New Zealand v England: The All Blacks are a ruthless, resilient rugby machine

The message was the same. They were out on their knees, but that is what it

took to beat South Africa. The Lions were going to have the same attitude.

New Zealand rugby has always been the same. The key is that every player in

the country understands the game so well.

That is why they are so difficult to beat. Sometimes you might have a better

team but they might have a better understanding, and that can be crucial.

It is why they can come back from deficits late in games, why they have won an

astonishing 390 of the 512 Test they have played in their history.

For me this goes back to how much information they share between the coaches.

When you share knowledge, you have got a very powerful coaching base from

which to work.

You have got people working together, coordinating the development of players

through the schools system, to their provincial rugby, right through to the

All Blacks.

There is a big emphasis on skill, and less on tactics, especially in the

teenage years. It is a totally integrated system.

Everyone knows where they stand in it, how the talent is nurtured, the

knowledge passed on and it is very, very competitive.

All Blacks are created by the system and environment, not just when they pull

on the jersey.

I love being there, simply because they are so open.

John Hart, the former national coach, even let me have time with his All

Blacks in 1996 when they were in South Africa when I was preparing for that

Lions tour.

I came back with a 20-page report on what our planning should look like.

Even as a player I remember when the 1978 All Blacks played against the North

of England I got invited on the team coach back to the hotel.

I found players like Graham Mourie and Bruce Robertson so easy to speak to.

They wanted to hammer you once you got over the whitewash, but off the field

they were so open.

There was so much you could take on board. It was the same when talking to

Steve Hansen in 2005 during the Lions tour.

We met for a coffee and just chatted about rugby. He was so willing to talk

about what he was doing and how he was doing it. .

So what of this series now? New Zealand will not be thinking that it will be

easy.

In the past two matches between the teams, England have done very well,

winning in 2012 and only losing narrowly last year.

The set piece was a real strength for them. They only lost control last autumn

because their line-out malfunctioned in the last 15 minutes and New Zealand

got possession they would not otherwise have got.

England have now got more ball carriers than they have ever had. They are well

organised in defence as well as attack. They do not panic.

Wales

beat them last year because they ended up being a bunch of individuals,

trying to win on their own.

In contrast, when they were under pressure against Ireland this year, they did

not crack. They had a collective understanding, and belief.

But if England do not get their set piece and carrying right, New Zealand, as

they proved in November, will find a way.

They will find that metre of space that others might not, and they will play

at a pace that is difficult to match. England can control that pace only if

they control the ball.

New Zealand’s speed off the ball is so impressive. They are in position to

attack and defend far quicker than any other team.

That gives them an edge. Sometimes against England last year, they were three

seconds quicker than England in getting into position.

But what stands out is how good they are at the breakdown. They put a lot of

pressure on the ball carrier and the player arriving. If you are loose, you

will lose the ball.

Their body angles are good and the speed at which they arrive means you have

to be so technically correct.

They are accelerating in that last metre, not decelerating. It means they can

win the ball with sometimes only two players, usually a maximum of only

three.

Then, because they reposition so quickly, they have got a defensive line of 12

players. They do not go shooting out, but they have got numbers.

If you do not make good decisions on the ball and make two or three casual

passes, so that you find yourself in the outside channels having not

committed the defence, you will suddenly find yourself being mugged by three

defenders. T

hat is the difference. It is why the superstar position in New Zealand is No 

7.

They have an awareness of whether to take the player or go straight for the

ball.

If they look as if they might win the ball and turn it over, they might put

five in.

But only if they think they can win it. They rarely send five in and lose it,

to be left with 10 defending.

They will keep challenging. Even when England beat them in 2012, England were

desperately defending their line against a New Zealand team who looked tired

and had not played that well.

You just know that you have to get it right for the whole 80 minutes against

the All Blacks.

England must keep that in mind throughout the next three weeks.

If they do, then the team will have taken a significant step forward.

Article source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyleague/10448240/Rugby-League-World-Cup-2013-Watch-out-theres-a-Kangaroo-about.html

New Zealand v England: The All Blacks are a ruthless, resilient rugby machine