FIVE STEPS TO WORLD DOMINATION

How the All Blacks became Champions

1 FORM IS NOTHING

Realisation that previous results count for nothing. Too many times All Blacks sides would come into World Cups believing they had already earned the right to win because they had beaten every team prior and were world number one. Changing the mindset to accept tournament play was a law unto itself made a huge difference.

2 ORGANIC PREPARATION

From 2008, the All Blacks stopped building specific World Cup strategies ahead of the tournament. In 2002 they left players at home when they went to Europe and in 2007 they had the conditioning window. By 2008 they focused on each year as it came and didn’t stress about the World Cup.

3 CONSISTENT SELECTION

A consequence of not building towards the World Cup was more consistent selection. The All Blacks made fewer changes each test between 2008 and 2015 – preferring to work with a core group and keep them on the field most of the time. They used games against minor nations to blood youngsters.

4 LOSING THE FEAR

For too long the All Blacks feared losing and allowed that sentiment to restrict their natural instincts to some extent. By 2015 they had realised the folly of that and had learned to enjoy the thrill of winning. They were more willing to take risks as a result and play their natural game and trust their skills – the skills that had made them such a good side in the first place.

5 EMBRACE THE PRESSURE

At previous tournaments the All Blacks had tried to shut out talk of them being under pressure or the occasion being bigger than normal. They used to try to pretend it wasn’t – that it was just another game. That was a factor on them clamming up and then imploding.