blood
Robert Armstrong : Rugby
As teenagers New Zealanders learn that rugby union is a potent symbol of their nationhood. And by early manhood those who have made the grade are regarded as icons in every town, from Whangarei to Invercargill.
When England face the All Blacks on Saturday they must come to terms with men whose passion has been refined and calibrated by up-to-date technology and focused on a corporate ethic that refuses to acknowledge the possibility of defeat. When a player becomes an All Black it is a bit like joining the mafia: loyalty to the organisation is paramount, opponents are there to be destroyed.
The 1997 All Blacks counfound the myth that Test players have to be giants. Jonah Lomu is the exception that proves the rule. As rugby men go, team-mates such as Christian Cullen, Robin Brooke and Carlos Spencer could easily pass for professional football players. The great majority of the 36- strong squad are lean, lithe and well- balanced, on the ground and in the air.
Talk to Ross Cooper, the All Blacks coach who guided Waikato to a national championship when John Mitchell (now an England coach) was their captain, and you quickly discover that New Zealand have added heart and soul to the intimidating efficiency that has twice taken them to World Cup finals.
“We aim to make every player feel valued and to keep morale on a high,” says Cooper. “In the UK public expectations of Jonah are way up there yet the man has been gravely ill. He has gone through a terrible six months of treatment and it’s a tribute to his character that he has made the tour. We just want to look after Jonah and keep him out of pressure situations – it’s totally unrealistic to expect him to do what he did in the 1995 World Cup.
“There has been a major change in the All Blacks’ attitude – we do care about people, we certainly care about kids, and when we play our rugby we want people to enjoy what they see. We still want to win all our games but our priority is to play in style and with a smile. We want to look at ourselves in the mirror and be able to say ‘We did our best on every front’.”
The crucial factors that go into the making of an All Black – pace, balance, hand-eye co-ordination – may be in the genes but Cooper, who was a headmaster before a professional coach, believes in a structured environment for moulding talent. Becoming an All Black, he suggests, is like enrolling in a unique course of higher education.
“It’s essential to have a burning desire to play for your country and to win, but we also believe in the importance of playing fair and providing a role model for younger New Zealanders,” he explains.
“We’ve always tried to develop an ethos which produces a champion team rather than a team of individual champions. Great old players like Zinny and Fitzy and Buncey are only too happy to come and help the young fellows succeed.
“The key to our tradition is that one All Black never wants to see another All Black fail. We believe our team spirit is unique in professional sport – though the older guys are keen to guard their own jersey, they never want to stand aside and let a new guy come unstuck. I think that’s the greatest quality of this team – every newcomer knows he has joined a very exclusive club. We believe All Blacks are All Blacks 24 hours a day every day of the year.”
Cooper acknowledges that the All Blacks offer a significant focal point for social and political unity in New Zealand, a country which has had to grapple with increasing demands for Maori self- determination in recent years.
“We are one of two great sporting institutions in New Zealand – the other is the yachting crew that won the America’s Cup – and we appreciate the way the nation gets fully behind us whenever we play a Test,” says Cooper.
“We’re a small country of just 3.5 million people and we have our struggles but the All Blacks keep going, they are always there. Our vision ultimately is to make the All Blacks’ style a world-wide sporting brand that transcends national boundaries.
“John Hart [the chief coach] has brought something of his business background to the All Blacks. He has created a management team, each of whom has a clearly defined role yet is willing to do things that go beyond that role. We are a well-oiled machine but John has also brought a human face to our public image. John knows how to get the best out of people – he is a genuine catalyst.
“Longevity has always been very important to us – people enjoy playing for the All Blacks and staying in the team as long as they can. In the professional era our players continue to have great respect for the jersey and take pride in wearing it.”
How does Cooper rate New Zealand’s prospects in the forthcoming series of four Tests beginning with Ireland in Dublin next Saturday? “Whenever Ireland play the All Blacks at home it has traditionally been a difficult encounter for us. If things click for the Irish they can play a very exciting brand of rugby with a great deal of passion.
“They have been rebuilding their side this year and their coach Brian Ashton will have learned valuable things about us on last summer’s tour to New Zealand, when they suffered some heavy defeats. Ireland have adopted a more expansive approach and, like the Welsh, they generate an intense atmosphere.
“When this tour was first mooted the opportunity to play at Wembley and Old Trafford [where they meet Wales and England respectively] was a big talking point for our team. It will be a privilege to go to grounds with such a great tradition and play sides of quality there. Each time it will be a special occasion.”
For tonight’s match Llanelli have switched Steve Jones to inside centre as Frano Botica’s injured shoulder has not responded to treatment. The former All Black’s absence is one of six changes to the side that lost at Cardiff last Saturday.
Darril Williams moves to full-back and Wayne Leech replaces Garan Evans, who has a broken collarbone, on the left wing. The forwards Sean Gale, Steve Ford and Chris Wyatt all come in as the Scarlets seek to match the 9-3 win over the 1972 All Blacks.
“People in the town are getting to be a pain in the arse – it’s all they ever talk about, particularly the older ones,” said Botica of that triumph.