A Test unlike any other
Ruben Love has played enough rugby to know pressure. Nothing prepared him for the Springboks. The All Blacks fly-half has told those around him that facing South Africa is a “massive difference” from Super Rugby and from his earlier Tests, and Sir Graham Henry repeated the message today.
Henry, who coached the All Blacks to the 2011 World Cup, was speaking on DSPN with Martin Devlin. He relayed Love’s reaction in blunt terms: “I’ve never experienced so much pressure playing rugby. Wow.” Henry sits on Dave Rennie’s support staff as a selector and travelled to South Africa for the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour, so he saw the shock first hand.
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Is Super Rugby doing its job?
Asked whether Super Rugby Pacific properly prepares All Blacks for the international game, Henry answered with a flat “No”. He then called the follow-up, how to prepare them, “a hell of a good question”.
His explanation is simple. When he coached in Super Rugby, the New Zealand sides played four matches a year against South African provincial teams. That no longer happens, so players meet the physical and mental weight of a Springboks Test for the first time at Test level.
Rebuilding under Rennie
Rennie’s brief is to steer the team back on track for next year’s World Cup in Australia, after Scott Robertson was sacked. The All Blacks lost three successive Tests to the Springboks, yet Henry sees signs of improvement in their performances. He also pointed out that the modern game carries far more moving parts than when he started as All Blacks coach in 2004, and that players need time to adapt to new coaching ideas.
On the opposition, Henry was generous: “They are well coached and good people and hugely motivated.”
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