Are NZ rugby fans growing up?
New Zealanders have shown signs of maturity while reacting to the All Blacks’ RWC exit.
Ka Pai Aotearoa, you have grown up.
In the wake of the All Blacks’ 19-7 semifinal loss to England on Saturday night, the ‘‘blame game’’ of previous failed Rugby World Cup campaigns has been next to non-existent.
The country’s reaction to Steve Hansen and the All Blacks has been gracious and accepting, rather than the relentless postmortems of yesteryear.
The 1999 semifinal exit to France, the 2003 loss to Australia in the semifinal and the quarterfinal loss to France were all ridiculed by both media and public, and the coaches copped a plethora of flak.
Sports broadcaster Grant Nisbett says New Zealand has matured as a rugby nation in the way both the public and media have reacted to the All Blacks bowing out of the Japan tournament.
‘‘I think we have matured quite frankly and people I have spoken to don’t seem overly upset about it,’’ he said.
‘‘Disappointed yes, but not blaming anyone. I think we were into the blame game in former campaigns. We always looked around to see if we could blame somebody. I haven’t heard anyone blame anyone this time.’’
Nisbett says people are now more educated in terms of what it takes to win a World Cup.
‘‘I think there is a realisation that you don’t just turn up to the World Cup and expect to win it.
‘‘The two teams that were our greatest rivals going in are the two teams that have made the final so I don’t think from that point of view that we should be too disappointed.
‘‘You can’t just turn up to World Cups now, they are hardearned. The 2011 World Cup, we all went through that agonising final in 2011 and in 2015, that was the best final I think we have had. [In 2015] we only got to the final by beating South Africa by two points in the semifinal, so it wasn’t exactly just turning up and winning the damn thing.’’
Rugby broadcaster Grant Nisbett, left, says the reaction to the All Blacks’ defeat to England has been better compared with 2007, 2003 and 1999 Rugby World Cup losses.
New Zealanders have shown empathy towards an emotional Kieran Read and Steve Hansen.
Since the loss on Saturday night, media and the public have shown an amount of empathy towards Hansen and his team. When Hansen lashed out at one journalist for asking a ‘‘disrespectful question’’, media didn’t jump on him for doing so.
At his post-match press conference a dejected Hansen chided a reporter for asking whether the All Blacks failed to turn up with the right mentality.
Hansen, answering a question directed at All Blacks captain Kieran Read, took offence at the suggestion that the All Blacks might have underestimated the English — and offered to give the
reporter a ‘‘rugby education’’ if he wanted to ‘‘spend some time outside’’.
Hansen’s reaction has been put down to high emotions at the time of the loss.
Blame game could be in the past
New Zealand’s rugby public hit rock bottom after the 2007 tournament held in France, demanding answers and seeking someone to blame.
Graham Henry’s job was in question and English referee Wayne Barnes even received death threats for supposedly missing a forward pass from which France scored a crucial try. The reaction from New Zealanders was so bad then-prime minister Helen Clark weighed in, condemning those threatening Barnes.
In 1999 coach John Hart was placed on the NZ Rugby magazine cover with the word ‘Guilty’ upon his return from Britain. Rugby fans also threw beer and spat on his racehorse at Addington raceway in Christchurch.
And a further year on, out comes the history book — The Hartbreak Years by Auckland journalist Paul Verdon full of chapter headings such as ‘‘Cunning Little Bugger’’, ‘‘The Enemy Within’’, ‘‘Hart Failure’’ and ‘‘Verbal Diarrhoea’’.
Toni Bruce, professor of sociology of sport at the University of Auckland, has been studying the meaning of rugby and the World Cup to New Zealanders since 2007.
She says the reaction to the All Blacks’ semifinal exit this week is less intense because the All Blacks have won the last two World Cups, so the desperation to win it wasn’t there.
‘‘There was a powerful underlying anxiety that we couldn’t really claim the All Blacks were the best in the world until they had won a World Cup. Now that they have done it, twice, that anxiety has lessened.
‘‘Because we tell ourselves a ‘story’ that the All Blacks’ success is central to our sense of nationalism, there was much more emotion associated with those earlier losses.
‘‘In 2007, people reported grown men sobbing, having to go for a run to shift their energy, and one rabid fan hacked Barnes’ Wikipedia page.’’
She has been running a survey with Kiwis and found that 50 per cent said the Rugby World Cup was important to them in 2015, compared with 30 per cent this year.
‘‘A number of people think it’s time for another team to hoist the trophy. Others said they would be disappointed but not upset as long as it was a fair game and the better team won.’’
England’s classy performance has softened the blow
Nisbett says New Zealand’s reaction to the loss in general has been better compared with previous World Cups when the All Blacks have not come home with the silverware.
Nisbett says it has helped that New Zealand were simply outclassed by Eddie Jones’ England.
‘‘We’ve looked around for people to blame in previous campaigns, but this time around there was absolutely no doubt about it, the better team won on the day and the All Blacks acknowledge that, Steve Hansen acknowledges that and I think New Zealand rugby public acknowledges that.’’
He says the pressure is always on the All Blacks to be the world’s best, but considering they had won the last two campaigns, the rugby public’s appetite was satisfied enough.
‘‘I think the fact we were hosting in 2011 was a big deal, and we had won it when we previously hosted in 1987. Being here we were expected to win it so it was an added pressure. Rather than a triumph it was more of a relief.
‘‘2015 was a big bonus in the northern hemisphere, which is never easy.’’
Hansen himself has taken the loss on the chin and told his team to be up for the third and fourth playoff against Wales on Friday night.
‘‘We could all argue over team selections and tend to a bit parochial over who should be in and who shouldn’t be in, but at the end of the day the coach has got to make that final call and it’s his head that is on the chopping block,’’ Nisbett said.
‘‘They are there to win, that’s the bottom line . . . and if they don’t win then that is just the way it is, that’s life, that’s sport.
‘‘I don’t think we should be singling out individuals to blame, that is immature.’’
Nisbett says New Zealand must face facts; other nations are closing in on the All Blacks. However, the All Blacks will likely set a new standard for the next four years.
‘‘I think the gap has closed there is no question about that, I think the All Blacks have set the standard and teams are closing in so we have to find another level and I imagine we will.
‘‘We tend to lead the world and how the game is played and everyone enjoys it. Look at the way England moved the ball along on Saturday night, that hasn’t exactly been their forte over the years but they’ve realised the only way you are going to win games at the very top level is to actually score tries.
‘‘They’ve caught up and good on them.’’