No monkey, no problems for All Blacks

OPINION – When Richie McCaw hoisted the William Webb Ellis Trophy in October of 2011, it’s fair to say that the world over felt the rush of air from the collective sigh that reverberated throughout New Zealand.

Almost four years on and while defending the Rugby World Cup has proved impossible in the past, the monkey having been torn off New Zealand’s back in 2011 might just allow the All Blacks to complete mission impossible at rugby’s showcase event starting next month.

A year out from the World Cup, New Zealand were, as they have been in recent times, unequivocally the best rugby team in the world. But the mystique of an England World Cup rendered their hopes of winning the tournament in 2015 a mere pipe dream, especially with Old Father Time catching up with senior All Blacks and their well documented struggles in away World Cups.

However, as we race toward kick-off in three weeks at Twickenham, a skeptic has almost been turned into a believer as New Zealand’s rugby stocks continue to demonstrate their capabilities.

The biggest indication that New Zealand are on the cusp of something special has been demonstrated twice since that famous night at Eden Park – firstly through their undefeated year in 2013 and secondly, in their most recent Rugby Championship campaign.

The quality that this team continues to produce is astounding and while it is a drum continually beaten, the depth of the squad, the ways in which they can affect a game plan and their winning mentality continues to amaze. It is something that has only been instilled in this team in the past five years – evolving from a team that so often clinched defeat from the jaws of victory to a team that almost refuses to lose – the performance against Ireland in Dublin in 2013 where New Zealand scored a 5th minute injury time converted try to steal victory is just one example of this.

On top of that, this team seems to learn from past mistakes. This was seen in the turn around from defeat in Sydney to a comprehensive victory in Auckland in week later in this year’s Rugby Championship.

As we all know, World Cups very rarely follow form guides but the All Blacks have made a habit of being able to win on the back of poor performances, a knack that they recognised the night they won rugby’s biggest prize. This as well as their total dominance of the world rugby landscape over the past four years will mean one thing for the All Blacks at this year’s World Cup…

They have nothing to lose.

The All Blacks hold almost every cup they play in except, of course the Rugby Championship which was wrestled away from them by the Wallabies (who, interestingly, also won it off New Zealand in the final game before the 2011 Rugby World Cup). And after registering a performance befitting the best team of the world in the second Bledisloe Cup match in Auckland, you can guarantee that they don’t lack confidence or belief heading to England next month. With nothing detracting from their World Cup win in 2011, they don’t have much else to prove to the world and their ability to tick the boxes in the previous four years means that the pressure valve is relatively low.

What furthers their cause for a World Cup defence is that they won’t be the most watched nation of the World Cup. That honour will be all England’s as they search for World Cup glory on home soil for the first time bringing with it the pressure from the home audience, most of whom won’t know a single thing about rugby before the start of the tournament. Of course, New Zealand Rugby fans hold such high expectations of their own team that anything short of a semi or final appearance would be punishable by death (such was the case after their failure at the first hurdle in 2007). 

It is hard not to get caught up in the All Black hype, especially after they played so well in their final game before the start of the tournament. And while it is England’s home tournament, one can’t help but hope that the All Blacks thank their fearless leader Richie McCaw’s career by achieving a feat that no other nation has ever  – despite the wearing one-eyedness of some All Black fans.