I have not had the pleasure of meeting All Blacks coach Steve Hansen face-to-face or heard him speak publicly, though his relative media persona can sometimes take over. The common misconception is that his is ‘monotone and prosaic’ but on Sunday I think the real Steve Hansen will emerge.
On Sunday he has the hardest task most New Zealanders can imagine. Head Coach of the All Blacks announcing the team for the upcoming 2015 Rugby World Cup. For some, that is very nearly the most important task in sport. Now that is a tough gig, and then add in the fact it is being relayed all around the world via livestreaming website footage. If any situation would test your dedication, than this is it but again, it might very well be the making of him as once the team is broadcast, then his life gets easier.
It is all up to the All Black selectors now. Post the selections being broadcast, all the talk will then focus on who was selected or who was not (that can sometimes be an entertaining argument) and then Hansen and his co-coaches Ian Foster, Aussie McLean and selector Grant Fox can all take a moment to relax.
This has probably never been a more examined pre-season and the five test matches played this season. In a way, being the reigning World Champions means that expectations are just that little bit more intense. So after the list is released, it is a weight of their collective shoulders as they now engage with the public and media to present the squad of 31.
Within the selection process, tests have been played and lost. Those players who were given the chance to stake a claim are in an elite group. Hansen said after the Sydney match that “we’ve got a plan, we don’t need to deviate from that and we don’t need to panic. We’ve still got to get to where we want to get to, and we’ve got to get there with some real purpose”. The recovery and the flattering result the All Blacks played at Eden Park the week after, was the best outcome possible. They tasted defeat, and that probably was a good thing for players and for the selectors too.
I could list each player that is suspected of being included in this upcoming All Blacks side, give long player biographies and my opinion but I could never do each player justice. Some will attempt to, starting at prop and leading to fullback, all 15 positions now have to be awarded and discussions over places is a good thing. Each position has a role to play that has changed in this super-sized professional era and only the selectors have ever really known what they were exactly looking for in the competing players within New Zealand (NZ)
And that is a mute point – only players residing and playing rugby within NZ are ever eligible, as the ‘Graham Henry clause’ still exists after many years of fully professional rugby. So no Nick Evans but I’m sure those players plying their trade in the far reaches of the globe will respect that this time prior to any team naming is a nervous wait for the players. Some of them may return and then attempt to join in this challenge leading up to 2019 World Cup, but on Sunday the 31 will be selected from our rugby stocks within these borders.
The probables have gone through many different phases of this season: pre-season began for many in October, so by January the majority of players had already been thinking of rugby for a couple of months. For the elite, they play Super Rugby with an awareness that All Black management has scheduled breaks for them that should allow that player to retain a fresh body and mind (not to burn out too early) In this way NZ Rugby are the employers, with franchise management being asked to abide by plans laid out by Hansen and his coaching group.
On Sunday, not only will the players be selected publicly, but that players representation is increased in value – if you are a Rugby World Cup squad member, than your ‘rugby value’ just rose. These are the high-performing stars of the game and the efforts that Super Rugby, ITM Cup and their club sides have invested in those players will have paid off in full. It is a huge tick next to your name.
For those players in contention, they will receive a courtesy phone call before the side is publicly announced. In the media, you sometimes hear of players being told by family and friends via text, but for such a huge occasion Steve himself could place that call. But the call would be made in either the affirmative or in the sympathetic. And as he has said “41 doesn’t fit into 31, so some people will miss out”.
It is all up to the All Black selectors now. They have concentrated on selected players through-out the year and have filtered that list down to 31 individuals who can lead NZ Rugby towards a goal that no other nation has been able to complete. To defend [as current holders] and to win the William Webb Ellis Trophy away from home. It will be a major objective, so the planning has been monumental and many fans believe it is possible.
To help that sentiment, the marketing squad have also made their preparations and planning. Team All Blacks is popular and the brand ‘All Blacks’ are front-and-centre in Supermarkets, sports stores and in new products on the market. For example, if you buy two boxes of Weetbix, you qualify for a complimentary All Blacks cereal bowl, so the public are participating in the build-up and promotion of this group surreptitiously.
MEDIA ANALYSIS
Once we know the squad of 31, then fans can begin to analyse and digest the side in more detail. Next week, I will look closer at these men who will lead NZ Rugby on their quest for gold, but within minutes the media can begin to dissect the appointments and in all too many occasions, pull them apart them. Although I won’t venture down that path, others will focus on players not selected. They will cry out “why did you not pick him?” and then pull-to-pieces the chosen player.
That path is an all too common sports reporting process, while it is not always necessary if we did not compare players (as the coaches do) then we would not be able to comment on players strengths and weaknesses. You must look at player A in comparison to player B, but for Hansen and his team once announced they place all their faith in that person.
On Sunday night, players will be lined up for comment and media photo-sessions. Sadly I cannot be there, but it should be at this point that Hansen and his team will be able to say “here they are, what do you think of them?” and the rugby public must then get behind this squad. That support is pivotal to be successful and public opinion is primary. So a media blitz will occur from Monday onward. To have that mass public support base is key, and from there anything is possible.
While the lead-up to the Rugby World Cup has involved over 40 of New Zealand’s leading rugby players, there is only space for 31 players now. I cannot predict the future, but am sure that once the team is released then players you and I assumed would be included, might not be. That is sport, where a team is selected and sometimes players are left on the bench due to a wealth of choices.
To those players that have stood up to show their worth, we salute you one and all. George Moala performed well, as did Andy Ellis. James Broadhurst had his first exposure to this level and will be better off for it. Waisake Naholo may have had the worst luck, and while there is a slim hope for him – it is just that. Slim. All Blacks are not chosen on ‘chances’ of performing. They must be high-performing athletes and in a World Cup cycle, the peak performers rise to the top.
Sunday will be interesting in that Steve Hansen and his All Blacks side will all be the focus. I believe he personally will do a good job. He will gladly complete all the interviews and photo-sessions demanded of him. His manner with the media is much improved from Wales and from 2004. He is now more relaxed and explains his mentality and choices with clarity, but once all the media is fulfilled I see him retiring to a backroom and (if allowed within the Parliament buildings) having a cold Steinlager.
He knows his groups pre-tournament work is done. Take a breather Steve, although it’s not quite over yet mate. Your focus now has to point towards England next.
Last Word On Sports says “All the best, and congratulations” to all players selected, commiserations to the few players not included. Your now on your way to the 2015 Rugby World Cup – it is all up to the All Black players now.
“Main Photo”
