Crotty: We got it wrong in Brisbane
Ryan Crotty has made a pledge to himself on this All Blacks tour north. It’s a mantra about never for one minute taking for granted the privileged position he now finds himself in.
The 29-year-old Cantab is now an established first-choice All Black and says he still pinches himself over that. He may have 32 test caps now, and will almost certainly line up for No 33 against France in Paris next Sunday (NZT), but he has experienced life on the outside of the greatest rugby team on the planet, and much prefers his current position.
Crotty, of course, was not wanted for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. But like the good southern workingclass battler he is, he picked his bottom lip up off the ground and set about regaining his place. By the start of the 2016 season he was part of the new midfield generation, and widely considered the latest ‘‘glue’’ guy that holds the whole backline together.
He is also wearing a smile a mile wide when he bounds up to speak to the Star-Times at the All Blacks’ hotel in leafy Teddington, southwest London, on the Friday before the tour opener against the Barbarians at Twickenham.
‘‘The next four weeks are about driving that personal growth and excitement,’’ he declares, sounding just a little like an infomercial front man. ‘‘We’re on tour together, and it’s not the end-of-year tour, we’re on the northern tour. You’re not thinking about the end. You’re just grateful to be here playing for the All Blacks.
‘‘It’s why it was so cool hearing from some of the new guys this week. They spoke about what it was like getting named, how they were with their families, and how emotional it got. That brings you back to when you first pulled on the jersey. You should never forget how special it is.’’
For Crotty that extends to dealing with probably his first negative experience of this season. Remember, he was out injured when the All Blacks finished the Lions series with a draw and a defeat. But he
was there in Brisbane a fortnight back when the New Zealanders stumbled to their second loss of the year.
Brisbane hurt. The All Blacks, by their own admission, let themselves down. One of the first things Steve Hansen and Ian Foster did after arriving in London was to debrief the Brisbane banana skin. No punches were pulled.
‘‘There was a lot of learning,’’ says Crotty. ‘‘Our preparation wasn’t as good as it needed to be. So it was disappointing to look back and think maybe that was a conversation I needed to have or we should have gone over that at training. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
‘‘It was an uncomfortable review, which was good because discomfort creates growth. It’s frustrating that it sometimes takes a loss to get learning. But when you get a performance you’re not happy with, you review a bit deeper.’’
For Crotty that extended to his own game being put under a large microscope by backline guru Ian Foster.
‘‘One of the things I love about this environment is there is always something you can get better at. My scanning in the Aussie game was off. Head on a swivel kind of thing, and if you’re not looking at the right things, you’re not going to be talking to the right people.
‘‘It was frustrating because it’s something that’s been a strength of mine. But Fozzie helped me figure out why, and then we came up with a solution. I’m happy where I’m at, but there’s always work, and you’re never complacent. I’ve been in and out of this environment, and if you always work hard, good things inevitably happen.’’