wee abs face uncertain future

Ex Supersport

The return of the All Blacks and Rugby World Cup trophy to Wellington on Friday brought New Zealand's capital to a standstill. With a slate of retirements and departures looming, however, coach Steve Hansen has little time to enjoy the moment.

By becoming the first team to retain the World Cup, and to win it three times, with Saturday's 34-17 win over Australia, the All Blacks have done little to dampen the immense expectations placed on the side.

Rugby-mad New Zealand expects success in each and every test (Via bent refs of course!), with the added demand the team achieve victory playing attractive, attacking rugby.

Swamped at homecoming events in Auckland and Christchurch over the last two days, the players arrived in Wellington for their last official duties.

They were greeted under a blue, cloudless sky by the visiting Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall as well as thousands of fans lining the streets to get one last look at a team many rate as the best ever for the last time.(Hahahahahhahahaha)

Several senior players, including flyhalf Daniel Carter, are heading abroad. Tony Woodcock and Keven Mealamu are among those going into retirement.

At least 627 caps worth of experience walked away on Friday, though that figure could balloon to 775 if captain Richie McCaw also decides to retire.9He is far over the hill and it was a small oaks!)

Hansen will consequently be hard at work over New Zealand's summer months planning the evolution of the side.

The 56-year-old, who has compiled a record of 49 victories in 54 tests since taking charge after the 2011 World Cup, faces a rebuilding task with the British and Irish Lions set to arrive on New Zealand's shores in 2017.

He has said he would probably step down after the Lions tour rather than go another World Cup cycle and so must ensure his successor inherits a side blessed with a blend of grizzled experience and youthful exuberance through to Japan in 2019.

FORWARD PLANNING

Much of the immediate succession planning has already been implemented with Kieran (bent) Read expected to succeed McCaw as captain, while Sam Cane, already with 31 caps and one match as skipper, will take the No 7 jersey. (Pretty ordinary player)

Loose forwards Ardie Savea, Brad Shields and Akira Ioane are now likely to come under greater scrutiny next year as to whether they can step up from Super Rugby to test level, though Savea has sevens commitments ahead of next year's Rio Olympics.

Aaron Cruden will return from the knee injury that kept him out of World Cup contention to vie with Beauden Barrett and one-test flyhalf Lima Sopoaga for the number 10 jersey, with under-20 World Cup winner Otere Black a dark horse. (Beau looks the best bet one would think)

Malakai Fekitoa and Ryan Crotty (Crotty!!) look likely to step into a midfield left vacant by Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith moves off-shore, though George Moala and Charlie Ngatai, both of whom played against Samoa in July, are also in the picture.

Lock Patrick Tuipulotu will return following hip surgery that kept him out of the World Cup, while Joe Moody and Nepo Laulala will step into the front row for Woodcock and Ben Franks.

The biggest issue continues to be at hooker with Codie Taylor and Nathan Harris expected to battle as Dane Coles' understudy.

Coles, a surprise selection in 2012 who took time to grow into the role, cemented himself as the world's best this year (Bwahahahahahahahahaha) and is perhaps the best example of Hansen's insight and planning.

The coach will need to discover and develop more raw talent to ensure the All Blacks remain on top (Yup especially as they are not on top on merit!!). With Lions on the horizon, and a World Cup to defend in four years' time, standing still is not an option.

The poor rotund H ansen has more problems than answers!

 ABs are in good shape Beeno, how are the Boks?

 Beandik reckons every ref in the known universe must be bent ,I realy hope the Mighty All Blacks  record of excellence gets up his nose works it way into his throat and gets jammed there.

 ABs stock for 2019 is looking good. Article
Plus, some new unimagined talent will emerge in the next four years, it always has.

 Beeno promoting the ABs again? Wonders never cease.

 NZ downfall wont come from the sport side (the sport side tendency is an increasing gap between NZ and the rest)
It will come from the economical side.

 The NH can steal the odd player here and there but the guys that stay are 100% commited to NZ and that jersey .I would venture that its better than picking mercenaries who want their NH cake and getting to eat it in the Bok jumper.

 "wee ABs" Geez you wanna cry dontcha? Didn't they just win the RWC?????

 Beendip thinks every other team in the known universe is better than the ABS and the little halfwit craps on some sh!t about the ABs not being RWC champions on 'merit" ,apparently NZ were just lucky ,or the refs were 'bent' ,or the Boks didnt have no proper coaches or had a bad hair day or some friggin thing .But according to beendork its nothing to do with the ABs being good at rugby ,just sad innit Denny ?Talk about ungracious ,if a Kiwi poster were to do the same as beandik I would find out were they were skulking go round to their gaff and boot 'em up the erse .

 The NZ rugby team is too good for the rest of the world. That is NZ main problem (rugbywise) as NZ cant back up that dominant position.

As a result of this WC, people made observations and drew conclusions.

One of them is that other teams (including major countries'), not only were not closing the gap to NZ's team, but also are losing ground.

The rugby world want to expand, they want to funnel more money to themselves.
The growth will happen as new wealthy newcomers are introduced and older participants are kept.

NZ are not the US, NZ rely on the compliance of his partners. When fielding dominant teams, the US can ignore any pressure as a lot of money is made in the US domestic leagues.
People complain that the US always win? Too bad because the US do not care. The international competition could stop, the US wont give a shit.

Sooner or later, NZ will have to face the daunting question "Is the All Blacks winning that much, that way, good for business?"

This question will be asked by many other actors in the world, actors that put much more money on the table.

It is not only about sport performance, it is also about money performance. And the rugby world do not want to lose big money performers. Big money performers that might grow weary of never winning.

 This phurphy thatthe US is some sort of sleeping giant in rugby is just that .The yanks will never ever see rugby as preferable to that boring farking gridiron nonsense ,that guarantees that they will always be 'World champs ".Look at soccer how long have people been saying they will become dominant in that ? When you get down to it you only need 23 good men no matter how big or wealthy your country is ,if wealth and size were the only determining factor then the US would be Number 1 in all sports.

 Misunderstanding here: the US are quoted as an example of a nation whose economical power matches a potential sport domination.

When the US send a basketball team on the world scene, it is known that the professional leagues, the college leagues make more money than the international events.

If ever other nations are unhappy by the domination, they cant pressure the US as stopping the international competition wont put a dent in the US basketball business.

NZ's situation is different: they live off the international scene and if ever other nations threaten to leave, this will apply pressure on NZ.

And no, when people want to make money as the rugby world want to, people must prove they allow to make money. People must show they are bankable.

So far, NZ have been performing well in monetizing the ABs' legend.
It might prove not to be enoug, especially when big actors are showing signs of losing interest.

Sooner or later, NZ must answer the question "is ABs winning so often good for business?"

 Yes the ABs winning is VERY good for business .