By WYNNE GRAY
Some All Blacks need to make more sacrifices if they want to stay with their colleagues for the end of year tour, coach Wayne Smith revealed yesterday.
He had delivered that message to each player at a Sydney stopover last week after the Tri-Nations competition.
"Some of them were ashen-faced when they left the interviews," Smith said. "We were honest with them and tried to be positive too, but there were also home truths for some."
After wins against Tonga and Scotland, the win-loss split of results in the Tri-Nations convinced Smith the All Blacks needed a far harder edge to complement their skills. They had all the talent and motivation but needed to be much harder-nosed about their professional sporting careers to achieve the next level of success.
In the latter part of the season, Smith and his staff have been working through their analysis of why the Wallabies were more consistent. What were the missing ingredients which gave the Wallabies the edge?
"It is to do with margins and living as an All Black 24 hours a day, seven days a week," said Smith.
Everyone would be reassessed during the NPC to see whether they were the best to take on the November tour to Europe.
One player who may miss the trip is 54-test veteran flanker Josh Kronfeld.
Kronfeld is due to retire at the end of the year, and Smith hinted the selectors were looking at a younger openside flanker - "if they are up to the level we require.
"We would like to think there are some out there who will answer the challenge."
Smith accepted it was probably harder to get into the squad than be deposed. With only a week to prepare the All Blacks before their first test in France there was little room to manoeuvre with selections.
The core of the squad was likely to be picked again as they had already been exposed to new coaching systems.
"We were objective during the Super 12 and if some are not performing during the NPC then we have got the responsibility of going elsewhere," said Smith. "But I wouldn't want to be taking away any green team.
"The players are there for a reason but some know if they stay where they are, they can kiss the tour goodbye."
The All Black selectors had picked the best group of talent from the Super 12, they all had the skills and motivation to improve but they also had to attend to their attitude.
"That is the price which has to be paid if they are to go to the next level, and we have to be sure we have got the right players who will do that. They have to pick up their act and in the main, in the interviews, the players identified that for themselves.
"If we do the same old, same old thing we will get to a certain point and then there will be failure."
The Wallabies were no better, nor more talented, but they were a highly professional group, so it was no coincidence they got the breaks in tight matches.
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