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RUGBY UNION FAVOURITES TO WIN THIS YEAR’S , THE ALL BLACKS HAVE PRETTY MUCH DOMINATED INTERNATIONAL RUGBY SINCE THEY ENTERED THE SPORT 130 YEARS AGO. GAVIN MORTIMER, OF RUGBY WORLD MAGAZINE, FINDS OUT HOW. RUGBY UNION 07 08 RUGBY UNION

IT’S ONE OF the more extraordinary sporting conundrums: how has a small island nation in a far-flung corner of the planet with a population of just 4.5 million dominated one sport for so long? The country in question is and the sport is rugby union. Of course, they’re better known as the All Blacks – a nickname they’ve had courtesy of their kit since their first tour to Europe in 1905 when they also introduced to the world their pre-kick off haka, or Maori war dance. On that ten-month trip, the All Blacks won 31 of their 32 matches, scoring 830 points and conceding just 39. Ever since then they’ve maintained a similarly stunning success rate. The 1924 touring side to the British Isles was dubbed ‘The Invincibles’ after winning all 32 of their matches, and the most recent squad to visit the spiritual home of rugby defeated England, Scotland and Wales on consecutive weekends last November. The All Blacks will be back in Britain later this year, arriving in September to defend the Rugby World Cup they won four years ago in New Zealand. Incredibly, since lifting that trophy they have lost just two of the 42 Test matches they’ve played (against England in 2012 and South Africa in 2014). In those 42 matches they’ve scored 154 tries – 3.6 per match – and set new standards of sporting excellence. New Zealand have their eyes on an unprecedented third World Cup victory. It would take a brave individual to bet against them. Here we analyse the tactical, physiological and sociological reasons for the All Blacks’ dominance.

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FEAR OF FAILURE ALL-ROUNDERS COMMITMENT TO LEARNING PERFORMANCE UNDER PRESSURE More than any other nation, New New Zealand don’t channel all their The 1905 squad that toured Europe “At international level, to be able to Zealand do not accept defeat in their energy into dominating Test match rugby. weight-trained on the ship over to execute, it’s often not about skill or national sport. “There has been an Their under-20 side, the Baby Blacks, has prepare for the matches, a form of ability but instead having [a cool] head ethos or legacy of winning since the also won four of the last seven world fitness training unknown in British rugby under pressure,” said All Black fly-half 1905 and 1924 teams that has been titles; the New Zealand women’s side, at the time. Ever since then, the All after his last-gasp kick had carried on,” explains Kiwi author and the Black Ferns, won four consecutive Blacks have been rugby’s innovators, be edged out Australia 29-28 in October academic Tom Johnson. World Cup titles between 1998 and 2010; it introducing specialist scrummaging 2014. It was the latest example of Kiwi The stats bear this out. The All Blacks’ the national side has positions on that 1905 tour or the coolness at the death. A few months win ratio of 402 victories in 526 Tests scooped 12 of the 15 Sevens World Series ferocious rucking style pioneered in the earlier they had beaten England 20-15 played between 1903 and 2014 is a titles. Sevens coach Sir 1930s. Then in the 1990s, the All Blacks with a try three minutes from time, staggering 78.23 per cent. The next – knighted for his rugby achievements in revolutionised back play by selecting the while in 2013 against Ireland they best team is South Africa who have 2013 – has said this code is “a great sport mammoth and Va’aiga clawed back a 19-0 deficit to win 24-22 won 66.09 per cent of their 441 Test because it teaches young players to be Tuigamala on the wings. In more recent with a last-minute try. Mental skills matches (281 wins). Then come unified, to work hard, to be dedicated to seasons they have once again led the coach Gilbert Enoka is the man who England who (as of early February the team and to the game”. way by reverting to smaller, speedier makes the All Blacks mentally the 2015) were on 57.2 per cent, successful backs such as and , strongest side in . in 364 of their 680 matches. both 14 stone – mere whippets by rugby standards. RUGBY UNION 09

The 2015 Rugby World Cup (Sept 18th to Oct 31st) will be the eighth world championship for rugby union. 20 national teams will compete at 13 venues across England and Wales. (See map.) Nations are separated into four pools, with the top two teams in each pool then advancing to the knock-out stages.

POOL A Australia, England, Wales, Fiji, Uruguay Newcastle POOL B South Africa, Samoa, Scotland, Japan, USA

POOL C New Zealand, Argentina, Leeds Tonga, Georgia, Namibia Manchester

Leicester POOL D Birmingham France, Ireland, Italy, Canada, Romania Milton Keynes Populous designed four of the 2015 Rugby World Cup venues, and worked Gloucester on two others.

Brighton Exeter

The All Blacks’ (right) grapples for the ball.

NURTURING TALENT IN THE GENES THE SMALL BLACKS SENSE OF IDENTITY The All Blacks have a tradition of Indigenous New Zealanders, the Maoris, Every primary school in New Zealand In 1890, 20 years after rugby was nurturing young talent and allowing it have been inextricably linked to rugby boasts a grass playing field so that, from introduced, there were nearly 700 clubs time to blossom at Test level. The 15 ever since the sport was first played in the age of four, kids can get used to in New Zealand. It was a sport that players who took to the field for New New Zealand in 1870. The first touring handling rugby balls. Until the age of appealed to the tough individualism of Zealand’s final match of 2014 – the party to leave New Zealand was the eight, Kiwi kids don’t tackle, kick or the white settlers who saw it as an victory over Wales – boasted 752 caps, 1888-89 Maori side that played 107 scrum. “Everything we do is about four opportunity to forge a national identity yet only six had been in the starting 15 matches during a tour of the British Isles key skills: catch, pass, run and evade,” by beating the home nations of Britain in the 2011 World Cup final. Younger and Australia. For the big, powerful and explains Brent Anderson, a former All at sport. “We had early success at rugby players, such as wing and athletic Maoris, rugby gave them a sense Black and now manager of New Zealand at a time when nation-building was a lock Brodie Retallick (the world player of of identity among the Pakeha New Rugby Football Union’s community very important thing,” says Professor the year in 2014, pictured above), had Zealanders (the white European programme. Once the children have Toni Bruce, a sport sociologist at been introduced into the team in 2012 to settlers). As of 2013 there were 35,000 mastered rugby’s basics, they are University. “New Zealand allow them time to develop for the 2015 Maori rugby players in New Zealand – introduced to tackling at age eight. beating British teams at rugby was used World Cup. a five percent increase on the 2008 It’s not until they turn 11 that they take by politicians to promote the virtues of figure. More recently the All Blacks have part in 15-a-side games. the healthy, virile Kiwi lifestyle.” been further strengthened by players of Pacific island heritage, with 10 of the 38-man All Blacks squad in 2013 having Polynesian ancestry.