The All Blacks - why do they choke so much?

[newbie original]

1) WC FINAL '95 - Lomu was unstoppable against England in the semis...the entire team looked like kids in the final against the Boks

2) WC semi final '99 - could not believe what happened in the second half..after Lomu' s try I thought it was over but then the team sat back and did nothing to prevent the French from scoring. It was like they stood and watched while France ran into the finals.

3) WC semi final 2003 - with all due respect to the Wallabies, I thought NZ was the favourite to win the game and the tournament. They just lacked the kind of knock out punch they delivered on numerous occasions during the tri nations of that year

4) Tri - nations 2005 - considered not NORMAL and not yet reached THEIR PEAK against the Lions, they were supposed to beat SA. As far as I can remember, it was something like 40 years since NZ lost to SA at Newlands....winners by nearly HALF A CENTURY in Nov of 2004....BUT THEY LOST .....AGAAAAIIINNNN!!!!!!

Why!

There may be others but these are a few that come to mind.

I cannot think of too many teams :hit: in other sports in this situation. Oh by the way, they havent won a WC since 1987!

 

[danger zone]

does it really even matter?

 

[rhizome17]

All Blacks didn't choke against South Africa in the Trinations. SA are underrated - don't forget they won the competition last year. They are a very physical side who employed some very dubious offside tactics in the game, although it appears in general that referees are getting a bit less restrictive in terms of offside play. They targeted Carter and Kelleher, and as a result the movement of the ball was upset. Smart tactic, and something the Lions never learned to do in their three games.

All Blacks will win the Trinations this year I think. Wallabies are down and out, and I am sure Henry has the tactics to upset the Boks in Dunedin.

 

[newbie original]

Dunedin Apathy Stuns Henry:

24/08/2005 Marc Hinton in DunedinAll Blacks coach Graham Henry has sounded a warning to the declining Otago rugby public - show your support for the All Blacks or you won't see them in a top-notch match in your city again.

As Carisbrook remained well short of sold-out status just days out from the All Blacks' decisive Tri Nations clash against the Springboks on Saturday night, Henry had to admit the situation had become a "major concern".

This coming on top of a diabolical turnout for Otago's marquee Saturday night NPC matchup against Auckland at the same venue. Henry attended that game and could not believe the crowd, estimated at somewhere between 4-5,000.

With Otago's NPC side drastically under-performing last year and ticket prices for top-level rugby continuing to spiral, Otago rugby fans have voted with their feet. Or with their remote controls, as the case may be.

And they are staying away in such droves, that Carisbrook's status as a tier-one test venue is not just under threat, it's days are surely numbered. Already the ground has been told it needs to spend millions on an upgrade.

And if rugby continues to draw such a poor response from the public, it can only be a matter of time before Dunedin's position as a Super 14 base comes under review. The Lions high-profile Saturday night clash against Otago did not sell out either, drawing criticism at the time.

On Tuesday, when Henry named his lineup to face the Boks in as big a match as you could hope for, there were still 4000 seats remaining to be sold at Carisbrook. There continued to be real concerns the venue would not be sold out by Saturday night.

Given this is the defining match of the Tri Nations with the Boks on the back of a four-test winning streak and the All Blacks needing a victory to keep their title hopes alive, this display of apathy from the people of the south astounds the national coach.

"I think it should concern Dunedin and Otago and Carisbrook," said Henry.

"Let's be honest, it may not happen in some other provicial places in New Zealand who are keen for test matches.

"I think the cry to Otago rugby and to the people of the Otago province is to support this test match. I know the population is not huge here, but it's a criteria for the future.

"I was at Carisbrook on Saturday night for Auckland-Otago. There was about 5000 people there. The reality is if you're going to continue to have test matches at Carisbrook ..."

Well the next words didn't bear saying, really.

Henry, a one-time student in the city many, many years ago, admitted he would hate to see Carisbrook drop off the test match radar, describing it as an "iconic" venue.

"It's very traditional. The guys enjoy playing here, they enjoy the buildup in Dunedin and if it's going to continue to be a test match venue then the people of the south have got to support the game.

"I don't think there's any way of getting away from that."
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At the start of the 3N I would' ve almost guaranteed a clean sweep...Sivivatu was on fire commin' in..Rockoko was on his way back...I expected that Graham Henry would be in the throngs of one of the sweetest headaches in world rugby - should he pick Rokocoko or Sivivatu? But now???? These are very dangerous times for a very, very good All Blacks team. They are facing two teams at different ends of the scales.

South Africa now have the faith to win away from home. Saturday was a tough game and their defense was very very good when on their line. Still, Outdoor is right about the number of breaks Australia made. South Africa can not afford that many breaks with this All Black team. Still, if they are close with 10 minutes to go, well what a finish it will be.

As for the Aussies, they were a lot more physical and hunted as a pack on Saturday. Yep, the scrum should not be a problem for the All Blacks, but Australia showed that the Aussie pack spreading out to attack will not happen again. They will take on NZ as a pack in the area of the breakdown.

The most dangerous thing about the Aussies is that the confidence will still be there and the press and Australians will be into them and give them no chance. It would also help if the NZ press would do the same. Problem is, Henry won't because he knows the Aussies well and won't stir them up.

The Aussies will be desperate to win and will throw everything at NZ. Still, this NZ side is coached by a man who has grown a sense of calm when under pressure in this team, so the All Blacks with that pack and dangerous backline should still beat a gallent Aussie team.

 

[newbie original]

Couldn' t resist


Potent Bok cocktail makes All Blacks dizzy
August 25, 2005
All Blacks assistant coach Wayne Smith says the Springboks are a brutal side made up by clever players. He said it was this combination that made them so difficult to beat.

Smith, addressing the media in Dunedin, told Marc Hinton that the Boks' thinking on the field was as good as their defence.

"They are full of very clever players who won't always do what you expect and that is part of what makes them so dangerous. They've got quite a unique style at the moment in terms of world rugby," said Smith. "They play position really well and they've got a great defensive lineout and contest really well. They're prepared to give you the throw and in some games it's almost like it's their own throw - they're that good at contesting.

"And they've got a very strong defensive line and like to put pressure on. They're a very good team at creating pressure and cumulatively building it and building it with their physicality and their lineout."

Smith said the New Zealanders knew that the Boks would keep it simple and that defence would be huge on Saturday night. What the All Blacks have to try and do is break it down on match day.

They've failed in the last three tests to combat this aggressive and sustained defence.

"They're big, strong athletes who have adapted a defensive pattern that suits them and their personalities. It suits their toughness and their macho feel for the game. And it's difficult to play against.

"But it can create opportunities for you. If you can get the ball into the areas that they're leaving then there are gaps. The difficulty is getting it there sometimes."

Smith has had three looks now at this Boks side under White and he told us it didn't take more than one to nut out the way to play against it.

"We know what they do, it's just how you get the ball into the areas that you know you can attack it. That's the difficulty. They're a very good defensive side. They're a physical team, they've got a great defensive spirit and it's not as easy as people might think to overcome."

 

[rhizome17]

The thing is, the South African team ARE very good, at last we can say there are two truly world class sides in the Southern Hemisphere that would beat anything coming from the North. The Wallabies are simply at a rebuilding phase, and with exciting talents they will be there or thereaouts come 2007.

If you look at the All Black games through the trinations, you can see the All Blacks are experimenting with many different things (the short kick from the 22 and so forth). They know that winning the Trinations is not the be all and end all - as it comes around again a year later, and Henrys real task is to build a team to win the world cup. Compare with the series against the Lions, where the point was to win something that comes around only every 12 years or so, hence the more consistent type of play employed. In winning the trinations, you only win bragging rights for a year, so it is not all that important. Sure they will probably win the trinations this year, but I for one don't really care too much as the true test of form will be the Northern Hemisphere tour at the end of the year. There are still positions that are not guranteed at the moment, and I would expect Collins and Solialo to be really fighting for inclusion come 2007. Henrys real job will be to find a replacement for Umaga come world cup time, developing a world class halfback, and finding good replacement for Carter in event of injury - acDonald is stop gap measure, and macalister is better at 2nd five.

Anyway, I have my tickets to the Wallabies game this weekend.

By the way, do you get any coverage of the NPC at all?

 

[newbie original]

......I would expect Collins and Solialo to be really fighting for inclusion come 2007. Henrys real job will be to find a replacement for Umaga come world cup time...

Agreed here. I definitely feel Collins' place in the squad will come under threat although he did perform well against the Wallabies. I can' t imagine Tana Umaga not being captain for the World Cup...I read somewhere that he was doing some kind of special fitness training and resting whenever possible to be around for France in 2 years time. The captain' s position should be his to lose.

By the way, do you get any coverage of the NPC at all?

Yes but at very very awkward timings.