What’s the All Blacks secret to success? Lions legend Brian O’Driscoll and former All Black Justin Marshall visit the grassroots of the game to find out.
Source Content Disclaimer
This Content is Generated from RSS Feeds, if your content is featured and you would like to be removed, please Contact Us With your website address and name of site you wish to be removed from.
Note:
You can control what content is distributed in your RSS Feed by using your Website Editor.
25 comments
Our problem in England is that Football will always be the dominant sport; a sport that as a national team we aren’t very good at, it’s the overpaid foreigners that make the Premier League so appealing to the football fans.
Grass roots Rugby is essential in all countries, it needs to be instilled more at a younger level as they do in NZ however the passion and drive needs to be there also this is something that the people of NZ have in abundance.
PS: Dear Land Rover, please can I have one of those jackets? The car also (if possible) but the jacket will suffice!! 😋❤️🏉
Wales used to be the best in the world for the same reason…everyone played rugby…good or bad….maybe the way to Beat the All Blacks is not to be as good as them…. But to introduce more varied sport into their lives….football…tennis.. Darts… Snooker… Athletics…..etc… Playstations…x boxes….that might bring them down to our level… Lol…😋😎
Lots of comments about play to win from an early age. I have no problem with that, but sadly the parents on the sidelines end up barracking kids, coaches and other parents. I reckon our RFU and the new approach is working, it’s just not our national sporf/ religion.
As for BOD, given he has a few caps and he’s run a few decent lines I suspect he’s earned the right to an opinion.
We still have the school preseason weigh in. This determines what school grade you will play in. Each weight grade has the A B and C teams etc. A big 14yr old can be playing with or against a small 16 or even 17yr old who may have more rugby knowledge… only gonna make you better.
In the UK you think weighing kids and talking about striving to win is detrimental to a kids mind.
It builds confidence. Experiencing a loss and not liking it is a good driver to set aims and goals too.
Just look at our bunch that just took the Americas cup off the big budget yanks…inspiring!!!!
Just a little old kiwi’s opinion
The RFU need to change the youth game to have competitive tournaments with winners rather than the fluffy “no winner, let’s all get a medal” approach. Installs no drive or ambition.
They should go have a look at South African schools like Grey Bloem, Affies, Paarl Boys High, Paul Roos, Paarl Gim…the list is endless, all fielding more than 25 teams on a Sat, that is religion. My sister teaches at Westlake Boys as says it doesn’t have nearly the same hype as in SA. Issue for SA’s young players is they get attracted to Europe by money and we have gov involvement destroying amazing kids at school. I think that is why the ultimate rugby rivalry is NZ vs South Africa, two nations where the sport is a religion. Ask any Kiwi who their biggest rival is…
i was in NZ IN 2005 to watch the tour – never forgot the lesson you gave us then – quite simply put rugby is no less than a religion in NZ – Respect !!!!!!
The RFU need to recognise and support real grass roots rugby – all the way to the very bottom levels. They also need to foster a competitive and winning mentality. Yes there are issues with falling numbers within the adult sport and a drop off on kids from 15 onwards – but these issues will only be solved by hard answers, not ivory tower thinking. Until we stop treating the management of the union like an elitist boys club, we will see our international presence falter behind NZ.
all blacks winning ways youth rugby and there culture and and there college 1st 15s rugby the whole country play as one team
There was a program on sky sports called beneath the black which after watching it your realise why they are and probably always will be the best!
Nice to see BOD in the front seat. The last test that the Lions won, he complained about having to sit on the bench!
Gareth Thomas aka Justyn Cannon did a program on this already. One of things NZ do differently is they have a kids tv program called small blacks for going rugby players. Oh and also fielding loads of teams per age group helps with the pool of players to choose from.
Easy having a distinct advantage over the lions called Warren Gatland
For me Marshall hit the nail on the head when asked why New Zealand were usually the best side in the world. He said because every game from six years old was treated seriously and they all played to win. We on the other hand celebrate losses/failure and give prizes out for coming last. That’s where they get their intensity from and why they are so hard to beat. We on the other hand ‘whether you like it or not’ just let the kids have fun. Which is great but leaves us lagging behind in later years.
William Gribben interesting insight into the mindset of the kiwis, 5-6 year olds play to win. Not something I agree with but the end product is difficult to argue with.
Ruan Pienaar had wanted to stay at Ulster and use his skills at school boy rugby. Well done IRFU for another missed opportunity.
Ah, Eden Park…Been there a few times. I think the fact the Maori’s do like a good scrap comes in handy too.
The fact New Zealanders love their rugby so much, grow up with it, are passionate about it, and the winning mindset that is instilled in them from such a young age, explains why they have the best national team in the world!
To them losing is a tragedy, and losing on home soil, is unthinkable!
I wouldn’t have wanted to have been in one of the All Black teams, which in the past, weren’t so successful, must’ve been tough, knowing that your compatriots were totally unimpressed with you, and the grief you would’ve got as a consequence of losing in a major test, or tournament.
The flip side of that, of course, is the successful teams which won back to back world cups, they’re national heroes, I mean look at McCaw, and Carter, they’re untouchable!
I hope the Lions can do better, but it doesn’t stop me admiring the way the AB’s play, and how good Kiwi rugby is.
They want to win at 6 , we have no winners ,no medals , wonder why our kids are not so competive…Sean Fitzpatrick said to me “winning is fun” …
Yep it is about winning at 5 and 6. Taking part and having fun is good but if you want to be the best you need to be competitive, driven and want to win!! Instilled in my 2 kids from age 3!!
Malcolm Grant.. you have probably seen this mate.. all your questions answered here..the annoying thing is it’s not rocket science is it.😜👍😎😎
Hands down the best bit of real context I have seen in this Lions coverage. A world legend in BOD not only illustrating his knowledge, with a balance in opinion, but giving space for JM to represent, and show the world why NZ are, and will continue to be the greatest challenge in world rugby.
Richie McCaw is a bloody legend. Wins and losses in his career. He dug deep and became an ABs great. Also had the brains to retire at the right time and hand the legacy over to Keiron Reid…. a guy who says future great to me.
On the flip side Ali Williams is an embarrassment to the Black shirt.
The problem in England is the number of games youngsters were playing at club and school and representative level – My son played at England Under 16’s – he had played an average 30-40 games a season from the age of 10 and has now given up playing! I think the RFU are trying to introduce skills based sessions and less matches – I.e District Rugby has been finished at U13 and U14 and U16- this may be a step backwards in the long run as the boys and their coaches thrive on competitive matches!
The RFU need to get back to competitive tournaments rather than no competitive were all teams get a medal this is why we are years behind the best teams in the world and have no answer to them when we play them at any level get back to how it used to be at all ages competitive