Give Hansen what he needs to prepare for Lions
Here are three key questions as rugby heads for a summer break, writes Marc Hinton.
Should Steve Hansen be given carte blanche in 2017 to do whatever he needs to get the All Blacks ready for the Lions series?
Yes, is the short answer. And he may already have the green light given the news around Hansen’s January training camp for an enlarged All Black squad that will start the process of preparing for a series that is still six months away.
It’s an unprecedented decision to allow the All Blacks coach to assemble his squad in January, when they should be with their Super Rugby teams, and run them through various fitness and preparation exercises. But I like it. Even if I can think of five coaches who might not.
Let’s face it, in 2017 nothing matters more than the Lions series and the simple fact of the matter is that Hansen must be given every opportunity to win. If that means he gathers his players in January to put a line in the sand, so be it. If that means certain key All Blacks have to be put on managed Super Rugby schedules, again no problem.
Super Rugby coaches are paid to win their competition. That’s their sole motivation. But in 2017 there is a bigger picture and that revolves around the All Blacks being at their absolute best for a series that only comes round once every 12 years and is the world’s biggest rugby occasion of 2017.
If Hansen needs players to sit Super Rugby games out, I’m OK with it. If he needs a warm-up game for his All Blacks (remember the Lions have a massive build-up, playing the Blues, Crusaders Highlanders, Chiefs and NZ Maori), again, no problem.
This is one year when one series takes precedence, and when Hansen must get whatever he needs. Because you know, sure as damnit, Warren Gatland will.
Change is in the air in South African rugby as they finally stumble into the professional era. But should that extend to the Boks coach?
Why not? When you’re at rockbottom, what have you got to lose? The Boks lost eight of 12 tests in 2016. They went down to Italy, for goodness sake. They were smashed by a record margin by the All Blacks. They didn’t win a game on their end-of-year tour. It does not get any worse for this proud rugby nation.
Something has to change, besides how you set up your committees.
There was an unsubstantiated report that Dave Rennie was being looked at to coach the Boks. That was widely rubbished (Rennie has a contract to take over at Glasgow Warriors after next year’s Chiefs campaign) but as a concept it has merit.
Allister Coetzee has a big-money deal that it’s said SA Rugby cannot afford to pay out. But even if they had to move him sideways into a nominal role, bringing in a Kiwi coach shapes as a great move for South African rugby.
Given the year the Boks have had, they clearly need some fresh, innovative thinking, and someone capable of looking past the politics and the pressure, and re-instilling some key values and principles.
It might hurt South Africans to think of a Kiwi coaching their national side, but right now New Zealanders guide most of the leading sides in the world and an Aussie is in charge of England which not so long ago was in a pretty bad state. Now they’ve just won every test they’ve played in 2016 and are breathing right down the necks of the All Blacks.
Finding the right man is important. Rennie would be perfect but, if he’s not available, someone like John Plumtree or Vern Cotter would work. Right now the Boks have nothing left to lose.
What about Todd Blackadder saying England has ‘‘more rugby talent’’ than New Zealand?
I hate to say this but I think some media outlets have made a headline out of what was really a pretty innocuous comment.
Here’s what Blackadder told The Guardian: ‘‘You’ve got so much talent in this country, more so than we have in New Zealand. I’m not saying they’re better players but there’s such a huge talent pool. These guys would play Super Rugby no problem at all.’’
Blackadder isn’t saying England has better talent than New Zealand (despite what the write-offs might suggest). Just more players. And he’s right. they have an extraordinarily deep talent pool, and it’s one of the reasons why they’ve always been considered the sleeping giants of world rugby.
Though now Jones has taken charge they are snoozing no more.