New Zealand World Champions Again!!
New Zealand have won a 3rd World Cup after beating Australia in Twickenham. Are they the greatest International Rugby team in history , I think they are , as they won a second consecutive World Cup. They won it on home soil in 2011 and the first question that was asked would they win it in England 4 years later.
They set course for Twickenham on October 31st 2015 and let’s face it they never let that date out of sight. They made one or two alterations to the coaching staff with Steve Hansen taking over from Graham Henry, Hansen was Henry’s assistant during his time as the All Blacks head coach and it was a seamless transition from one to the other.
That has to be one of the key ingredients as to why New Zealand have been the top Test nations in 2011 and now in 2015 they have cemented their dominance over the rest with only 3 defeats in the last four years, only South Africa, England and Australia have defeated New Zealand in that 4 year period which in any sport is an incredible feat.
They have also had a core group players that have also been a constant in the squad, with Mc Caw , Carter , Conrad Smith and Sam Whitelock as they key people in the period between 2011 and 2015.
New Zealand play a very quick game based on cleaver plays with also smart players to execute each play. They don’t look upon the line out and scrum as ways to restart the game, each time the opposition put the ball out of play, which ever New Zealand player has the ball , the first thing they will look to do is take a quick line out and get the game going again and look to unsettle the team they are playing.
They were very clinical throughout this World Cup , when most other International teams get a chance to attack they waist it more times than they convert the opportunity. New Zealand on the other hand take most if not every chance they create. Looking to the future what team can stop New Zealand’s dominance of the world game in the next 4 years before Japan in 2019. Argentina will improve in the next couple of years along with the old guard of Australia , South Africa and New Zealand.
In the Northern Hemisphere of course the post-mortem has taken place with the Union’s in England , Wales , Ireland and France looking for answers and solutions to some of the issues that cropped up. France will have a new coach for the 2016 Six Nations , Ireland will have a new defensive coach hopefully in place by the time the Six Nations rolls around. All the teams involved will want to start the new cycle with positive results and finishing positions in the 2016 Six Nations.
New Zealand will have Steve Hansen in place until 2017, when the Lions come calling.That will be the next goal for the all-conquering All Blacks , can they beat the Lions 3-0 like 2005. Hansen will have New Zealand well set for that tour.
Richie Mc Caw has yet to announce his intentions with regard to retirement and my gut is telling me that Mr Mc Caw will be around in 2017 to lead them into battle against The Lions…
By
Cian Mc Gibney
03/11/2015
