All Blacks' lethal counter attack strategy 'due to John Mitchell's basketball background'
An Australian rugby critic has credited John Mitchell for sparking the All Blacks' counter attack strategies which are still serving Steve Hansen's team well 16 years later.
Bret Harris, writing for The Guardian, claimed Mitchell's basketball background as a New Zealand under-21 international had played a big part in the All Blacks' mastery of "transition" opportunities.
He said the much-travelled Mitchell - about to take up a role as England's defence coach - had masterminded a concept now used at all levels of professional rugby in New Zealand.
"As a basketballer, Mitchell understood the importance of transition, when the ball changes hands from one team to the other, which has become the foundation of the modern All Blacks' style of play," Harris wrote.
John Mitchell devised the All Blacks' counter attacking strategies based on his basketball experience of the importance of transition moments, according to an Australian rugby critic.
"Mitchell placed a strong emphasis on counter-attacking from turnover ball and kick receipt as All Blacks coach between 2001 and 2003, while his coaching co-ordinator Robbie Deans was about to turn counter-attack into an art form at the Crusaders in Super Rugby.
"That is not to say there were not great counter-attacking New Zealand teams and players previously, but the idea became more formalised as a strategy around this period."
Harris, formerly a longtime rugby writer for The Australian, said when Graham Henry, Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith replaced Mitchell and Deans in 2004 they "they worked on improving the team's set-pieces, but they retained counter-attack".
He said the counter-attack concept had "infused every team in New Zealand from the National Provincial Championship to the All Blacks".
At first, Australians were contemptuous of the Kiwis' focus on counter-attack. They did not create anything, and were seen as parasites, feeding off mistakes. They are slow learners, the current generation of Australian coaches, and are finally acknowledging the value of attacking off turnover ball.
"But for the Kiwis it is instinctive, second nature, while Australians do not really feel it in their bones. When the All Blacks win a turnover they strike immediately, shifting the ball away from the contact point, while the Wallabies invariably hesitate, trying to decide whether to kick or run."
Harris said the Wallabies would have to master the art of the counterattack to have any hope of breaking their 16-year Bledisloe Cup drought.
Did the All Blacks' lethal use of the counter-attack, which produced this try for Beuden Barrett, stem from strategies John Mitchell introduced 16 years ago?
- Stuff
