All Blacks must heed lessons of past defeats

(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

And again the inquisitions begin!  As Graham Henry suffered just his tenth defeat as coach of New Zealand, the team that had just defied their critics again will have the hounds baying at their door.

This is the caveat of being an All Black team.

Suffering just their 98^th (not including losses to the Barbarians and Rhodesia) defeat in 106 years of international rugby isn’t what will have the masses asking questions about their team.

Unfortunately for New Zealand, despite being against a very good Springbok unit—Henry believes this is the best South African side he has ever seen—and being outplayed at key areas, the All Blacks still could have won this match.

Even worse is the fact that at times it was not so much Springbok dominance that had the All Blacks on the back foot, as much as the All Blacks themselves.

To call them arrogant would not be fitting.  If anything this New Zealand side, despite being one of the best teams consistently in world rugby is humble to the point of being disarming.

But on the field, there is condescension to their play.

One cannot help but admire Graham Henry and his coaching team; year after year they have tried specific formulas or techniques that have by and large allowed them to overshadow other sides.

However, components of their play is unbecoming of a team that still can lay claim to being the best side on the planet at the end of this Tri Nations, their pet tournament if there was one. 

Certainly a team with the record of Henry’s troops should give more respect, especially to such vaunted opponents as the World Champions.  The South Africans are the only team throughout history to consistently challenge the All Blacks for global supremacy.

Hail back to Sept. 2, 2006.

The All Blacks had won the Lions series the year before, a Grand Slam, and had just won their second consecutive Tri Nations (at the time their seventh), whitewashed the Bledisloe Cup 3-0, and were sitting on a 15 match winning streak.

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