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All Black blues New Zealand lacks self belief
Updated: Tuesday August 14, 2001 12:07 PM
You know times are getting hard for the New Zealand All Blacks when an Australian starts to feel sorry for them. After watching them fall to a limp 23-15 loss to the Wallabies in the Tri Nations, I sympathized with Wayne Smith's team and its Rugby-obsessed public. Not only had the Dunedin hoodoo been broken with Australia's first win in 96 years, but the All Blacks looked genuinely spooked by a team they once dominated. Australia has now won a staggering six out of its last eight Tests against New Zealand. It wasn't so long ago that any victory over our Trans Tasman neighbor was considered a rarity This is illustrated in the overall try-count in matches between the two nations since 1903. New Zealand has scored 300 tries compared to Australia's 171. The All Blacks had many chances to win this vital Tri Nations game at Carisbrook Park. But after racing to a 5-0 lead within the first two minutes, New Zealand seemed frighteningly low on ideas and self-belief. The contempt that the All Blacks once felt for the Wallabies has apparently been replaced by a kind of hero worship. It's almost as if they're giving too much respect for the reigning world champion. During the Dunedin match, even the local television commentators spoke in awe about "this special Wallaby side". For decades, New Zealand looked down on Australian rugby. It was virtually a religion in cities like Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland, but just one of many sports in Sydney and Brisbane and not seriously played in other state capitals like Melbourne and Adelaide, obsessed by Australian Rules Football. The first World Cup in 1987 was comfortably won by the All Blacks. But the upstart Australians managed to win two World Cup in the 1990s, including the most recent tournament in 1999 at which the All Blacks were shock losers to France in the semi-finals. The irony is that New Zealand probably had the team of the decade during the '90s, yet came up empty-handed in World Cups. The All Blacks also surprisingly lost the 1995 final to South Africa. These kind of disappointments still weigh heavily on the current team. It's almost as if the players are carrying the burdens of past failures and lacking the confidence of the great All Black teams of old. Player for player, New Zealand is just as good as Australia. If anything, there's a lot more depth in New Zealand Rugby, as reflected by five Kiwi teams in the Super-12 competition compared to only three from Australia. Yet the Aussies somehow find a way to win big matches, whether it's through a last-minute goal or a phenomenal individual try. Jonah Lomu had a typically dangerous game for New Zealand in the Carisbrook Test, but I can't help but feeling he would score a lot more tries if he were on the end of the Australian backline. Also, the All Blacks need to resolve their problems at fly half. Tony Brown is a good provincial player and will always shine against the weaker nations, but he was clearly out of his depth against Stephen Larkham and the Wallabies. Despite all his recent travails, Andrew Mehrtens remains a world-class number 10 and it was clear that the New Zealand three-quarters were far more dangerous when he took to the field at Carisbrook. The return of Christian Cullen from injury will also bolster the backs. Jeff Wilson is a better winger than fullback and remains vulnerable to the kick-and-chase, as demonstrated by Australia's Matthew Burke in Dunedin. There's not much wrong with the All Black forwards. Of course, a dynamic open-side flanker like Australia's George Smith would give them an extra dimension, but the likes of Taine Randell and Ron Cribb are also excellent loose forwards. Cribb made the professional foul by tackling Wallaby Joe Roff without the ball that led to the decisive penalty try in the second half. While that was the correct ruling, it must be said that on other occasions the All Blacks got the wrong end of the stick from referee Steve Lander. The Englishman seemed like Australia's best friend at vital times. But when you're down, everything seems to be against you. At least, that's how the New Zealanders must think. To get back to their former dominance, the All Blacks need a mixture of old and new philosophies. On the Rugby field, they should return to what they know best: an old-style, aggressive, forward-driven side, which kicks for field position and unleashes its backs in the opponent's half. The "new" philosophy deals with the mental side of the game. This most traditional of teams needs some advanced sports psychology to help restore self-confidence and the old All Black pride. To be honest, the All Blacks have never been the same since rugby turned professional in 1995. Unless they make changes now, the one-time kings of the sport risk being left behind
Jason Dasey is co-host of World Sport, the international sports show that airs live on CNN/Sports Illustrated and CNN International.
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