a result of the insistent French infringing and breaking of the rules of Rugby.

Rugby is only a game, but like society, if you don’t have rules and laws, refuse to, or are unable implement these, people will do what they want, with the result being one heck of a mess.  If there is anarchy, whom is to blame? The All Blacks? No! France? Well, they may be the cause of the disruption and are therefore, in the wrong! However, those who are ultimately responsible are those who have been given the authority to enforce the rules.

Are the All Blacks to Blame for the Referee’s Performance?

Yes, Richie should have raised Barnes’ failings, but still, the responsibility rests with one man!

Therefore, asking if the All Blacks choked in 2007 is a question not fitting this Rugby occasion and this band of All Blacks brothers! The All Blacks could have played better, Yes, but this is true in every International under the Sun, and is the wrong question to ask! The All Blacks played a rugby match in real time, and while the score on the board will always be a reminder, look at the pictures on display, they do not lie!

Breathing? Just!

While in all this typing we cannot change the past, we can learn from it in the present, and use it to positively impact our future! We have seen in the one man, Richie, what can be accomplished when the lessons in life are not forgotten in the journey. This should provide us with much encouragement as we project to 2011

Yes 2011, and as All Black supporters, we will have to listen, watch, and read as much will be made of this narrative, with each opposing team hoping for an All Blacks unthinkable!

Not This Time!

What Say You?

Until Next Time

iamjonnyking

BackingBlackBlog: Twenty-Eighth Piece

August 22/21

That was until one looked into the mirror, the morning after that night before.  Yes, it had been a tough finale, and it was written all over my face… *Yawn*…  Nevertheless, the warm mellow glow of Commonwealth GOLD is enough to encourage extra Jam on the toast as brave New Zealand, All Black, and BackingBlack fans step out into the Wednesday of another week!

Did you stay up for the Final?  Did you see the early morning darkness through?  Could you handle the heat when the 7s Kitchen was on Fire, and it needed a Shower, I mean, a Stower, of the Sherwin variety to help put it out?

Yes, it was a sensational victory for this very Un-Commonwealth band of rugby brothers, lead by an incessant Titch [Gordon Tietjens], who have now gone through 4 Commonwealth Games without losing a match on their rugby record, providing us a Golden moment to remember before the Telecom BackingBlack Tour storm begins!

However, before we move our minds on to the end of year tour, there are a couple of fan lessons we can learn from the 7s victory, particularly as we project to a William Webb Ellis dawn! 

1] There are going to be multiple moments of struggle to, Kill Bill, and win this trophy

We need to be reminded of this reality, as our assumption can be that it is just a matter of turning up, and the job will be done. Yes, expect there to be some very stressful moments for the 2011 RWC Champions… A sporting past-time generally involves a competition and a battle for supremacy.  We, the fans, need to be ready for this, not only as we watch things unfold on television, but especially for those… please let it be me… who will be at the grounds at the business end of the Tournament.  If we are naive about this, we can very easily be shocked into silence and random moments of thoughtlessness and panic can overtake and overcome.  Forewarned is forearmed, and those who know that the war will be tough will be more readied for the battle when the Kitchen is on Fire!

The 7s team, in the midst of the 2nd half, were behind by more than a try, they looked tired, and if the Australians had scored next, I think we all know what the result may have been.  What to do at such a time as this?  On Twitter I was reading distressed and panicky responses from those who were thinking the worst… Yes, the unthinkable! [insert: that the Australian Jersey had won the night].

However, in the cut and thrust of elite sport, being down and seemingly out, is part of the journey, and as in life, where there are valleys and mountain peaks, such is the trail to traverse toward the finish line.  We need to expect there will be multiple moments for our All Blacks in the 2011 RWC, and while the opposition and their fans would like to see such moments paralyse our hopes, dreams, aspirations, and support, these are the moments when we need to, KIA KAHA, Be Strong, Standing and Supporting Our Boys in Black, Out Loud and In Person!

We will be readied to do this, if we are practicing what I am preaching…

2] We have got to stay strong in our confidence and belief

Believe. Simply put and definitely demonstrated by the New Zealand 7s team who said that their will was to be done. In the business end, when it counted, the Blacks were the bankers!  Behind 17-7 and being dominated at the break-down, which is mandatory for 7s dominance, was it time to mentally, emotionally, and intellectually give up?  Not for the players who continued to believe that they would outlast the Australians, and with the introduction of fresh and firing legs, the New Zealand 7s team turned the lights out on the Australian outfit, proving that if you never give up on never giving up, with a belief set in GOLD, you will be wearing the medalion with your stepping out gear on, in the end!

The All Blacks have also proven this season that they are the team who know how to finish off the opposition, and have spoken about their belief that has driven them on to victory.  However, as the RWC has generally not been a happy hunting ground, you can sense how the opposition and their fans will be invigorated by this perceived chink in the All Black Armour. As this perspective is encouraged, their belief rises, and what we most dread dawns.

But 2011 has to be and will be different, and we the fans need to set the standard.

The 7s prove that if you allow your belief to be defined by the convictions of your rugby character, you can handle the setbacks, rise above, making it all better in the end.  Conversely, and as fans, if we allow a given moment to define our sense of the final outcome, we turn into panicky teens with that huge ZIT on Formal Night, where what we most dread, becomes our reality, and it turns all septic!

We Need to Mature!

Come Rugby World Cup 2011, let us remind ourselves of our 7′ GOLD, let us reflect on the All Blacks’ recent finishing form, and let’s stay strong with a believing resolve, that no matter the score on the board between minutes 0-79, it really only matters when the clock strikes 80!

Given the All Blacks’ ability to execute and finish strongly, underscored by their winning record, we can have a resolve throughout the battle that the All Blacks will win the war!

Yes, you say, but this is a Rugby World Cup, and these are different.  You are right, this will be different!

While there are no guarantees in the world of sport… I am a Believer… Thank You, Justin!  We at BackingBlack will be Backing the Boys All the Way… PERIOD!  Let’s Back Them Together!

Once again, Massive Congratulations to Gordon Tietjens, DJ Forbes, and all the Boys.  You have made us Proud!

Can’t Wait for 12 months!

What Say You?

Until Next Time

iamjonnyking