The man who helps the ABs connect the ‘purple dots’
Yesterday wasn’t meant to turn into a Luke Romano-athon. It’s just that All Blacks players aren’t outed as ‘‘purple dots’’ that often.
We’re all one of four dots, apparently. Yellow, red, blue and then the purple variety, who are described as friendly, charming, outgoing, quick-witted, energetic, irreverent, ingenious, imaginative, creative, flexible, unpredictable and innovative, among other things.
Romano puts those personality traits to use as the All Blacks’ lineout expert. He’s the one providing a tip sheet on what the opposition do, and how to combat it, which assistant coach Wayne Smith hailed as being critical to the team’s 57-0 win over South Africa on September 16.
After some prompting, Scott Barrett was similarly complimentary about the analytical skills of his fellow All Blacks and Crusaders lock.
‘‘He’s what you’d call a purple dot. Sort of creative and out here,’’ Barrett said, extending an arm to indicate how far off centre Romano might be.
‘‘All these good ideas but, nah, half of them he’s bang on and he’s pretty sharp.’’
A couple of nervous laughs from the floor quickly convinced Barrett that he better up the strikerate.
‘‘No, probably a bit more than half; 95 per cent of them.’’
People often wonder why squads are so big these days and what guys such as Jeff To’omaga-Allen, Nathan Harris or Matt Todd do all week if they’re not playing. Turns out they are playing; just against the All Blacks, rather than for them.
‘‘When you’re not in the 23, your job is to prepare the boys who are,’’ Romano said.
‘‘My role was to analyse the opposition lineouts and to help Sam [lineout caller Sam Cane] come up with a plan and then also to run the opposition lineouts at training to give them what I think the opposition will do to us.
‘‘If that means putting a little bit of niggle in, to upset them and raz them up a bit, then so be it. I pick my candidates.
‘‘I obviously don’t go pick on Owie [prop Owen Franks] ‘cause Owie would probably go and smack me one.
‘‘It’s all in good fun and it’s all in the best interests of what we want as a team.’’
Which is why Smith was quick to praise Romano, and specialist coach Mike Cron, after the annihilation of South Africa, describing it as ‘‘the best forward display I’ve seen for ages’’.
He went on to say that Romano had a big future in coaching.
‘‘Smithy’s an awesome coach and he’s got a very out there sort of way of thinking about things too, so to get a compliment from him is pretty good and reinforces the things that I’ve been doing are the right things,’’ said Romano in response.