Class of ’67 returns the praise
Some 49 years have passed since they took the field, but the 1967 All Blacks continue to provide inspiration to today’s current crop. And the old stagers are chuffed by it.
As Steve Hansen’s side aim to set a new tier-one nation world record of 18 consecutive wins, against the Wallabies in Auckland on Saturday night, the coach on Thursday publicly declared the ‘67 team as the country’s greatest.
That group were part of a 17-test winning streak (from 1965 to 1969) and Hansen’s praise centred around the way they took the game to a new level, particularly with the athleticism of the forward pack and the way they interlinked with the backline, in much the same way as the team of today.
Sir Brian Lochore was at the heart of that fine side from the ‘60s, captaining them in all but the first of the 17 successful tests, and enjoying a new style of footy under the late, great coach Sir Fred Allen, who took the reigns in ‘66.
Lochore recalls the breath of fresh air it was, as his team transformed from playing up and down the sidelines, to whipping the ball from one side of the park to the other.
‘‘We kind of revolutionised the game at that time,’’ he said.
‘‘We chose, quite rightly, when Fred Allen came in, that we needed to use all our talent and play a much wider game. Because, quite clearly, one of our real strengths - and it has remained so, pretty much, over the generations - has been the ability of the forwards to run with the ball.’’
The No 8 was joined in the backrow by Ian Kirkpatrick, who was in his first year of international rugby in that iconic ‘67 side, and he remembers Allen’s want to play a 15-man game, as ‘‘a little bit out of leftfield’’.
‘‘But he was wanting to use guys’ talents, and he just liked how the game was played like that,’’ Kirkpatrick said. ‘‘It was certainly good to be part of, because we were given free reign to do what we liked, as loose forwards in particular, just back up and get outside inside backs, and just run into space.’’
Lochore said Allen brought his theories in from his time with Auckland, while the 1945-46 2nd NZEF ’Kiwis’ Army rugby team were also a source of influence, as they were all about utilising skills in a running and passing game.
‘‘He had the equipment, of course, in the All Blacks, probably even more so, than with Auckland, because we had a lot of forwards who had the ability to run and pass. So we played an expansive game,’’ Lochore said.
While this current generation is on the tip of creating history, and embracing the chance to do so, the team of half a century ago didn’t care for records, but were just intent on winning every time they took the field.
The streak began with four wins over the Lions in ‘66, before ‘67 saw them beat Australia, then notch wins on tour against England, Wales, France and Scotland, then in ‘68 there was two more over the Wallabies and three more over the French, then two over Wales in ‘69, before the Springboks halted the charge in Pretoria in 1970.
It was a run halfback Chris Laidlaw has become more and more fond of over time.
‘‘I’ve been watching over the years and feeling more proud of that, because there are teams of such talent now racking up the wins - it’s amazing the record has stayed this long,’’ he said, adding he’d be sad to see the streak surpassed, but would happily concede it to today’s All Blacks side. ’’I think it’s probably, almost certainly, the best All Black team of all time,’’ he said. Kirkpatrick concurred. ‘‘They’re outstanding, there’s no doubt about it. They’re good players, individually, and they back themselves, they’ve got trust in each other.
‘‘They’ve got it down to a pretty fine art, and that’s why they’re so hard to beat, they’re just a bloody good team.’’
Lochore said while the training is completely different now - he didn’t see the inside of a gym till age 55 - he believes his troops would have had the skills to play in the modern age, all things being equal.
‘‘We were more marathon trained, we just ran, basically, to get fit,’’ he said. ‘‘And many of us didn’t have to worry about the strength factor anyway, we were doing what we were doing during the day, as farmers or physical workers.
‘‘The great players in one era would be great players in another era, given the same set of circumstances, I have absolutely no doubt about that.’’
Whether the All Blacks are being helped by some sub-par opposition at the moment is a consideration, though their wins have been by handsome margins too.
‘‘Some of the opposition has not been up to scratch,’’ Laidlaw said. ‘‘Yet by comparison, nobody has come anywhere near them.
‘‘This team has 10 or so players who are the best in the world in their positions. If they’re all firing, it doesn’t much matter what happens around them.
‘‘And of course the coaching and preparation is subtle and very smart. They’ve got everything going for them. I won’t be disappointed to lose to a team of this quality.’’
Lochore said the All Blacks were simply playing a ’’better brand of rugby, with more skill’’ than their opponents.
‘‘I think they’re just ahead of the field, and I like to think that we were during our era as well,’’ he said, adding it was nice the modern day side were aware of what had gone before them.
‘‘I’m glad that we’ve been able to give them some sort of inspiration. I’m pleased that they do recognise the sort of rugby we played,’’ he said.
‘‘In saying all that, let me congratulate the way they’re playing too. I think they’re playing a more competent brand of rugby than they probably have in recent years, which is quite hard to believe really, when they’ve been so good for so long.
‘‘If they beat our 17 wins in a row, well I’ll be the first to congratulate them. I don’t have any problem with that.