Now that the June International Test program has been completed, and we wait for the dust to settle, let us ask the question on everyone lips.
Do England have what it takes to dislodge the All Blacks from top spot? Respected former coach Sir Ian McGeechan stated England were two years behind the All Blacks while Sir Clive Woodward believes there is still clear daylight between New Zealand and the rest of the rugby world.
England coach Eddie Jones has done an amazing job in putting together a nine game unbeaten run, winning the Six Nations, the Triple Crown and beating Australia in Australia three – nil, to take the Cook Cup north. But let’s put the tour of Australia into context, presently the Wallabies are poor.
They will improve, as their coach Michael Cheika is too good a coach to take this lying down, but they are poor nonetheless. All Black head coach Steve Hansen’s comments about Cheika being bullied by Jones in the media signifies the commencement of the mind games for the Rugby Championship.
Jones has a pursuit of excellence that will drive the English team to set new standards. He is a perfectionist who has unlimited resources to achieve his goal of taking England to number one.
Next month he is to spend time with a cycling team during the Tour de France to learn how they prepare, recover and cope with the extreme pressure of competing in one of the world’s toughest annual events. Eddie has openly stated that everyone in their organization must improve, himself included.
This isn’t too dissimilar to the All Blacks who are chasing perfection when they take the field looking to win every game they play. That is the expectation of the management, the public and the players themselves. The bar is set high but it drives all those involved to leave no stone unturned, make every possible effort, exhaust every resource in their quest for perfection. The rhetoric from both camps sounds strangely similar. The team comes first in all decisions, we will always do what is best for the team and it’s all about giving selflessly to the team are the maxims being heard in press conferences.
The year after a Rugby World Cup is interesting in that teams are in a rebuilding or reestablishment phase, as the All Blacks call it, after the retirement of ageing stars. Woodward believes the Englishmen need to become the best in the world in their respective positions and he has stroked the egos of Owen Farrell and Maro Itoje by naming them in his World XV.
2015 World Player of the Year Dan Carter was overlooked while no place was found for 2014 World Player of the Year Brodie Retallick whose achievements dwarf Itoje’s seven international caps.
The future looks bright for the All Blacks as they look to replace Ritchie McCaw, Dan Carter, Ma’a Nonu, Conrad Smith and others. It’s exciting for the rugby public to see a back three of Ben Smith, Israel Dagg, a revitalised Julian Savea, or a fit again Nehe Milner-Shudder bringing the ball back in counter attack. Sonny-Bill Williams comes back after the Rio Olympics and he is talking about going to a third World Cup. How will Beauden Barrett and Aaron Cruden develop in the next two years while England are catching up? Aaron Smith, Kieran Reid, Jerome Kaino, Brodie Retallick and Dane Coles are among the best in their position on any given day. Will another world class forward be unearthed during the Rugby Championship or the November tour?
I’ve got to say that, and I’ll use a quote from a friend’s father, “You are dreaming England, you are dreaming”. That’s the beauty of Rugby and sport in general, sometimes dreams do come true, just ask the Iceland Football team.
