Richard Loe: The pursuit of perfection is inviting trouble

Sean Fitzpatrick.

Interesting to hear the All Blacks are aiming at becoming the most dominant team in history. I don't think I agree with that as a strategy.

You might wonder why, as I was a member of Buck Shelford's All Blacks after the World Cup win of 1987-a team and captain who often talked about the search for the "perfect game"; a similar goal on the face of it. Buck was a driven man and an intense leader and that's how he motivated himself and others.

Overall, I'd have to say it worked. After winning the World Cup, we went on the longest unbeaten run in rugby history-22 test matches. We didn't lose a game until the end of 1990.

I think we did play better because of Buck's hunt for perfection - but I don't think you can really compare eras; there are a lot of differences between then and now. For a start, we played way fewer test matches then and the rugby world has changed a lot. We also had a collection of players who led the world in their positions - Sean Fitzpatrick and Steve McDowell playing 36-odd tests together without a break and going the whole 80 minutes each time; Grant Fox kicking goals at a very high success rate; John Kirwan's performances helped him become a Sir.

Back then, the World Cup was just something that happened every four years. Now rugby is besotted with it; it is the be-all and end-all.

I had no problem with the Buck-style motivation of chasing the perfect game. After all, we used to gee ourselves up with all sorts of catch-phrases: Put pressure on yourself; the fear of losing - and all that. It is motivating but it also winkles out those who can't take the pressure - and that's true at club, provincial and international level.

These days, with that intense focus on the World Cup, the pressure is really on. As always, there will be some who can't take it and I don't think the goal of trying to be the most dominant team in history is needed.

I mean, we have already seen with Cory Jane and Israel Dagg and little sleeping pills and energy drinks (plus other individuals) like Zac Guildford that the pressure can already tell on players. So why ramp it up more with this "most dominant team in history" stuff?

No, if I was Steve Hansen and Co, I would simply fall back on the old "one game at a time; one series at a time" mantra. It might be boring and a cliche but, like many cliches, it is usually true. I'd just start out with the England tour and build up to that and to winning the series; then you get ready for The Rugby Championship and Australia, South Africa and Argentina. You're building up nicely, getting hard Northern Hemisphere rugby from England and then the best the Southern Hemisphere has to offer.

To me, you just take it one day at a time -and there's an awful long way to go until the World Cup. I think we'd all take the loss of a couple of minor games and/or some hiccups in tuning up for the World Cup - as long as the All Blacks win it.

That's when they could get known as the most dominant team in history. To me, that's something that gets hung round their necks at that stage. There's enough pressure; there's no need to build it up more on people like Richie McCaw and Dan Carter who are stretching their careers to get to the next one and who will be under quite enough pressure anyway.