Why the Kiwis lost in France
Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:07
Six months after it happened the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) finally produced the list of 'excuses' why the All Blacks yet again failed at a World Cup tournament.
A lack of game time, weak opposition and poor refereeing were all to blame, according to an independent review released by the NZRU on Thursday.
The 47-page review, commissioned by the NZRU in the wake of October's shock 18-20 quarterfinal loss to hosts France, detailed a catalogue of reasons why the team failed to live up to their billing as the world's best team.
One of them was withdrawing 22 top players from the first half of the Super 14 competition in February and March last year, to undergo fitness work under a conditioning programme devised by coach Graham Henry.
"One impact of the conditioning programme that was under-estimated was the effectiveness of the players returning to rugby and the dent in confidence that some experienced from not having played," the review said.
There was a lack of quality "game time" for players due to conditioning as well as weak opposition in warm-up matches to the World Cup and during its pool phase - when they faced Scotland, Portugal, Romania and Italy.
Also put under the spotlight was the performance of English referee Wayne Barnes in the quarterfinal, during which a French forward pass led to the key try and All Black Luke McAlister was sin-binned for obstruction.
"The performance of the referee and touch judges had a significant adverse impact on the All Blacks," the review said.
"An unusual combination of injuries was also a critical contributor," it went on, adding that the All Blacks had failed to make the right decisions to secure a win in the last minutes of the match.
Henry told a press conference that the report had defended conditioning but criticised the timing and implementation.
"Obviously that's a mistake - how it was implemented and when it was implemented," Henry said
"We've got to find ways that that doesn't happen in the future."
The All Blacks, notably captain Richie McCaw and the senior players, were criticised for not focusing closely enough on the quarterfinal against France to make the right decisions to secure a win in the last minutes of the match.
"There remained a sense to us that the All Blacks, coaches and management were looking past the quarterfinal," the review said.
That, too, was denied by Henry, who fiercely defended McCaw and the team.
"Because we lost a rugby World Cup quarterfinal, people are saying the leadership is poor. Is it?" he asked.
"Don't think that these guys lack mental fortitude or intelligence or character. They've got it. It concerns me greatly that this country thinks they haven't."
Commentators had not been expecting any damning conclusions about the All Blacks' management following the reappointment of Henry as coach for another two years.
The review was carried out by lawyer Mike Heron and an official with Sport and Recreation New Zealand, a government body.
The All Blacks won the inaugural World Cup in 1987, but haveince failed at every subsequent tournament.
The closest they came were in 1995, when a loss to South ASfrica in the Final also produced a long list of excuses - including unproven claims of 'food poisoning'.
