Two wins away ABs march on
Steve Hansen and Eddie Jones have already opened engagement for semifinal week at the Rugby World Cup. And so far it is all on gentlemen’s terms.
Hansen made it clear at his press conference in Tokyo yesterday that he aims to keep it that way too. The All Blacks boss says he has nothing but respect for the England coach and that won’t change just because their respective teams are preparing to battle each other for a place in the World Cup final.
It’s an intriguing subplot to this week’s first semifinal in Yokohama on Saturday. The coaches are so similar, yet so different in the way they go about their business. Yet they share a common bond that Hansen made clear will not be broken by 80 minutes of rugby.
‘‘He’s done a fantastic job with them,’’ said the All Blacks coach of England’s mentor. ‘‘They’ve got a world record for most wins in test rugby, along with ourselves. They’ve got a harder edge about them.
‘‘He’s been part of a winning World Cup team with South Africa. He’s had the disappointment of losing to England [in 2003] when he was coaching Australia. But to get to the final is being successful anyway.’’
Hansen said he had already heard from Jones in the wake of the All Blacks’ 46-14 victory over Ireland in their quarterfinal in Tokyo, just hours after England had thumped Australia 40-16.
‘‘Yeah, I got a text,’’ he
declared.
A congratulations text? ‘‘Yep.’’ Send anything back? ‘‘Yep – same thing. I said ‘looking forward to seeing you, and win lose or draw, we’ll have a beer afterwards.’ ’’
Despite the fact that Jones and Hansen are both quick with a quip and are masters at the psychological games that go along with preparing teams for big matches, the All Blacks coach said there were clear rules of engagement this week.
‘‘Coaches, regardless of whether you’re playing their team or not, go through the same emotions and you spend a lot of time in the same mental space. It’s a game of footy – it’s not life or death. The closer you are, the more you communicate . . . it’s like when you play against your brother or sister. It’s important but it’s not life-threatening.’’
Hansen then rather disabused us all of the notion that the contest creates an enmity among opposing coaches.
‘‘You see some of the banter, which is really only to help promote the game, as being these guys don’t like each other, which couldn’t be further from the truth.
‘‘Rugby is a special game. Those of us who have been around for long enough understand the game is bigger than everybody else. It’s the game that’s more important than all the coaches and all the players.’’
‘‘The game has been professional now for a while, but if you look back in time teams always shared those moments after the test matches together and that’s something that’s really important we don’t lose.’’
It was interesting to get Hansen’s take on what it was he admired most about Jones, the notoriously fastidious demanding coach who has made an impact wherever he has gone. And there have been a few stops.
‘‘Just his passion for the game,’’ he told Stuff. ‘‘He loves the game. He’s got a work ethic second to none. He just about … well, he did put himself in hospital when he was here (in Japan), he worked that hard.
‘‘He just loves the game and anyone that loves the game will get my support.’’
‘‘I said ‘looking forward to seeing you, and win lose or draw, we’ll have a beer afterwards.’ ’’ Steve Hansen responds to a congratulatory text message from England coach Eddie Jones, above
Having watched Kieran Read exterminate the ghosts of Dublin, All Blacks coach Steve Hansen didn’t waste the chance to deliver some retribution of his own.
All Blacks skipper Read found himself in the crosshairs when his fiercest critics demanded he be sacked following the 16-9 loss to Ireland last November, saying age and injuries had finally caught up with him.
If the No 8 was thinking about the stinging attacks before the All Blacks walloped Ireland 46-14 in their World Cup quarterfinal i on Saturday, he wasn’t letting on.
Hansen, though, hadn’t forgotten. After acknowledging the contributions that departing Ireland coach Joe Schmidt and his captain Rory Best had made to the sport during their careers, Hansen decided it was time to praise Read and have a dig at those who said he was washed up.
‘‘The next thing I would like to acknowledge is the big fellow beside me, here,’’ Hansen, who was seated beside Read at the post-match conference, said.
‘‘He came back from a back injury, he copped a lot of flak from some people about his form. But as his injury got better and better, so has his play.’’
Read, who will turn 34 later this month, required spinal surgery in late 2017, sparking fears his rugby career was over.
After a lengthy layoff in which he didn’t return to the Crusaders until late in the Super Rugby season and skipped the domestic series against France, Read came back to lead the All Blacks later in 2018.
The loss to Ireland in Dublin
on the northern tour would have stung Hansen and Read. Not just because they lost and Read blew a near-certain try when he dropped the ball with the line in the distance, but because it fuelled calls for the captain to be dumped.
Read, who played his 125th test in the quarterfinal, gave the Irish something to think about with his effort against them; he produced a blinder at Tokyo Stadium as he led his forwards into dominating the opening exchanges, and was repeatedly calling for the ball on attack.
By keeping the ball alive in the tackle, the All Blacks destroyed Ireland’s vaulted rush defence by scoring seven tries and Read was in the thick of the action.
‘‘He has led the team really, really well and I think he’s even got to a higher level at the World Cup,’’ Hansen added.
‘‘So I would like to congratulate you, Reado.’’
Read, who will retire from the All Blacks to play club footy in Japan after the tournament, almost squirmed with discomfort when asked to respond to Hansen’s compliment.
‘‘The coach saying that – it’s a good thing I guess,’’ Read said.
He then tried to deflect the attention by saying he hoped Hansen was in such a good mood if they can go all the way and retain the Webb Ellis Cup.
‘‘I reckon in a couple of weeks time it will be better for him to say it.’’