Rugby: Why The Best Team Isn't The Best Team

Hi,
I was a Rugby player. Not a very good one, but I did play for 8 years at Tight Head, and like all retired players I know absolutely everything there is to know about the game.

Last week, the NZ All Blacks, steaming hot favourites to win the World Cup, played a French side that had not looked convincing in the last year, and had been stuffed by the AB in their previous 3 meetings.

THe AB's had over 70% possession, over 75% territory and made under 40 tackles to the French's' 180+. With those stats, it should have been a drubbing. But no!!

The All Blacks LOST!!

It's hard to overemphasize the hurt and shock that all AB fans feel. Needless to say people vented their frustration out by burning their shirts, and threatening to watch cricket.

There were a couple of refereeing decisions that may have helped the French. A harsh penalty and 10 minute sin binning for a shoulder charge on a player without the ball (you can't block in Rugby, my American friends) and a missed forward pass (ditto).

But I will say I thought the French deserved their victory, and the only people to be blamed are the players, and specifically the Captain. Not the Ref, or the Coach, or even the French.

Me saying this in public in work didn't go down well, to say the least, and it is lucky that the woman who interviewed me for my promotion was English.

The AB's pride themselves on their attractive, flowing Rugby. Not for them the kicking game, its all flash and guile, skill and speed. Which is great up until you get involved in a dogfight, a toe to toe ass kicking contest. In these nasty, hard physical tight games the AB are awful. Against our amphibian cousins they tried to pass the ball over the goal line, and the way the Frencjh were playing, they could still be at it, and the French wouldn't let them score.

The English know how to win these games. Get into the 22 meter line, and drop a goal. Not pretty, but neither is going home a fortnight early.

If I was the Coach, I would sack the captain, and give this specific reason. He Didn't Win The Big One.

"Winning is everything in sport, otherwise it would be called therapy" Dr Jim Pauling