EDITOR’S LETTER
THE ALL BLACKS’ STORY is not fully appreciated. Certainly not in New Zealand. Which is a bit odd, but that’s how it is.
New Zealanders find it hard to realise the enormity of what the All Blacks have achieved and what they continue to do on the world stage.
That might just be because as a nation, there is not a natural disposition to be overtly celebratory. The prevailing culture, perhaps because of the Celtic influence, is to be a little hesitant about embracing success. No good will come of it is the implication.
It’s almost as if everyone worries that if they enjoy the moment, they will jinx it. If they stop to pat the All Blacks on the back, the team will stop winning.
So what has happened is that New Zealanders can be a little harsh on the All Blacks and sometimes fail to see the merits of an individual performance. It’s tough love and many All Blacks have said they relish it – that the expectation is a big factor in producing the culture of excellence.
But what may have happened as a result of this attitude is that, over time, the nation has lost sight of just how good the All Blacks are.
They are phenomenal, which is what this publication is all about. It has two goals really. The first is to put into context the All Blacks’ achievements. Since they played their first test in 1903, they have amassed the most incredible winning record. They are miles ahead of any other nation and some of the statistics are crazy.
As an example, England could win every test for the next 30 years and their win record would still not reach the current level of the All Blacks.
The second part of this special issue is devoted to trying to understand how the All Blacks have managed to be so successful.
It’s not a simple answer. Their success can’t be attributed to just one factor but is instead a consequence of a whole series of things being done well.
If we had to pick a core group of factors, however, it would be easy enough. At the top of the list would be something possibly surprising but not any kind of revelation at all: the most critical thing that defines the All Blacks and has underpinned their success for so long is...drum roll please...their basic skills.
That’s it. Sorry, it’s not a spectacular answer that is going to have people slapping their heads and yelling ‘of course’. But there is no getting away from the fact that the All Blacks are all about the basics.
The typical Kiwi upbringing helps in that regard. Some kids here spend a long time each day with a rugby ball in their hands: chucking or kicking it to their mates. There’s an unseen development of skills by repetition.
Then, those who make it to the All Blacks, are asked to refine those basic skills to the point where they can execute them under huge pressure and at great speed.
How many tests a year do the All Blacks win simply because they were sharper at the basic art of catch and pass? Plenty is the answer and that’s not by chance.
The All Blacks spend hours on the basics – pass, catch and run so that they can play at pace and with intensity for 80 minutes. That is why they can take advantage of half chances and turn a game.
That is why they have been able to find the killer score when a test has been locked down.
The second factor on the list of success would be leadership. That’s a broad term to cover a variety of things. It means that over the last 100 years or so, they have had charismatic and resourceful men in key decision-making roles.
It means they have had a pride in their team and desire to set standards both on and off the field that few others teams can match. The senior players lead by example – they train hard, prepare well, recover properly and they expect their teammates to follow.
And they have a culture of self-responsibility, where individuals are asked to own their performance: to be sure they give themselves every chance to be the best they can be.
There’s plenty of other qualities that are packaged around those core factors but it is basic skills and leadership that make the side tick.
We hope that this special issue will put together a comprehensive picture of how all the various parts of the All Blacks machine fit. We hope that by the end, anyone interested in the All Blacks will have a better appreciation of, firstly, what they have achieved and, secondly, how they have done it.