It’s all about performance for ABs
RUGBY
STEVE HANSEN often lets out a long, audible sigh when he receives a question at press conferences. But this one was particularly pronounced.
He’d just been asked, by a Japanese reporter, about what margin of victory he was looking at in tonight’s historic test at Tokyo’s Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium. To his credit, the All Blacks coach exhaled and did his best to explain the purpose of this ‘‘development’’ match for the world’s No 1 rugby team.
‘‘We’re not looking at any margin, what we’re looking at is our own performance, and if we have a performance we can be proud of as a team, the margin is irrelevant,’’ said Hansen, patiently.
The All Blacks will win, and win handsomely. We know that. The two countries have met only four times previously (two of them unofficial ‘‘tests’’ in 1987) and the average result has been 102-7. The home side, even with coach Eddie Jones still in his hospital bed, will be hoping for a significant improvement on that.
But even allowing for some improvements from the Japanese in recent years – they did knock over a weakened Welsh outfit in June, for their first victory over a toptier nation – they’re still a long way off the standard of this dominant All Blacks side.
Even one as scratch as this combination. Hansen sends out an intriguing mix of frontliners (Richie McCaw, Dan Carter and Ben Smith), debutants (Frank Halai and Dom Bird in the starting XV, Jeff Toomaga-Allen and Luke Whitelock on the bench) and backup merchants with a pretty clear mandate to impress him.
Few, if any, will be playing for places in the first real test of this tour, against France at the Stade de France next weekend. That lineup is all but settled already.
But what they are playing for is their place and their status in what is becoming an increasingly crowded All Black pecking order. This is a deep squad Hansen has now, arguably the deepest we’ve ever had. He’s a coach with some pretty intriguing options, if not next week, then next year.
Like can Richie McCaw and Dan Carter continue to hold off the challenges of their improving young rivals? Can Steven Luatua continue his impressive evolution to challenge Liam Messam for the No 6 jersey? Will Dane Coles finally assume the hooker’s spot from those venerable veterans Hore and Mealamu?
The list goes on. Tonight is about young men making the most of their opportunities as individuals, but coming together as a team. Hansen will be watching for both.
For different players, tonight presents different challenges. McCaw and Carter just need game-time to work back into full fitness. For Ben Smith, it’s about continuing to learn his new position.
The newbies will all be soaking up the whole experience, while for the likes of Wyatt Crockett, Coles, Luatua, Sam Cane, Tawera KerrBarlow, Francis Saili, Charles Piutau and Beauden Barrett it’s reminding their coaches that they have the ability to step into frontline roles when needed.
This is a test about standards, about individual accountability and about experience for the All Blacks. Not necessarily about embarrassing their hosts or showing off in the first official test between the two outside of a World Cup.
‘‘Yeah, we’re confident all the time,’’ declared Hansen. ‘‘We have a lot of self-belief and I think that’s important for performance.’’
This remarkable year by the All Blacks – 10 victories in 10 tests, so far – won’t be defined by anything that takes place tonight.
This is not a test about statements. It’s about building. Building talent. Building momentum. And building relationships (make no mistake about the latter). Hansen has something very special going on with these All Blacks. Tonight is about the rich tier of young men he has bubbling away beneath his hardened core of frontliners, and about getting a couple of old warriors back up to speed.