Steve Hanson's 2007 Confession

It has taken 11 years but Steve Hansen finally put the BS to rest.

I've long suspected the relationship between Hansen and former All Black coach Graham Henry may have become purely functional, to put it nicely. Just a hunch.

After completing his long All Black tour of duty, 2011 World Cup winner Henry went off and helped coach the opposition – Argentina. Then he reckoned an unbeatable All Blacks team was "boring" for international rugby.

The former was, privately, not received well by the All Black inner circle. Hansen – Henry's assistant – would surely have taken the latter comment personally figuring that Henry should know how hard it is to reach great heights.

Hansen broke ranks completely over recent days, when he equated the All Blacks' latest defeat to the Springboks with the 2007 World Cup quarter-final loss to France. Yes people, the All Blacks had failed badly in some areas. Wow. Kapow.

Following that shock 2007 defeat, referee Wayne Barnes copped it from the Kiwi conspiracy theorists. Coach Henry never let the emphasis on allegedly poor refereeing go, including the revelation that he even wondered if match-fixing was involved.

Anyone who has watched that quarter-final in the cold light of day knows the dominant All Blacks were also a shambles and the main architects of their downfall, a few contestable Barnes decisions notwithstanding.

The verbal lynching of Barnes was a pathetic disgrace, the lack of perspective mind-blowing.

Hansen probably deserves more credit than he gets for his public utterances.

Yes, he's learned to control the media by understanding that information is power, in a sport where rugby HQ knows and runs just about everything.

Key journalists and media people must play a tricky game by critiquing the All Blacks without stepping across a line that will cut them off from what Hansen is prepared to tell them. This media balancing act has been helped by a run of All Black success.

At least Hansen is giving something back, and it's not always easy because criticising players is not necessarily in the best interest of team harmony, particularly in New Zealand.

While other sports and countries may revel in friction – try the Dutch football side – it's just not the New Zealand rugby way.

But New Zealand rugby has taken the cone of silence too far, including for its own good.

There's the odd outbreak of dissent from the likes of former Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd and New Zealand Rugby general manager Neil Sorensen.

But by world standards or any standards, it's generally tame stuff in the name of team stuff.

Hansen served it up this week, saying "the last time I can remember a game that was so poorly managed" was the 2007 World Cup quarter-final, that players had become too "individualistic".

He took on blame for the Wellington loss, along with major responsibility for fixing the leadership issues.

Those comments gave credence to those who have questioned captain Kieran Read and No 10 Beauden Barrett, and pause for thought to those who may be overly defending them.

His public comments have added solid intelligence and interest to the build-up for the next test in Argentina. This is how professional sport should work, what makes it work.

As an avowed Barrett fan, I'd have to say that the great No 10 sounds as if he might be on some kind of notice. Richie Mo'unga fans may be about to get their day in the sun.

Hansen and assistant Ian Foster handled the defeat with honesty and aplomb. This is a far cry from the post-match reaction in 2007, although the real reaction test comes after losing a World Cup game.

Still, maybe we are witnessing progress. There would be even more if Hansen's frankness was able to seep down into the rest of the New Zealand game.

Who knows? Rugby might go even further and come up with a crazy maverick or two.

by NZHerald.co.nz

The All Blacks definitely weren't firing at that World Cup. I put it down to preparation. Jake was vindicated. 

Haha 

A two point loss that on any other day would have been a win and suddenly the AB camp is in turmoil, suspicions have been confirmed and heads must roll.

What nonsense.

Read and Baby are still the best in the business. They'd both stroll into any team, including ours. 

The ABs did nothing wrong. Their loss was the result of some freakishly missed kicks. End of.

Hansen knows there's nothing to fix and trying to pretend that there is, will only cause problems that aren't there.

Even if they get trounced in SA, which they won't, it's still nowhere near even approaching panic stations.

The ABs did nothing wrong. Their loss was the result of some freakishly missed kicks. End of.

Not quite, Plum. They botched at least two simple tries through players hanging on instead of passing - Crotty and McKenzie the guilty parties in the two instances I can quickly recall now. Crotty's especially was a clanger. If he throws the pass instead of taking the contact, Goodhue strolls over unopposed and it's game over.

This connects to what Hansen says: that players had become too "individualistic"

I think why this loss stings so much is because it was against a Bok side that lost against the worst Aussie side in recent memory just a week before.

Correct, there is nothing to fix. Although, I wouldn't rate Beauden the best 10 in the world. Read is a very, very good player. Overall, they do what they do, and they do it well. They understand what's in their rugby DNA and they don't deviate from it, but maximize their ability to express it in the purest and most effective way possible. Problem solving ability is their greatest advantage over us, that and honesty. 

@ Pak

Had Baby slotted just one easy penalty or two of the very simpe conversions , this conversation wouldnt be happening.

The ABs back their individual skills just as much as they back their process driven strategies. People drop balls. It happens. The ABs always play as individuals within their process . The other individuals just back up the former better than anyone else in WR.

I dont rate McKenzie. I love that they back him despite his size and maybe with time he'll become mroe reliable but he just looks a little unstable to me. That's what us mortals always say about genius though, so there's that.

I don't know Plum, there seemed to be just a bit of a sense of entitlement to the way the All Blacks played. Throwing the ball around whether it's on or not cost them two tries through intercepts. They never really dealt effectively with the rush defence. So they definitely have things to look at, not that I expect them to lose a game where they have 75% possession anytime soon again.

https://youtu.be/yyFUshQ3hYM

This dude cracks me up.

@ Pakie

I agree. But as Blo says, they tend to always play with a sense of confidence, which is only half a step from entitlement. With their record over the last decade, they don't have much reason to doubt themselves.

For me, the sub-plot for the next two weekends is going to be a) the refs and b) if the ABs play clean rugby to win or resort to "playing on the edge of the laws" IE cheating.

I really hope we see two clean and confident games from them. No flying kciks, no creeping up behind the ref's back, no laying all over the ball and actually entering rucks through the gate. I know that expecting them not to obstruct is probably a bridge to far but in an ideal world i'd like to not see that either.

Clearly i'm a dreamer

If the AB's have a problem and if the Boks could play like they do then I wouldn't mind the Boks having the same "problem."

Quite entertaining, Xavi

They are very well drilled for the game they play. They have no reason to worry. Irrespective of what power arises to challenge them they'll always be at the very top end of the game. They are run too well to fail. South Africa has mastered the a rt of blowing both feet off.