Rugby: Old misconceptions remain about ABs

Sam Whitelock at 24 has a long future ahead of him with the All Blacks. Photo / Getty Images

There's a perception the All Blacks are greying around the temples but the average age has dropped since the World Cup.

Ask around and opinions won't differ - the All Blacks are an ageing team. At some point in the not too distant future, the current side will fall off a cliff - too many old legs, you see; too many men with their best years behind them.

That's what New Zealand's opponents like to believe. That's the line the Wallabies and various Australian rugby greats pushed last week. It didn't pan out quite the way they intimated. The All Blacks looked fitter and more capable of playing at a higher tempo for longer. Midway through the second half, supposedly when old men feel the bite, the All Blacks surged ahead to clinch the game.

They didn't look like a side full of old, weary legs and that's because they are not. Perception is everything in this case and perception is wrong. The average age of the All Black squad that won the World Cup was 27.6. The average age of the current squad is 26.5 - they are not an ageing side.

They are not, as the term is applied, a team that lacks for top-end pace or the ability to play at a frightening tempo for 80 minutes.

The confusion is mainly driven by the longevity of some key players. Richie McCaw has been around since 2001 and is nearly 33. Andrew Hore and Keven Mealamu were first capped in 2002 and are nearly 35 and 34 respectively. Dan Carter, Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith form a midfield unit that has an average age of 31 and there is no disputing that the All Blacks are heavily reliant on all of their 30-somethings.

But a few points have to be made to provide balance to the picture. While the All Blacks are reliant on their veterans, they are not incapable without them. The problem is most acute at hooker, but Dane Coles could just about handle himself if he had to. Sam Cane isn't McCaw - no one is - but he's a test quality No7 and there is a lengthy queue of capable first five-eighths behind Carter.

The All Blacks, before last night, had won 20 of their 22 tests since Carter injured himself ahead of the All Blacks' final pool game at the 2011 World Cup.

Carter has played in only eight of those and interestingly he was at No10 in the draw with Australia and the loss to England.

The other relevant observation is that age has so far not been a barrier to world-class performance.

McCaw only seems to get better. Nonu and Smith were outstanding in Sydney and Hore might be ancient but no one gets the better of him in test football.

The thing is, the All Blacks have age in arguably the right places. Of the eight 30-somethings they have in their current squad, four - Hore, Mealamu, Wyatt Crockett and Tony Woodcock - are front-rowers. Tight forwards are a different beast - strength and stamina are their key facets and they tend to improve into their 30s.

The back three that started last night have an average age of 25, while the three halfbacks, probably the most aerobically demanding position, are 21, 23 and 24.

They have the balance right between old heads and young legs and what's an equally telling statistic about the current squad is that they have an average of 36 caps each.

The 2011 World Cup squad - the most experienced in All Black history - had an average of 37, so in two years at the helm, coach Steve Hansen has lowered the average age by one year and one month, yet maintained the side's experience.

That's been his goal since he got the job - to ensure that when the All Blacks reach the next World Cup, they don't have too much experience tied up in older players.

He wants for there to be younger, but experienced decision-makers in the team. Last year, the leadership group was the exclusive domain of the veterans. This year, Sam Cane and Aaron Cruden have been elevated to the inner sanctum and no doubt more younger players will join them in time.

The squad has evolved considerably since the World Cup and there will inevitably be more changes over the next two years which will lower the average age further. Almost without doubt, a young hooker has to be found to replace one of Hore or Mealamu.

The All Blacks have operated all season with only three locks - 22-year-old Dominic Bird is expected to be introduced once he recovers from shoulder surgery.

In time, Liam Messam will come under pressure from Brad Shields and Luke Whitelock, who are both 22, and there are a host of young backs such as Charles Piutau, Tom Taylor and Francis Saili who will be in contention.

The All Blacks are not the old, decrepit side some want to believe and by 2015, they could again be the right mix of youth and experience.