ST ANDREWS, Scotland - Former All Black Captain Zinzan Brooke disputes a claim that the New Zealand team is facing a fear of failure ahead of next month's World Cup.
Brooke was responding to comments made in Sydney earlier this week by former Australian rugby coach, Alan Jones.
With kick off to
the 2003 World Cup less than a fortnight away, Jones believes the All Blacks, despite winning the Bledisloe Cup and Tri-Nations series, are living in fear of missing out for a fourth straight occasion.
"I don't believe New Zealand are mentally ready to win this World Cup," Jones said at the launch earlier in the week in Sydney of David Campese's latest book Campo: Still Entertaining.
"The All Blacks are getting to the last hurdle and finding the height a little bit high.
"They have very good players but they have been bruised with failure. Whether they have been able to purge themselves of that I don't know."
Brooke, who has swapped a football for golf clubs, is in Scotland this week contesting the rich Dunhill Links Championship.
He walked off the Old Course at St. Andrews after managing to contribute on eight holes to the team score but he gave a full scorecard of comment in response to Jones' remarks.
"That's all right for Jones to say that but the All Blacks are not playing the World Cup this week but in three or four weeks," said Brooke.
"The World Cup final itself is six weeks away and you can only improve ahead of that. I recall 1995 when our side played fantastic rugby through the year and managed to get the final but just got piped at the post.
"It doesn't matter in the final as you just need to get two right games. The big players and the big guns should get themselves through the preliminary rounds.
"You could then get a lucky draw in the quarter finals and you might get one of the lesser sides and you then have to just sew two games together - the semi-final and the final.
"So saying the All Blacks are off the mark is way off. It's about building confidence. Your confidence might be shattered in one game and you only need to get one player injured, as we've seen with the Australian side and they will miss Toutai Kefu because he is a huge loss and they'll miss him badly. He is one of the key players.
"There are teams like France and even Ireland and Argentina of knocking one of the more fancied sides off. They're good enough to get to the quarter-finals and even the semi's and you don't know what is going to happen from there."
He said All Black coach Joihn Mitchell had made some tough calls in axing players,
"John Mitchell is a lot what New Zealand is about. It's not fancy and it's very direct and they are playing a brand of rugby that is exciting and can win a World Cup.
"I feel they do have a lack of experience up in the forward pack but this is a World Cup and a lot of guys haven't been there and it's the excitement and the energy that you will need in those couple of key games.
"It will come down to leadership and it's only been in the last four to five games that Reuben Thorne has come through and Reuben Thorne has nailed the captaincy in his own position.
"His position was in doubt but he has really come through the last handful of games and it will come down to guys like him that will make those crucial decisions."
But after England humbled both Australia and New Zealand at home earlier this year, Brooke says the Martin Johnson led side deserves their favoritism but he believes also both sides will be looking for sweet revenge over England.
"England are my favorites as they are a very good side and they have experience along with the prime players playing in positions two, seven, eight, nine, 10 and 15 which is crucial," he said.
Brooke indicated he and his family intend leaving London on October 7 for Australia, in time for the All Blacks first match.
- NZPA
ST ANDREWS, Scotland - Former All Black Captain Zinzan Brooke disputes a claim that the New Zealand team is facing a fear of failure ahead of next month's World Cup.
Brooke was responding to comments made in Sydney earlier this week by former Australian rugby coach, Alan Jones.
With kick off to
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