THINK TANK
Four brains are better than one – head coach Steve Hansen on the ‘’sweet spot’’ that keeps the team on top.
THEY call it the sweet spot – a typically Kiwi way of describing the workings of the All Blacks inner sanctum. That sweet spot is effectively a control panel, where four gatekeepers pull the strings of this big black machine.
All told the All Blacks’ World Cup group is made up of 51 members – 31 players and 20 management personnel.
The team behind the team is integral for their continued success. Each have specific individual roles which contribute to the overall on-field picture. Nutrition, coaching, commercial obligations, medical needs, travel, wellbeing and media, every base is covered.
Every organisation needs a clearly defined direction. Rather than adopt a dictatorial figurehead approach, as has been the case previously, coach Steve Hansen instigated a subtle shift after taking over from Sir Graham Henry in 2012.
Publicly it seems Hansen holds the reins tightly. He and assistant coach Ian Foster are the only management members that regularly speak on behalf of the team.
But that perception runs against the grain of Hansen’s inclusive culture. Since he stepped up from forwards coach to head honcho, the All Blacks have been run by four men – Hansen, Ian Foster, manager Darren Shand and mental skills specialist Gilbert Enoka, highlighting his under-the-radar influence.
‘‘We have a sweet spot that runs the team,’’ Hansen revealed on the eve of the World Cup semifinal against the Springboks.
‘‘Between those four people – myself, Shandy, Gilbert and Fozzy, we make all the decisions.
‘‘Fozzy heads up the coaching. Shandy looks after the logistics and Gilbert the wellbeing. I sit as a helicopter over the top. It’s a model that’s worked well for us.’’
All stick to the core prevailing principles of shared leadership.
‘‘Four brains are better than one,’’ Hansen said.
‘‘It’s all based on what’s right for the team so we’re playing well on Saturday. That’s how we operate.
‘‘It’s an environment where everyone is free to have their say but at some point we all have to agree and commit to it. Some may disagree but they’ve still had the opportunity to say how they feel.’’
This was not how the All Blacks operated under Henry, a former headmaster nicknamed Ted who liked to retain control. Hansen and Wayne Smith, Henry’s assistants for eight years, were closely involved but not in the same way as the team is now run where every branch is represented.
‘‘We had a structure where Ted was the boss and Shandy was the manager. He did his stuff and Ted did the rugby stuff. Wayne and I had a lot of say in the rugby stuff. I wanted to look at the whole picture and say everything we do is about playing well that week and how does that affect us.
‘‘We needed to be talking about it as a group rather than leaving one person to make the decisions, whether it’s on or off the field.’’
The results of that shift in management style speaks for itself, with the All Blacks winning over 90 per cent – suffering just three losses – under this model over the past four years.
‘‘I think it’s massive because it gives you four keepers of the team. You throw your player leadership group in there and that’s your pillars.’’
Enoka’s high-level involvement is another example of Hansen’s willingness to adapt after 12 years with the All Blacks and the value he places on understanding his players. Having been involved for over 200 tests, Enoka’s contributions and dealings with players are clearly valued now more than ever.
‘‘We’re very fortunate we’ve got someone like Gilbert. His official title is the mental side of the game but he’s so much more than that. He’s brilliant dealing with the personal side of our team.
‘‘Shandy is brilliant at the commercial side and logistics. Fozzy drives the coaching because it’s good for his leadership. I assist him to do that and sit over the top.’’
HANSEN is quick to point out those outside the cockpit are just as important. He singles out lead trainer Nick Gill and assistant Mike Anthony for creating and maintaining probably the fittest team at the World Cup.
Doctor Tony Page, physiotherapist Pete Gallagher and assistant George Duncan receive a shout out for nurturing the squad to this stage of the tournament and only losing one player in prop Tony Woodcock.
Set-piece guru Mike Cron is ‘‘as good as you’ll ever get’’ and Hansen reiterates all the compliments Boks coach Heyneke Meyer paid to skills coach Mick Byrne this week.
Video analyst Alastair Rogers and sidekick Jason Healy’s input are noted and while there’s no chef on board, nutritionist Katrina Darry’s ability to liaise with hotels and restaurants around high performance food is also valued. You can go right through the group. We’ve got a limited budget unlike some of the big unions and that forced us to run lean and mean and be innovative.
‘‘It’s like any group, there’s moments when you need to have your own time and there’s moments when you need to vent. Everyone finds their own space.
‘‘Having the ability to vent is important so it’s about managing that.’’
For the past three years Hansen has been anointed World Rugby’s coach of the year. Undoubtedly, he deserves much of the credit for the All Blacks’ unrivalled success but he’s not about to pretend he’s done it alone.
‘‘I’m not sure what other teams are doing I just know what we are doing is working for us. We’ve got to keep refining it and keep trying to get better. I value every person we’ve got in this team. Without them, we wouldn’t have the team we have.
‘‘Whilst the guy at the top gets all the accolades it’s really the people underneath that deserve them because they’re working incredibly hard.
‘‘I can’t say enough about them. It’s a tremendous group of people.’’