Living legends aren't always good value. . .
May 05, 2008
For a football loving Scot (go Rangers!) I'm getting pretty pissed off at people bagging New Zealand rugby.
Having listened to hundreds of armchair critics being urged on by ringmaster Murray Deaker and his ilk you wouldn't think rugby was a positive thing in this country.
In fact, you'd be forgiven for thinking rugby was the cause of the majority of ills in Aotearoa. (Hey Murray, there's an idea for your next book. . .)
But rugby is positive. Thousands of people get a kick from going to games week in and week out and millions of people enjoy watching it on the television. People enjoy abusing friends and neighbours because they’re better at them at predicting the results.
People get emotional about results, whether it's tears or a thump in anger on the chair's much abused arm. (Or maybe that’s just me?)
More importantly, however, young kids still aspire to pull on the black jersey. (Despite having a dad built to play in the front-row, Kilpatrick junior has the size, agility and attitude that only befits a half-back and will surely one day be an All Black.)
But this apparent national obsession with getting former All Black players and coaches to bag Graham Henry and the current regime at the NZRU has got to stop.
I've never met Colin Meads. I've seen him zoom past me on a four-wheel drive thingy as he made his way to the sheep-run in Te Kuiti and I've heard him interviewed on television, but I haven't shaken hands with the living legend.
But as good a rugby player as Meads undoubtedly was, rugby is a different game to the sport played when he, and the majority of the other commentators on these issues, were last involved, like it or not (and I suspect in most of these cases it's not).
Their thoughts on what Graham Henry should or shouldn't do with his team selection are no more valid than Deaker's, yours, mine or even Uncle Frank's because he once played for the Otago third-team.
But that doesn't stop New Zealanders, and some New Zealand journalists, from elevating these people to masters of the current game and jumping to them every time someone wants to write a story bagging the NZRU or the current Brains Trust.
Rugby is now a professional game. This alone means the game is substantially different to the oft-dreamed of halcyon days when All Blacks tests were only on the radio and players walked twenty miles in the snow to get to a training practise.
When you add the change in rules, the increase in speed and fitness of the players, it's not even close to the era of the All Blacks legends. Hell, it's not even close to what rugby was like in 1990 when Scotland won the Grand Slam.
Post-rugby careers for players nowadays are basically an afterthought. That’s why it's hard to fault Nick Evans, Dan Carter or anyone else who chooses to further their career overseas (i.e. earn more money). Because at 35, when you and me are still on the up in our professions (with a bit of luck!), they'll be finished.
Even things like ensuring the players eat properly and get the right nutritional balance are important now the link between performance and food is better understood.
Meads once suggested that if pasta was so important to rugby players then why weren't the Italians world champions.
Hey, it's a great soundbite, and may even get Pinetree a slot in the NZ International Comedy Festival, but it's hardly lifting the standard of debate about rugby in the country, is it?
I'm not trying to bag Colin Meads. Not by a long shot. I just don't think his opinion of the game is as relevant as the New Zealand press would have us believe. And he's not alone in that regard.
The latest thing to get my goat was Laurie Mains' proclamation Henry should resign if he doesn't pick Nick Evans for the All Blacks.
Well forgive me for thinking it's a bit rich for a man with a worse international coaching record than Henry's to tell him what to do!
So Nick Evans has decided his future is in England and will be until 2011. Good on him, but it surely means he's counted himself out of the 2011 World Cup. He can't expect us to genuflect when he deigns to return to New Zealand and expect to return to the team just in time for 2011 glory.
In my opinion, it would now be ridiculous to pick Evans for the All Blacks this year. In fact, given everyone and his dog knew Evans was off even before this announcement, I wouldn't have picked him anyway.
The same goes for Dan Carter if, as is believed, he's decided he's had enough of the goldfish bowl that is New Zealand.
Henry would be better to concentrate on the next group of players coming through and give them enough time to play together before 2011. If that means ignoring the two best first five-eighths in the country for the meaningless (in the sense it doesn't necessary help to win the World Cup which appears to be all people care about) Tri Nations then so be it.
Unfortunately I'm not sure Henry has the goodwill of enough of the sporting journalists in New Zealand to be able to lose the Tri Nations without being hung out to dry further.
Over 11,000 people voted in Yahoo!Xtra polls about who should be next All Blacks coach, with a majority supporting Ted. But you wouldn't have known that from reading the pro-Deans stuff in the newspapers.
Given this apparent lack of support in the opinion-forming press, Henry may feel he has to pick the best XV or his future as All Blacks coach may be finished.
But regardless of what Henry actually does, I can't see where Mains, and other critics, are coming from. Either the matches pre- and post-World Cup are important, and therefore Henry’s overall record of 42 wins from 48 matches should stand on its own.
Or the games are only there to start building for the next World Cup and it shouldn't matter who Henry picks, or whether he wins and loses, as long as the eye is on the William Webb Ellis trophy.
But given New Zealand's (and my own) seemingly endless battle with obesity, what would be the fun in having a load of cakes and not at least attempting to eat them, eh?
So where do we go from here?
Do we journalists have to go elsewhere in order to provide better stories for readers?
Am I a young whippersnapper who doesn't know my tradition, and should be ashamed of the fact I couldn’t lace Meads' boots?
Is this year's Tri Nations important and should the best players be picked regardless of where they will be in December?
Let me know what you think. As always, I appreciate the comments.
Having listened to hundreds of armchair critics being urged on by ringmaster Murray Deaker and his ilk you wouldn't think rugby was a positive thing in this country.
In fact, you'd be forgiven for thinking rugby was the cause of the majority of ills in Aotearoa. (Hey Murray, there's an idea for your next book. . .)
But rugby is positive. Thousands of people get a kick from going to games week in and week out and millions of people enjoy watching it on the television. People enjoy abusing friends and neighbours because they’re better at them at predicting the results.
People get emotional about results, whether it's tears or a thump in anger on the chair's much abused arm. (Or maybe that’s just me?)
More importantly, however, young kids still aspire to pull on the black jersey. (Despite having a dad built to play in the front-row, Kilpatrick junior has the size, agility and attitude that only befits a half-back and will surely one day be an All Black.)
But this apparent national obsession with getting former All Black players and coaches to bag Graham Henry and the current regime at the NZRU has got to stop.
I've never met Colin Meads. I've seen him zoom past me on a four-wheel drive thingy as he made his way to the sheep-run in Te Kuiti and I've heard him interviewed on television, but I haven't shaken hands with the living legend.
But as good a rugby player as Meads undoubtedly was, rugby is a different game to the sport played when he, and the majority of the other commentators on these issues, were last involved, like it or not (and I suspect in most of these cases it's not).
Their thoughts on what Graham Henry should or shouldn't do with his team selection are no more valid than Deaker's, yours, mine or even Uncle Frank's because he once played for the Otago third-team.
But that doesn't stop New Zealanders, and some New Zealand journalists, from elevating these people to masters of the current game and jumping to them every time someone wants to write a story bagging the NZRU or the current Brains Trust.
Rugby is now a professional game. This alone means the game is substantially different to the oft-dreamed of halcyon days when All Blacks tests were only on the radio and players walked twenty miles in the snow to get to a training practise.
When you add the change in rules, the increase in speed and fitness of the players, it's not even close to the era of the All Blacks legends. Hell, it's not even close to what rugby was like in 1990 when Scotland won the Grand Slam.
Post-rugby careers for players nowadays are basically an afterthought. That’s why it's hard to fault Nick Evans, Dan Carter or anyone else who chooses to further their career overseas (i.e. earn more money). Because at 35, when you and me are still on the up in our professions (with a bit of luck!), they'll be finished.
Even things like ensuring the players eat properly and get the right nutritional balance are important now the link between performance and food is better understood.
Meads once suggested that if pasta was so important to rugby players then why weren't the Italians world champions.
Hey, it's a great soundbite, and may even get Pinetree a slot in the NZ International Comedy Festival, but it's hardly lifting the standard of debate about rugby in the country, is it?
I'm not trying to bag Colin Meads. Not by a long shot. I just don't think his opinion of the game is as relevant as the New Zealand press would have us believe. And he's not alone in that regard.
The latest thing to get my goat was Laurie Mains' proclamation Henry should resign if he doesn't pick Nick Evans for the All Blacks.
Well forgive me for thinking it's a bit rich for a man with a worse international coaching record than Henry's to tell him what to do!
So Nick Evans has decided his future is in England and will be until 2011. Good on him, but it surely means he's counted himself out of the 2011 World Cup. He can't expect us to genuflect when he deigns to return to New Zealand and expect to return to the team just in time for 2011 glory.
In my opinion, it would now be ridiculous to pick Evans for the All Blacks this year. In fact, given everyone and his dog knew Evans was off even before this announcement, I wouldn't have picked him anyway.
The same goes for Dan Carter if, as is believed, he's decided he's had enough of the goldfish bowl that is New Zealand.
Henry would be better to concentrate on the next group of players coming through and give them enough time to play together before 2011. If that means ignoring the two best first five-eighths in the country for the meaningless (in the sense it doesn't necessary help to win the World Cup which appears to be all people care about) Tri Nations then so be it.
Unfortunately I'm not sure Henry has the goodwill of enough of the sporting journalists in New Zealand to be able to lose the Tri Nations without being hung out to dry further.
Over 11,000 people voted in Yahoo!Xtra polls about who should be next All Blacks coach, with a majority supporting Ted. But you wouldn't have known that from reading the pro-Deans stuff in the newspapers.
Given this apparent lack of support in the opinion-forming press, Henry may feel he has to pick the best XV or his future as All Blacks coach may be finished.
But regardless of what Henry actually does, I can't see where Mains, and other critics, are coming from. Either the matches pre- and post-World Cup are important, and therefore Henry’s overall record of 42 wins from 48 matches should stand on its own.
Or the games are only there to start building for the next World Cup and it shouldn't matter who Henry picks, or whether he wins and loses, as long as the eye is on the William Webb Ellis trophy.
But given New Zealand's (and my own) seemingly endless battle with obesity, what would be the fun in having a load of cakes and not at least attempting to eat them, eh?
So where do we go from here?
Do we journalists have to go elsewhere in order to provide better stories for readers?
Am I a young whippersnapper who doesn't know my tradition, and should be ashamed of the fact I couldn’t lace Meads' boots?
Is this year's Tri Nations important and should the best players be picked regardless of where they will be in December?
Let me know what you think. As always, I appreciate the comments.
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