Sir Steve Hansen, the iconic former coach of the All Blacks, shared his insights on the approach Dave Rennie, the current head coach, is taking to prepare the team for their upcoming series in South Africa. The All Blacks are set to begin their tour with a match against the Stormers in Cape Town, followed by games against the Sharks and Bulls.
According to Hansen, the All Blacks are in an excellent position to refine their strategies and elevate player performance ahead of the significant tests against the Springboks. He detailed the foundational mantra they follow, known colloquially as "CIA": Clarity, Intensity, and Accuracy, which guides their preparation.
"They’ve had an ideal prep so far in that they’ve got there nice and early, and given themselves plenty of time to recover as it’s a long flight," Hansen explained on the Rugby Unity podcast. "Then they’ll start to build quietly into their week. We used to call it CIA where you had clarity early in the week, then build in a little bit of intensity."
Intensity ramps up mid-week, reaching a peak that tests both the players' physical readiness and mental sharpness. Accuracy is then scrutinized, deriving directly from the clear objectives set at the week's start, combined with the internal pressure coming from those not selected for the starting lineup.
The upcoming match against the Stormers is pivotal, with the Cape Town team eager to surprise the visitors. Rennie is expected to harness this anticipation to motivate his squad.
"Dave and the coaches will be asking that group to really train well to put pressure on the starting group and that’s where you measure where you’re at," said Hansen. "And then you’ll fine tune on Friday. Usually from Thursday afternoon, it’s all about individuals getting themselves mentally in the right mindset to go out and play the way he wants to play and the team wants to play."
Mental preparation is crucial, especially as the team balances training with necessary downtime to stay mentally fresh throughout the long tour, which also includes a final Test on neutral ground in Baltimore.
The blend of rigorous training and relaxation is a deliberate strategy to maintain high performance without succumbing to the pressure. Hansen emphasized the importance of enjoyment alongside serious training: "You can’t stay in rugby mode 24/7 so over the years we’ve learnt to make sure we enjoy ourselves and enjoy each other’s company, and not get too serious about life until we need to."
He continued to stress the purposeful nature of their training sessions, designed not just to go through the motions but to dominate and continually improve.
"When we train, we train to dominate, we don’t train to train otherwise we’re not training well enough," Hansen remarked. "There’s an expectation when you go out to train, there’s a purpose for it and you have your own purpose and the coaches will have a purpose that they will want to add on top of your own. It’s always about getting better and being prepared the best you can."
In conclusion, the All Blacks' strategy under Rennie, guided by the wisdom of Hansen, revolves around a well-structured preparation regime that emphasizes clarity, intensity, and accuracy, balanced with enjoyment and mental freshness. This holistic approach is poised to play a crucial role as they face the challenges of the South African teams and beyond.
