(Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)
There is no way in glossing up the ignominious fact that this New Zealand team is potentially one loss away from recording one of the worst test years on record. But numbers beneath the final score lines paint a picture that could be on the verge of becoming a masterpiece.
It is an interesting realm that the 2009 All Blacks team find themselves in.
We won’t buck the dominant trend seen throughout the media and offer initial pessimistic views of this New Zealand team.
Probably the hardest aspect in their test losses this year is that they have been their own worst enemies. As Steve Hansen said recently, it is more of a “skills thing.”
While injuries to key players haven’t helped, there are still some very good players in this All Blacks team. But many of these stars have failed to fire so far in 2009.
Hopefully, the adage will bear true that class is permanent and form is temporary.
While the lineout has become a glaring chink in their black armour, it has been the “Je ne sais quoi” characteristic of the All Blacks that has seen them sink to four test losses this year.
Spilled passes, knocked balls, and aberrant decision making has let them down at key moments in test matches this year. In fact, when looking at those three mentioned factors, they are probably the key area’s which have been all but absent from the Springboks game this year, who have been responsible for all but one of New Zealand’s losses.
And here, we must be realistic when looking at the All Blacks current situation.
This is probably the best Springbok team of all time, filled with once in a generation players. From 1 to 15, at least half of the South African team would dominate a current World XV. And whether it be by fitness, conditioning or just luck, they have suffered no major injury concerns, to allow their best team to be on the park for the majority of 2009.
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