why are the all blacks so good

[Harold Hill]

I don't need to convince anyone - facts are facts. John Mitchell lost his job partially as a result of the booze culture surrounding that team.

So if there was a culture, it only started affecting the players once they reached the semi finals?? Do me a favour.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

Id heard that as well. Looks like they are still at it. 7 of them did it the night before the Wales match.

Weren't they players who weren't playing in the Wales match though?

 

[gabi]

So if there was a culture, it only started affecting the players once they reached the semi finals?? Do me a favour.

Well yes - the games leading up to a semi-final in the world cups are always such a walkover for the all blacks they could have won completely plastered if need be.

 

[starfish]

Weren't they players who weren't playing in the Wales match though?

Cant remember all 7 but Dan Carter was one & he played against Wales. I think Mauger, Weepu & Eaton were amongst them & they didnt play.

 

[treefrog]

Has anybody seen the Pacific Islanders team in action? They're a team comprising players from Fiji, Tonga and Samoa and have been touring against NZ, Australia and SA. I saw them play against the All Blacks in 2004 and they've got a lot of potential. It's partially a scheme to make money for island rugby (the PIs don't have a home stadium) so IMO it's a great step forward for them. Hopefully it will be an incentive for more island players to stay there and play for their country, if the financial rewards are on a par with what NZ can offer (not that I don't like the All Blacks! )

 

[Harold Hill]

Well yes - the games leading up to a semi-final in the world cups are always such a walkover for the all blacks they could have won completely plastered if need be.

Not sure I'd fancy facing Tongan or Fijian forwards with a stinking hangover.

 

[Juice Terry]

These accusations of NZ poaching players from the Pacific Islanders are a load of bollocks. You can't just ignore the huge economic migration of people to NZ, there's a couple of hundred thousand PI immigrants in Auckland alone and they didn't all go there to play rugby. You may as well complain about black people playing for England, which would be an equivalent stand point.

Oh and its been against the rules for someone to represent two different countries at Rugby Union for years now, hence despite his best efforts CauCau will never play for the all Blacks having already been capped for Fiji.

The all Blacks are so good because all their best sportsmen automatically choose rugby over any other sport. The fastest runners in the UK become Olympic sprinters, in NZ they play rugby. The best ball players in the UK become footballers, in NZ they play rugby etc etc.

 

[pagan]

Gavin Henson has been widely slagged off for comments he made in his recent book , but he has it right on this subject. The three year residency rule that applies in rugby is ridiculous,players should only be able to play for the country of their birth and if the rule was strictly enforced the ABs would be seriously hampered,although they would prob still be better than most teams. they have in recent years picked from all the islands and there are very few NZ born players these days.

One of the Bachup brothers played in three world cups and represented a different team each time!!!

That doesnt explain why the All Blacks have always been good cos until fairly recently, they were almost All White.
New Zealand Maori (the oldest touring team in rugby) have always been a bit tasty too..

 

[pagan]

Don't agree completely - they have a decent cricket team.

and they happen to be have the best Rugby League team in the world

and didnt they win the Americas Cup six years ago.

Not bad for a country with 3.5 million people.

 

[Juice Terry]

...they have in recent years picked from all the islands and there are very few NZ born players these days

Did a bit of research to dispell this myth, and came up with the following, these are what I would consider to be the current first choice AB 1st XV:

Tony Woodcock, born 1981 Helensville, NZ
Kevin Mealamu, born 1979 Tokoroa, NZ
Carl Hayman, born 1979 Opunake, NZ
Ali Williams, born 1981 Auckland NZ
Chris Jack, born 1978 Christchurch NZ
Richie McCaw, born 1980 Oamaru, NZ
Jerry Collins, born 1980 Apia, Samoa, 97/98 represented NZ Schools
Rodney So'oialo, born 1979 Moto’otua, Samoa, represented Wellington Schools as 5th former
Byron Kelleher, born 1976 Dunedin, NZ
Dan Carter, born 1982 Leeston, NZ
Rico Gear, born 1978 Gisborne, NZ
Tana Umaga, born 1973 Lower Hutt, NZ
Aaron Mauger, born 1980 Christchurch, NZ
Joe Rokocoko, born 1983 Nadi, Fiji, moved to NZ aged 5
Malili Muliaina born 1980 Salelesi, Samoa, moved to NZ aged 3.

So only 4/15 not actually born in NZ with Muliaina resident since the age of 3 and Rokocoko resident since age of 5. Can't find when Collins and So'oialo moved to NZ but looking at their playing record shows they both represented NZ teams as schoolboys.

Can't see any evidence at all of NZ importing anyone from the Pacific Islands to play rugby

 

[Good Intentions]

Yeah, the case for non-native born All Blacks is somewhat overstated. Which is stupid, since there is an argument, though I think it affect the Pacific Islands much more than it does NZ.

Is there a good reason the PIs shouldn't permanently form a rugby union the way the West Indies have in cricket? It could only do them good, I think, and the current touring squad seems to me to be testing the water. But I'm a bit out of the loop which concerns the internal machinations of the sport.

 

[Juice Terry]

I think a good starting point would be to give an S14 franchise to the islands with the revenue divided between them. As always its about money and this would provide some much needed finance.

Don't think they should merge fully at international level, you'd be wiping out Samoa/Fiji/Tonga as national rugby identities and I don't think they'd be very keen on that. Anyway there are hardly enough decent quality sides around now to fill a world cup so getting rid of two "second division" sides would be a mistake