Rugby world lauds All Blacks win
22 Aug 2016
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Setting the pace in the world game, in
spite of a significant change in playing personnel, the All Blacks have
raised the bar in competition standards.
Instead of sitting on their laurels as
Rugby World Cup champions they have set about taking their game further
and the rest of the world is in catch up mode.
Reacting to Saturday's win in Sydney, the former England international
Stuart Barnes said in The Sunday Times, the All Blacks' dominance was
bad for the world game, yet that was the standard the rest of the world
must aspire to.
"The dexterity of their forwards' ball handling
reminds me more of the USA Olympic basketball team than anything ever
seen in rugby union. Quite simply they are reshaping the sport," he
said.
"The soft wrists of Sam Whitelock in the build-up to
Julian Savea's 40th Test match try in the 58th minute, allied with those
of Charlie Faumuina and Jerome Kaino prior to Dane Coles' score three
minutes earlier, summed up the difference between New Zealand and the
rest. No other country comes near such levels of skill."
Other reactions included:
(...)
The Sydney Morning Herald: "For the first hour, it
looked like the Wallabies were completely unprepared for the high
intensity, high impact game of the All Blacks, which is no surprise
because none of them have spent the past six months playing anything
like that style. Australian rugby's failure is a collective one."
(...)
The Sunday Telegraph (London): "It is always a pleasure to watch sporting greatness in action, so this was rugby ecstasy.
"Yes,
New Zealand were that good. And to think that this is supposed to be a
side in transition after losing a number of legends following last
year's Rugby World Cup. But the truth is that there is little difference
between that side and the one now. The names of those greats are not
mentioned and the standards required are set as high, and those coming
in have duly met them."
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