Keep calm, carry on – Thorne
Reuben Thorne has cautioned it is too soon for any pre-World Cup hysterics following the All Blacks’ loss to the Wallabies in Sydney.
Former All Blacks captain Thorne, who played in three World Cups between 1999 and 2007, said the 27-19 shock defeat by the Aussies should not be viewed as a calamity and he knew from experience that pre-tournament form could be a false indicator as to who would win the Webb Ellis Cup.
Some fans’ nerves were stretched when the All Blacks lost to the Wallabies for the first time since 2011, yet Thorne, who led the All Blacks at the 2003 World Cup and played his 50th and final test in 2007, said it was prudent to not get too anxious after the defeat.
‘‘I actually don’t think it is a bad thing at all,’’ he said. ‘‘When I look back to 2003, we won the Bledisloe Cup back, went through that TriNations period unbeaten and set some record high scores against those teams. And it didn’t count for anything at the World Cup.
‘‘I think it is a bit of a wake-up call, just to remind them that it is going to be super-tough. I am sure they are already aware of that but I don’t think it is a bad thing.’’
The morale of the All Blacks’ supporters went through the ceiling when their team finally won back the Bledisloe Cup in 2003, and a 52-16 win over the Springboks in Pretoria also lifted their spirits.
Then the All Blacks were blown out of the 2003 tournament, losing 22-10 to the Wallabies in the semifinal in Sydney.
Thorne, who played under current All Blacks coach Steve Hansen when he was in charge of Canterbury, said his old boss would know he must remain calm and use last weekend’s loss to assist with World Cup preparations.
‘‘He’s been around long enough to know there’s a bigger thing in the headlights that is still coming,’’ Thorne added. ‘‘That is probably what their focus is on.
‘‘He will be disappointed in some of the performances within the group but, certainly, with a longterm view in mind it won’t bother him too much.’’
The loss in Sydney has given Hansen plenty to consider. It will be a priority to undermine David Pocock and Michael Hooper at the breakdown; to correct a disappointing scrum and inaccurate defence; and to adjust a game plan that struggled against a defensive line loaded with aggressive hitters.
The Wallabies’ back row of Scott Fardy, Pocock and Hooper outperformed counterparts Richie McCaw, Kieran Read and Jerome Kaino, chiefly because Pocock and Hooper were able to split up and hunt ruck ball independently.
Players often try to shift a ‘‘hunter’’ like Pocock by grabbing him under the armpits or locking on a shoulder to blow him off his feet but the Wallaby No 8’s ability to remain stable allowed him to grab several crucial turnovers.
‘‘He is a very powerfully built guy and reasonably short, so he gets in a very low position and he is hard to move,’’ Thorne noted.
The obvious way to counter Pocock was to carry hard over the advantage line and protect the ball at all costs in the ruck, he said.
‘‘But once he is in there, they just have to find a way of moving him and trying to minimise his impact. If you can dominate the contact area in the first instance, it is harder for the guys because they are backpedalling and under pressure.’’