Everything the All Blacks touch seems to turn to gold. That’s the opinion of Wallabies coach Eddie Jones and the embattled handler is not far wrong.
Quite aside from coming from behind to land the right to host the 2011 World Cup, New Zealand finish the year with the British Isles Grand Slam, for the first time since 1978, a 3-0 series win over the British and Irish Lions and the Tri-Nations trophy with just one defeat by South Africa.
However, there is still a huge question mark over New Zealand.
So often have they dominated the three years in between World Cups, and then failed to deliver at the main event itself, that coach Graham Henry insists that this time round there has to be two All Blacks teams as they bid to win only their second global title.
”If you play the same 22 the whole time then you are bound to fall over as New Zealand rugby has done for the past 18 years,” said Henry.
The All Blacks have failed to add to their 1987 World Cup win losing in three semi-finals as well as the 1995 final.
”People say we are devaluing the the All Black shirt. Well, we are not, we are being logical and doing the right thing,” added the former Wales and British and Irish Lions coach known as the ”Great Redeemer” when he was in the Welsh hotseat.
The All Blacks are in a different league to their rivals.
Australia are going through as torrid a time as any of the big Test playing nations have experienced in recent years.
Just one win in nine matches — that against a distinctly underwhelming Irish outfit — narrowly avoided saddling Jones with the unwanted distinction of overseeing the worst losing streak in the team’s history.
The Wallabies’ problems stem from the front five.
The Famous Five or rather the ”Infamous Five” failed to produce anything resembling reasonable ball during their autumn tour.
To be fair to Jones it was he, who during the 2003 World Cup, was already calling for an academy to be set up.
The Kiwi press have delighted in their rivals’ problems referring to the front five as ”so easy to fold you could put them under your bed”.
”There is no point in thinking about what might have been,” said Jones.
”I have been dealt the cards I have and I have to work with what I have got. I take full responsibility for the performances but I am not concerned about my job. I coached the side as well as I could today.
”I don’t decide my future in these circumstances. It’s been a tough year but we keep moving on.”
Australia were not the only southern hemisphere side to receive a bloody nose from a northern hemisphere outfit.
South Africa arrived with plaudits ringing in their ears but ended the year with a flat performance in defeat to a solid French side.
However while that was a disappointment for coach Jake White he was satisfied that the essential ingredients for the World Cup squad were in place.
”You look from numbers six to 13 inclusive and they are all around 22. Obviously they are going to make wrong decisions and it is better they come now than in two years time,” said the 41-year-old, who has revived the Springboks fortunes since the 2003 World Cup debacle.
While France can reflect on a successful end of year with four straight victories, and with a seemingly unending stream of young players coming through, England can be satisfied with their pack but not their backs — a reverse of the Wallabies problem.
”England’s backs need sorting out because, at the moment, they are about as inventive as a breeze block,” said former England and Lions centre Jeremy Guscott.
”At the moment, not only do too many of the forwards lack handling ability and pick dodgy running lines, so do most of the backs.”
Of the other Six Nations outfits, both Wales and Scotland had their moments but that was not the case for Ireland, who slipped tamely to humiliating defeats against the All Blacks (45-7) and Australia (30-14).
The golden moment of the triple crown last year is well in the past and the players are performing like a team with no confidence.
Irish coach Eddie O’Sullivan simply puts it down to ”lack of composure”.
”We have decided to run the ball and become more unpredictable,” said O’Sullivan.
”I think we were becoming predictable and now we are mixing it up a bit. All we have lacked is composure.”
Composure is something that the All Blacks have lacked when it has come to the World Cup but given the evidence of this year it is hard to see how they can possibly mess it up next time. – AFP
