England"s rugby union head coach Stuart Lancaster learns from All Blacks ...

Many people have commented to me recently that England now need a new plan.

Rather they need to make a plan. But you could see why Lancaster was

interested in the modi operandi of both Fletcher and Flower, and not just

because he is a keen cricket fan. He, too, took over England in difficult

times, after the shambolic 2011 Rugby World Cup campaign.

Lancaster’s tenure has not yet touched the heights of Fletcher (the 2005 Ashes

series) or Flower (three Ashes series wins plus that No1 ranking), but he

has certainly altered England’s culture and has not been without success,

losing only seven of the 22 Tests since he took charge.

What he is clearly intent upon is ensuring that high standards are maintained

over a long period, hopefully avoiding the depths plumbed by England’s

cricketers in losing the Ashes 5-0 in 2006-07 so soon after the 2005 epic,

and again now with the calamitous series being played out in Australia.

So that is why he has been examining the All Blacks in detail, visiting New

Zealand last summer and, when I interviewed him recently, telling me

about his latest reading material, a book called Legacy by James

Kerr.

The All Blacks are quite simply the gold standard in sustained sporting

excellence, possessing a remarkable 77.92 per cent winning ratio in their

history, and an 83.55 per cent success rate since the game went professional

in 1995.

The last time they lost more than two matches on the trot was back in 1998. So

when Legacy’s subtitle reads 15 Lessons in Leadership. What the All

Blacks can Teach us about the Business of Life you can understand why a

man like Lancaster would be so intrigued.

Kerr was granted five weeks’ access to the All Blacks camp in 2010, so there

are some fascinating insights. For me the most fascinating concerned the

Test against Wales in Dunedin in 2010. New Zealand won 42-9, and Richie

McCaw became statistically the most successful All Black captain.

In the changing rooms, or sheds as they are called in that part of the world,

long after all the post-match duties have been done, the team did a debrief.

It was led by injured fullback Mils Muliaina, and ended with a toast to

McCaw. “To skip!” the room replied to Muliaina, and the players began to

disperse.

As they did so, Kerr saw something remarkable: two of the most senior All

Blacks – he does not name them but he alludes to Dan Carter being one – each

picked up a long-handled broom and started “sweeping the sheds”.

“They brush the mud and gauze into small piles in the corner,” writes Kerr.

“The All Blacks are tidying up after themselves. No one looks after the All

Blacks. The All Blacks look after themselves.”

It is a wonderful lesson for all sports. Support staff and coaches are

mightily important but, in the end, it comes down to the competitor.

Ultimately sportspeople must look after themselves.

England"s rugby union head coach Stuart Lancaster learns from All Blacks ...