Queensland Reds react during the round two Super Rugby Trans-Tasman match between the Queensland Reds and the Crusaders. Photo / Getty Images.
Queensland Reds react during the round two Super Rugby Trans-Tasman match between the Queensland Reds and the Crusaders. Photo / Getty Images.
OPINION:
From a New Zealand perspective, the following may be tempting fate on several levels but as the Black Caps began their preparations for the world championship test final against India in a fortnight with a near flawless performance on the first day of the first test against England atLord's, it's worth remembering where they were only eight years ago and considering the lessons they have learned since.
They were at, former captain Brendon McCullum has admitted, "rock bottom".
In an excellent recent summary by Telegraph writer Tim Wigmore and also published in the Herald, McCullum and then coach Mike Hesson recalled how the resolve to change came in Cape Town in January, 2013, after New Zealand had been dismissed by South Africa for 45 in fewer than 20 overs on the first morning of the McCullum's reign as test skipper.
Finding ways to improve New Zealand's standard of cricket was, and always will be, hindered by a relatively small population and the national body's operating budget, but McCullum and Hesson and company underpinned it by a willingness to work harder than players from other countries; to be fitter and scrap for longer. And, above, all, to be hard to beat.
"We want to know … that if a team beat us they know they've been in a scrap," said McCullum, while stressing that failures along the way were inevitable.
It's not difficult to be inspired by such an attitude, and while it's a convenient time to bathe in the reflected glory of the Black Caps' rise from test easy-beats to the second-best team in the world (after holding top spot for the first time ever in January) due in particular to their very recent form, the point remains that there are lessons here that could be taken on board by teams of other sports and in particular those five make up the Australian Super Rugby bloc.
Because everyone can see they're not hard to beat, at least by Kiwi teams. With two rounds remaining, the 14-1 record in favour of New Zealand tells a story of utter domination; the single success of the Reds over the Chiefs in Townsville coming after Damian McKenzie's 22nd-minute red card and earlier yellow card for Chase Tiatia.
Sevu Reece of the Crusaders runs the ball during the round three Super Rugby Trans-Tasman match between the NSW Waratahs and the Crusaders. Photo / Photosport.co.nz
And still the Chiefs came back with 24 unanswered points to almost steal it at the death.
The odd thing is that the Aussie teams don't have too much trouble scoring points: the Waratahs, who have gone to such subterranean depths that even vice-captain Alex Newsome's mates know not to bring up the footy in general conversation, put on an extraordinary 48 against the Hurricanes but still managed to lose by a margin of 16.
They also scored 28 against the Crusaders and 21 against the Blues at Eden Park.
Clearly, it's the leaky defence of the Aussie teams that is the main issue, and the Reds missed an extraordinary 50 tackles in their nervy 40-34 victory over the Chiefs.
No player reaches Super Rugby level without being able to tackle and, fortunately for the Aussies, if anything can be fixed by hard work and a shift in attitudes, it's the defensive side of the game.
And there is no doubt either that when Dave Rennie assembles his side for this year's Bledisloe Cup series and Rugby Championship, the Wallabies will be difficult to beat.
But there's a bit at stake for Aussie rugby over the next two weekends heading into next year's new-look Super competition. As a collective when compared with the Kiwi teams, the Aussies are pretty close to rock bottom, the same place McCullum and his Black Caps found themselves eight years ago.
And to improve they've got to firstly recognise where they are and secondly desperately want to be elsewhere. "One of the things we discussed is that we just wanted to be strong representations of our people," McCullum said.
