All Blacks 'in a league of their own'

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The Northern Hemisphere rugby nations are resigned to playing catch-up with New Zealand in terms of high-level performance, a former England coach has admitted.

Brian Ashton, who steered England to the 2007 Rugby World Cup final, says the All Blacks have a clear advantage in terms of technical skill and physical conditioning.

And, says Ashton, there is another area where New Zealand are supreme - in terms of mental toughness, they are also the best.

Ashton admits he is yet to be convinced by the efforts of many of the Northern Hemisphere players to match the fast, flowing, penetrative style of rugby New Zealand employed in the Tri-Nations this year to capitalise on the new law interpretations.

"The laws have just caught up with what New Zealand were doing a year or two ago. They are two years ahead of most other countries although Australia possibly has the potential to produce the same type of game. The game New Zealand are playing is quicker, with less errors. The ball is in play far more than in this part of the world.

"Ultimately, it is the last 20 minutes of a game that gives the New Zealanders such an advantage. That is when they can blow you away, as they have shown many times particularly in Johannesburg in the Tri-Nations this year."

Ashton admits his focus of attention is less on the forthcoming Northern Hemisphere tour the New Zealanders are about to make than the World Cup next year.

"For a start, we don't know what state of mind and physical condition they will arrive in. But looking instead at the World Cup, you would have to say, even with the best will in the world, there is a significant amount of ground the Northern Hemisphere sides have to make up."

The fact that too many Northern Hemisphere sides have yet to get completely to grips with the opportunities of attacking rugby offered by the new law interpretations is due in part to what Ashton calls "frightened coaches scared of losing their jobs".

"The trouble is here, many of the people who hire and fire the guys at the coal-face know little about the game and about how to put a team together or how to develop it.

"So I am not convinced, no matter what changes they make to the laws, that some coaches will ever really change their attitude or approach."

Northern Hemisphere sides also have to match what he calls New Zealand's ability to "seize the opportunity, no matter when it arises" to score crucial points.