Firebrands and pitchforks if All Blacks’ losing run goes on
NEW ZEALAND TO FACE WORLD CHAMPIONS SOUTH
IT’S difficult to overstate the importance of Rugby Union in the culture of New Zealand.
The obsession with the national team defines everything about the country, to the extent that every other sporting team is automatically related to it.
The Black Caps play cricket, the soccer team is the All Whites, and even the veteran’s side is the All Greys!
In comparison, the English obsession with Premier League football is a mere infatuation.
I once worked with a New Zealander who was related to a member of the All Blacks side which lost dramatically against France in the 1999 World Cup semi-final at Twickenham.
It is safe to say that it was one of the finest World Cup games ever, with France coming back from 24-10 down to win 43-31 in an amazing turnaround.
As my friend explained it: “My cousin missed a tackle.
“He’s dead to us now, no one in the family will ever speak to him again.”
Now, in England that would be a joke.
But she absolutely meant it! This is of relevance because the current All Blacks side have sunk to the Stygian depths of fifth ranked in the world after a woeful period at international level.
A first ever series loss to Ireland on home soil and losing five of their last six games has included a 26-10 defeat to world champions South Africa in the Rugby Championship on Saturday
AFRICA AGAIN WITH THE COACH’S JOB ON THE LINE
For a team like New Zealand that once held the number one ranking almost as of right, this is a huge shock to the system.
Julian Savea, an ex-All Black himself, has expressed dismay about the treatment of coach Ian Foster on social media.
While in the context of most societal norms he’s right to be upset, in the context of an All Black coach suffering the kind of record that Foster now has on his CV, he’s probably fortunate to have avoided physical violence.
There are many reasons behind the fall, not all of the coach’s making.
New Zealand produce so many great players that late bloomers are often picked up by those abroad and developed.
Scotland sometimes seems to have nearly as many New Zealanders as the All Blacks.
Other markets, notably Japan, have an impact, too. At the same time, the rest of the world is getting better.
Ireland as number one would have been unthinkable a few years back, yet here we are.
Meanwhile, should New Zealand lose again to South Africa at the weekend it seems that Foster is likely to be asked to go.
Failure to do so would probably involve the New Zealand population descending on their rugby HQ with firebrands and pitchforks.