The Emperor Has No Clothes
Watching the All Blacks bumbling, chopping and changing performances of late it’s hard not to conclude that no-one really is behind the wheel.
Of course, everyone is nodding sagely and saying all the right things - ‘we’re building, it’s going to take some time to gel, we don’t want to show our hand’ - but in the back of all their minds they’re really thinking ‘I really have absolutely no idea what the strategy is here.’ And that’s showing up with the way the team is playing.
Yes, there is a lot of frantic, headless chook stuff, playing at a million miles an hour, but without any evidence that anyone knows what the master plan is. You get the sense that they’re all over-programmed and excessively workshopped. The only time they gel is when they ditch whatever Whiteboard Wankery Foster has programmed into them before the game and switch to their own instincts as professional rugby players.
That’s why I think all the ruminating about selections here is just so much like shifting the deck chairs on the Titanic when it’s already hit the iceberg.
Of course, the loss of Retallick through injury, the inability to find a settled blind side, the signs of age and wear in the established props, the chopping and changing at midfield, the loss of form for Ben Smith and the absence of a Mr Dependable right-wing are all elements in the ABs’ plight.
But I think a lot of this stuff is more symptomatic of the Big Picture, which is one of mediocre coaching, lousy communication and poor game management. Anyone who has worked in the senior management of an organisation can see what is going on here. This is a failure of succession planning. My sense is Hansen has had one foot out the door for most of this World Cup cycle and has been content to leave a lot of the decision-making to Foster.
OK, so you might say ‘that WAS the succession plan’. But I also think they didn’t really factor Wayne Smith’s retirement into it. He was the brains trust. And I think the NZRU just had so much faith in Hansen that they didn’t see the hospital pass coming. My guess is that Foster has not won the confidence of the players and you can see that on the field. They are approaching matches with a disastrous combination of superficial bravado to mask an underlying complete lack of confidence in the game plan.
It’s an emperor’s new clothes scenario. Foster is not up to it. He’s been found out. But no-one at this stage of the cycle is willing to scream “He’s butt-naked!”
This is a natural thing with long-dominant organisations. They atrophy and what made them successful starts to work in reverse. Those at the top want to protect their legacy, but you often find that during their victory lap they are less willing to tolerate second-guessing. Foster was a safe choice for Hansen because he was part of the existing set-up. But if all you are doing is watering down what you had before, it becomes an inferior product.
Again, I don’t really think this is primarily about individual players, although there are elements of that. This is like Apple post-Steve Jobs. Everyone else catches up and there’s a tendency to sit on one’s laurels and stop innovating.
Bottom line is they’re done.
@canefan said in Is Japan a WC too far for Hansen?:
@booboo said in Is Japan a WC too far for Hansen?:
@Wairau said in Is Japan a WC too far for Hansen?:
Hansen is too stubborn and it doesn't look like he'll make enough changes next week.
We still have the players and talent to stay 1-3 in the world, no matter what happens this year.
Razor has the Crusaders playing great rugby. I think he'd be able to do a lot for the ABs. But it's better he coaches the Crusaders for 2 more years then gets international experience.
I would prefer Gatland or Schmidt, or best would be Wayne Smith coming back for 2 years till Schmidt + Gatland are ready to do the job together.....What about Cotter or Joseph? Both very talented and proven...
Who are you changing?
That was ptetty much the number one team.
Given the actual quote was "Okay, Houston, we've had a problem here" and then, Houston, we've had a problem" maybe we're over it?
@booboo said in Is Japan a WC too far for Hansen?:
@Wairau said in Is Japan a WC too far for Hansen?:
Hansen is too stubborn and it doesn't look like he'll make enough changes next week.
We still have the players and talent to stay 1-3 in the world, no matter what happens this year.
Razor has the Crusaders playing great rugby. I think he'd be able to do a lot for the ABs. But it's better he coaches the Crusaders for 2 more years then gets international experience.
I would prefer Gatland or Schmidt, or best would be Wayne Smith coming back for 2 years till Schmidt + Gatland are ready to do the job together.....What about Cotter or Joseph? Both very talented and proven...
Who are you changing?
That was ptetty much the number one team.
For starters I'm dropping the entire front row
Coles & Moody on the Bench Laulau starts at #3
Hemepo starts
Bender goes to #15 with Mo'unga to #22
Laumape replaces Goodhue with ALB moving out to #13
Drop Rieko out of squad with Ennor at #11
Sevu Reece starts at #14
@booboo said in Is Japan a WC too far for Hansen?:
@canefan said in Is Japan a WC too far for Hansen?:
@booboo said in Is Japan a WC too far for Hansen?:
@Wairau said in Is Japan a WC too far for Hansen?:
Hansen is too stubborn and it doesn't look like he'll make enough changes next week.
We still have the players and talent to stay 1-3 in the world, no matter what happens this year.
Razor has the Crusaders playing great rugby. I think he'd be able to do a lot for the ABs. But it's better he coaches the Crusaders for 2 more years then gets international experience.
I would prefer Gatland or Schmidt, or best would be Wayne Smith coming back for 2 years till Schmidt + Gatland are ready to do the job together.....What about Cotter or Joseph? Both very talented and proven...
Who are you changing?
That was ptetty much the number one team.
Given the actual quote was "Okay, Houston, we've had a problem here" and then, Houston, we've had a problem" maybe we're over it?
@canefan said in Is Japan a WC too far for Hansen?:
@booboo said in Is Japan a WC too far for Hansen?:
@canefan said in Is Japan a WC too far for Hansen?:
@booboo said in Is Japan a WC too far for Hansen?:
@Wairau said in Is Japan a WC too far for Hansen?:
Hansen is too stubborn and it doesn't look like he'll make enough changes next week.
We still have the players and talent to stay 1-3 in the world, no matter what happens this year.
Razor has the Crusaders playing great rugby. I think he'd be able to do a lot for the ABs. But it's better he coaches the Crusaders for 2 more years then gets international experience.
I would prefer Gatland or Schmidt, or best would be Wayne Smith coming back for 2 years till Schmidt + Gatland are ready to do the job together.....What about Cotter or Joseph? Both very talented and proven...
Who are you changing?
That was ptetty much the number one team.
Given the actual quote was "Okay, Houston, we've had a problem here" and then, Houston, we've had a problem" maybe we're over it?
Just trying to look for positives.
Not to spoil the movie or anything but the astronauts survived ...
@canefan said in Is Japan a WC too far for Hansen?:
Considering it doesn't look like the coaches know who the #1 lineup is with one pre-cup test to go, we are looking bad at the moment
Is the game against Tonga only a friendly? 
@LABCAT I know you are on the wind, but anyone who thinks any test match is a friendly need only look into the madness of the Bledisloe 1 thread...
@LABCAT said in Is Japan a WC too far for Hansen?:
@canefan said in Is Japan a WC too far for Hansen?:
Considering it doesn't look like the coaches know who the #1 lineup is with one pre-cup test to go, we are looking bad at the moment
Is the game against Tonga only a friendly?
Forgot about that one. We need all the reps we can get to try and make the top lineup appear like a team and not like a bunch of strangers
@LABCAT said in Is Japan a WC too far for Hansen?:
@canefan said in Is Japan a WC too far for Hansen?:
Considering it doesn't look like the coaches know who the #1 lineup is with one pre-cup test to go, we are looking bad at the moment
Is the game against Tonga only a friendly?
It's a "Pre RWC Warmup Match" It's only Tonga 
A good set of Mitre 10 players could come together for a week, put on a ABs jersey and beat Tonga
@MrDenmore said in Is Japan a WC too far for Hansen?:
My sense is Hansen has had one foot out the door for most of this World Cup cycle and has been content to leave a lot of the decision-making to Foster.
Interesting point and entirely plausible, but if it is the case, when does Mr Hansen say enough is enough, I ain't going down like that.
@Machpants said in Is Japan a WC too far for Hansen?:
@Bovidae but taking ABs laden squad to win super rugby is actually quite impressive the way the ABs are playing
True its not just a matter of the AB's turning out and playing if that was the Case the Crusaders would have won more titles under Blackadder we had McCaw and Carter as well through his reign.
What is impressive about Razor is his ability to stimulate his AB players to play well for the Crusaders instead of cruising waiting for AB duty like in the past.
@taniwharugby said in Is Japan a WC too far for Hansen?:
@MrDenmore said in Is Japan a WC too far for Hansen?:
My sense is Hansen has had one foot out the door for most of this World Cup cycle and has been content to leave a lot of the decision-making to Foster.
Interesting point and entirely plausible, but if it is the case, when does Mr Hansen say enough is enough, I ain't going down like that.
Hansen doesn't seem the type to mail it in
@Chris said in Is Japan a WC too far for Hansen?:
@Machpants said in Is Japan a WC too far for Hansen?:
@Bovidae but taking ABs laden squad to win super rugby is actually quite impressive the way the ABs are playing
True its not just a matter of the AB's turning out and playing if that was the Case the Crusaders would have won more titles under Blackadder we had McCaw and Carter as well through his reign.
What is impressive about Razor is his ability to stimulate his AB players to play well for the Crusaders instead of cruising waiting for AB duty like in the past.
Looking back at the Crucaders this season they didn't play all that well from mid season onwards. There were some poor games mixed with games where they did enough to get the points and not much more. Even the final, where they should have been buzzing, was a disappointing performance. And who can forget that shit defensive effort in Fiji against a limping Chiefs?
Were the AB warning signs there all along?
@Crazy-Horse maybe there were signs hopefully not.
That Makes Razors effort in coaching to a 3 peat even more remarkable if those AB’s are declining to a large degree.
To answer the question, yes. Hansen should have gone after the Lions series. He has been there since 2004 and will go down as one of the great coaches. However, since the Lions he has been surrounded by Foster and co. The hard times (for AB fans...so relative but....) we expected after 2015 has come a few years later but the writing is on the wall. The game has moved on and the ABs are not ahead of the game. Our predictable style has become easy to defend against when the forwards don't provide go forward and suck in defenders. Instead of a tactical kicking game, it is run at all costs, run into a brick wall of 15 defenders and put yourself under pressure. And Hansen calls the players dumb. With great respect, I say to Mr. Hansen, the players are being let down at the moment.
@jegga said in Is Japan a WC too far for Hansen?:
I’m not sure it’s Hanson I completely blame , Foster was a terrible super rugby coach that somehow got into the all blacks coaching team and is now touted as Hanson’s replacement.
What did Foster ever do to give the impression he was a competent high level coach?
don't forget Stormy into that mix.. was at a session a few weeks back that Fozzie and Stormy were the speakers.. Fozzie was good.. Stormy i came outta there with ZERO confidence in.. really sounded like he didn't have much of a clue!
Nobody seems to be taking injuries into account. I think that a lot of the changing has been down to the first choice players being injured. A lot of the fringe players have head overseas earlier than they would previously and we are seeing the the depth isn't what it was.
@WillieTheWaiter I like Stormy, he was very good for the Chiefs, but want neither Fozzie nor Stormy near the 2020 ABs. Really think we need a complete change how we think/analyse/prepare.
One of the takeaways from 2015 should have been, that if the head coach wants to step down - then let him, rather than throw money at him. It;s obviously his time, and maybe he doesn't have the heart or stoamach for the fight anymore. Time for some new blood.
