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 Denver Broncos 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: Peyton Manning threw a 17-yard CJ Anderson ran for a 1-yard TD, while Matt his two carries. Wide receiver Michael Crabtree touchdown 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 cornerback 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 interceptions and a fumble 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 touchdowns last year, completed 12 of 14 passes The 49ers lost safety Antoine Bethea to a con- Linebacker Von Miller, 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 Montee Ball, 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 Super Bowl 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.