TUESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2014 SPORTS

All Blacks to forge even further ahead of the rest of the world

WELLINGTON: New Zealand may have 1924 ‘Invincibles’ teams, Johnson’s study passed down through the years, from their “commitment to learning” despite of their 32 tests. missed out on setting a new record for shows. player-to-player. the revolution in rugby over the last 30 Going into last weekend’s match consecutive test victories but their domi- “There has been an ethos, or legacy of “The senior players created an infor- years. “The world operates at such a fast against Australia, they had equalled a nation of the game is unlikely to stop winning since the 1905 and 1924 teams mal group that took over and set the pace, technological change is over- record for top-tier nations jointly held by soon, an academic study claims. that has been carried on,” the 75-year-old standards and the values of the team,” he whelming us and to keep up, sports really the 1965-69 All Blacks and the 1997-98 The study, by former rugby adminis- lead author of ‘Legends in Black - New said. “If the members of the group believe need to be committed to learning,” he Springboks with a 17-match winning trator and provincial player Tom Johnson, Zealand Rugby Greats on Why We Win’ in those values and it shows them they said. streak. has looked at how a small South Pacific told Reuters. can be successful, then that becomes “This is one of the things I found with The streak ended on Saturday with the country of less than 4.5 million people “We established very early on that part of the culture.” the current All Blacks (from) the Graham 12-12 draw in Sydney but Johnson said has managed to dominate world rugby legacy of winning. As such our public is Johnson’s book stemmed from his Henry regime through to the current day the constant evolution of the All Blacks for so long. very demanding of our coaches and play- PhD thesis into organisational culture and is that they have made a commitment to culture would help them recover their The All Blacks have won more than 76 ers. Only winning is good enough.” macro-environmental factors influencing learning.” hegemony quickly enough. percent of their 516 test matches since Johnson’s research involved interview- change and he argues that even the That commitment has not just “Culture is a stabilising thing and if you 1903, 10 percent higher than South ing former All Blacks greats and revealed strongest culture is no guarantee of suc- allowed the All Blacks to maintain their don’t change you get set in your ways Africa, who have the second best record, that in the absence of the sort of coach- cess if it fails to adapt. high standards but to forge even further and there is the likelihood of getting winning 66 percent of their 432 tests. ing and management structures that ahead of the rest of the world. beaten,” he said. New Zealand’s winning percentage exist today, the team culture was fostered Advantage In the 10 years since Henry was “That’s why I think the current team has exceeded 80 percent since rugby by the players themselves. He believes the All Blacks are an excel- appointed in 2004, they won almost 88 have adopted a learning culture. They turned professional in 1995 but the cul- And while the All Blacks now embrace lent case study for any organisation percent of their matches. Under current have to. If they don’t they will be beaten. ture behind their success can be traced the best of modern support structures, because of the way they have managed coach Hansen, who took over after the “And that is what has made them very directly back to the 1905 ‘Originals’ and that underlying winning culture has been to maintain their advantage through 2011 World Cup, they have lost just one successful.” —Reuters Yang beats Conners in final of US Amateur

JOHNS CREEK: South Korea’s Gunn Yang has disk that required laser surgery. Just three completed his improbable run to the US weeks ago, he withdrew from the California Amateur title with a 2-and-1 victory over Open after playing his first nine holes at 6 Canada’s Corey Conners on Sunday. over. At No. 776, Yang became the lowest- Now, at the home club of Bobby Jones, ranked player in the world amateur stand- the greatest amateur of them all, Yang hoist- ings to win the country’s biggest title for ed the Havemeyer Trophy. “I was just trying non-professional golfers. Along the way, he to build up my confidence,” he said. “I never beat five players inside the top 100, includ- thought that I could get the US. ing the 44th-ranked Conners. Amateur right away, I mean, one year The 20-year-old Yang, a San Diego State after the surgery. This is just a dream come player, never trailed in the 36-hole final at true.” Conners never led in the match, but he Atlanta Athletic Club, pushing his lead to 2 had a chance to push it to the 36th hole with up with four to play by rolling in an 18-foot a 15-footer for birdie at No. 17. It slid by the birdie putt at No. 14. He closed out the right side of the cup, and he settled for par. match with a tap-in par at No. 17, the 35th Yang, whose 18-footer to win the match hole. caught the right lip of the cup and spun out, The South Korean was 1 up after the knocked in what was nothing more than a morning round. Afternoon play was halted gimme par to wrap up the match. He by a rain delay of 1 hour, 37 minutes. Yang pumped his fist, hugged his caddie and let was one of the most unlikely champions in out a scream. the history of the event, which was first held Conners’ loss came one week after in 1895. A student at San Diego State another Canadian, Brooke Mackenzie University, he has played in just four college Henderson, lost in the final of the US events, his career sidetracked by a herniated Women’s Amateur. —AP

SANTA CLARA: San Francisco 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert (2) passes against the during the first half of an NFL preseason football game in Santa Clara, California, Sunday. —AP Manning dominant for Denver in win over 49ers

SANTA CLARA: threw a 17-yard CJ Anderson ran for a 1-yard TD, while Matt his two carries. Wide receiver Michael Crabtree pass to Julius Thomas and dominat- Prater kicked a 26-yard field goal and Mitch also appeared as defensive stars Patrick Willis and JOHNS CREEK: Gunn Yang of Korea hits out of the bunker on the eleventh ed in his two series, leading the Denver Broncos Ewald added a late 22-yarder. San Francisco’s typ- Justin Smith got the day off. hole during the final match of the US Amateur Championship on Sunday at past the San Francisco 49ers 34-0 on Sunday to ically spot-on Phil Dawson sailed two long kicks Broncos Kayvon Webster missed the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek, Georgia. —AFP spoil the NFL debut at sparkling $1.2 billion Levi’s wide right. Denver did it on defense, too, getting the game after spraining an ankle during Stadium. two and a recovery and a Saturday’s practice. Denver already was thin as The 38-year-old Manning, beginning his 17th goal-line stand to end the game. The Broncos Chris Harris Jr. returns from tearing his left anteri- season after throwing for an NFL-record 55 recovered another fumble on special teams. or cruciate ligament during the playoffs. Tricky 18th hole helps last year, completed 12 of 14 passes The 49ers lost safety Antoine Bethea to a con- Linebacker , who tore his right ACL for 102 yards and a 120.8 rating. He was 8 for 8 cussion early in the second quarter. He was able in Week 16, could still play in the preseason, Villegas win Wyndham on Denver’s second drive, then backup Brock to walk off on his own, but later left for the locker while that is unlikely for Harris. Denver remains Osweiler took over and threw for a score and led room. without running back , who is work- GREENSBORO: Camilo Villegas got some season event. another touchdown drive in a preseason ing back from an appendectomy earlier this help from an unlikely source on his way to his Villegas had four birdies and an eagle on matchup of the past two losers. Traffic concerns month. Kaepernick had his chances during his first victory in a while. the front nine, added a birdie on the par-5 Colin Kaepernick went 5 for 9 for 39 yards in Denver linebacker Lamin Barrow limped off brief stint on the field. On third-and-4 from the The tricky 18th hole at Sedgefield Country 15th and watched the rest of the tournament his two series before a sellout crowd at the team’s early in the second half with a lower leg injury, 37, Kaepernick barely overthrew Brandon Lloyd Club tripped up his top two challengers. from the air-conditioned scorer’s tent with his flashy new digs in the heart of Silicon Valley. then the Broncos lost tight end Gerrell Robinson in the end zone. Villegas won the Wyndham Championship by caddie. “I was hoping for a playoff,” Villegas Major League Soccer’s San Jose Earthquakes beat to a knee injury. Dawson then missed his first field goal a stroke Sunday for his first on the PGA Tour said. Turns out, he didn’t have to hit another the Seattle Sounders in the stadium’s first sport- As San Francisco struggled in all phases, tens attempt in the new stadium, sending a 55-yarder since 2010 after Freddie Jacobson and Nick shot, not after the rest of the field struggled ing event Aug. 1. of thousands of fans made their way out midway wide right. He missed wide right again from the Watney ran into trouble on the final hole. “I late. Instead, he earned his fourth PGA Tour had three catches on through the third quarter - certainly helping to other end on a 44-yarder late in the first half, and thought somebody was going to get” a birdie title and first since the 2010 Honda Classic. Denver’s opening drive, including a 20-yard gain. alleviate traffic concerns. The 49ers ended a four these weren’t in the unpredictable elements of on 18, Villegas said. He also became the second first-round That gives Thomas 10 receptions for 89 yards in decade run at Candlestick Park last season. Candlestick. The 49ers are scoreless in their last Nobody who could catch him did. That leader to win this tournament since its 2008 Denver’s two victories against the NFC West’s Two key members of San Francisco’s offense seven quarters and have been outscored 57-3 gave the Colombian $954,000 in prize money move back to Sedgefield and first since Arjun powerhouses, the Super Bowl champion Seattle made their first appearances of the preseason, this preseason. They lost 23-3 at Baltimore on and 500 FedEx Cup points in the final regular- Atwal in 2010. —AP Seahawks and San Francisco. with Frank Gore running for 9 yards on the first of Aug 7. —AP IRB vow to do everything to grow women’s rugby

PARIS: World rugby union’s governing body, Memorable the IRB, has vowed to do “everything” to “I send my congratulations to England grow the women’s game in the wake of a who played so well, but also to Canada who highly successful World Cup won by won so many fans here during this World England. Cup.” Goalkicking Canada wing Magali The tournament captured the imagina- Harvey, who scored a memorable 80-metre tion of a French public, who not only tuned try in the semi-final victory over France, was in in their millions to watch on television, named the IRB Women’s Player of the Year. but came in their thousands to grounds to The 24-year-old edged out her captain watch five rounds of matches live. and Canada number 8 Kelly Russell, Ireland Such fervour in a country known for par- full back Niamh Briggs and France No 8 Safi ticularly fickle fans has been a major boost N’Diaye. for the International Rugby Board (IRB) as it “Her try against France in the semi-final looks ahead to the Rio Olympics in 2016 was perhaps the tournament highlight and when men and women’s rugby sevens will certainly one of the tries of the year. I was make their debut. privileged to have been sitting in the stand to “The fact that so many spectators have watch it live,” Lapasset said. come to watch, as well as record television Focus for many players who featured in audiences at home, is a testament to the France will turn swiftly away to the process of quality of rugby that has been on display,” qualifying for the rugby sevens at the Rio IRB president Bernard Lapasset said after Games. watching England beat Canada 21-9 in That begins with four of the 15 spots on Sunday’s final. offer (Brazil having already qualified as hosts) “The women’s game is certainly on the up at the 2014-15 IRB Sevens World Series, while and we will be doing everything we can at each of the six regional rugby unions will the IRB to make sure that upward trend con- have an Olympic qualification event from tinues.” which one team will qualify. Lapasset heaped praise on the final day The high-octane abbreviated form of the of competition, with France finishing third regular 15-a-side game made its debut on the after outgunning Ireland 25-18 at Stade Jean Olympic programme this week at the Youth Bouin, the western Parisian home of Top 14 Summer Olympic Games in Nanjing, China. club Stade Francais, before England took “It has been a special day for the global centre stage. “What an amazing way to finish rugby family and the young players are very an amazing women’s Rugby World Cup,” the much aware that they have been making his- Frenchman said. tory,” Lapasset said of a competition watched “The TV and media coverage, the atmos- by former International Olympic Committee PARIS: French junior Sports minister Thierry Braillard (C) poses with players of France’s women rugby union national team yester- phere at the matches and the way that this president Jacques Rogge. “We are proud to day at the Sports ministry in Paris. On the eve, the team won the IRB Women’s Rugby World Cup third place match. —AFP tournament has captured the public’s imagi- be back on the Olympic stage and Nanjing nation has been remarkable. has made us feel very welcome.” —AFP