Confident England on top for just a week

All Blacks ruled the rugby world with both substance and style for a decade

New Zealand’s reign at the top of world rugby is well and truly over, yet by the end of the World Cup, it was looking more impressive than ever. The overwhelming trend on the international rugby stage is this: there isn’t a trend. Teams up one week are completely down the next.

It is so stark that playing badly can almost be seen as a good thing, if you get the timing right. New world champions South Africa’s plodding semifinal effort against Wales did them no harm.

After Ireland beat the All Blacks in Dublin last year, coach Steve Hansen suggested the Irish faced new challenges as top dog. Dublin proved a springboard for the Irish, to be sure, a little leap upwards followed by a long tumble downwards.

Even then, Ireland typified the world rugby non-trend, an impressive World Cup opening against Scotland quickly forgotten as they crashed against Japan.

This year, the All Blacks had a disaster in Perth, and promptly fired back at Australia at Eden Park. They obliterated Ireland in Japan, and were then demolished by England.

Nothing will ever compare to England’s triumph and travail, though. They produced their most impressive win and disastrous loss in the space of a week. In between, you would have thought the Webb Ellis Cup was already theirs, such was the universal back slapping.

After a stunning win over New Zealand, their coach Eddie Jones was treated like a messiah. His disgraceful press conference performance — where he got away with fabricating a spying claim against the All Blacks — was viewed as a masterclass in motivation via distraction.

A week later, his team looked as though they had been prepared by Crunchy the Clown.

Jones’ assistant John Mitchell even joined the unwise trend before the final, comparing the boom English flankers Sam Underhill and Tom Curry favourably to Richie McCaw and David Pocock.

It was hard to fathom. Having successfully played the underdog card against the All Blacks, English rugby was prematurely celebrating. They should have listened instead to the master motivator Hansen, who has claimed the unceasing scrutiny and criticism of All Blacks teams is a vital ingredient in their success.

The All Blacks stayed on top, in style and substance, for a decade. England couldn’t stay there a week.

So where did super-coach Eddie go? He went where almost all international rugby coaches go

these days — on a roller-coaster.

There is so much analysis, precise preparation and defensive expertise that a poor start, a few rough decisions and the odd mistake can turn hopes and dreams into disasters. (England were terrible in the World Cup final but didn’t get the rub of the green from the match officials.)

The playing schedules are also so exhausting that it is a tough job getting enough minds and bodies willing on the same day.

Since the last World Cup, South Africa have lost 20 tests. TWENTY. They’ve also drawn three of those 50 matches. The new world champs have barely a 50 per cent win record in the past four years. They’ve even been beaten by Italy. The losses also include a 57-0 drubbing at Albany only two years ago. Three weeks later, they lost by a point.

Sports psychology in rugby is either dead and buried or very much alive.