NZ media readies the stocks
New Zealand's fans and media are heaping the pressure upon Graham Henry and his entourage after yesterday's Tri-Nations deefat to Australia, with many expressing their anger that Australia's coach was not their own.
New Zealand's fans and media are heaping the pressure upon Graham Henry and his entourage after yesterday's Tri-Nations defeat to Australia, with many expressing their anger that Australia's coach was not their own.
Australia coach Robbie Deans only headed across the Tasman after Graham Henry had been re-appointed following New Zealand's World Cup disappointment, and Saturday's was the first match to pit the two coaches and teams head to head.
Editorials and other columns wasted no time in pointing out the folly of the NZRU to ignore Deans' credentials.
“It wasn't just the margin, it was the fact that the off-field mastermind was a man we could have had for the asking that left you feeling sick by game's end,” wrote columnist Phil Gifford in the Sunday Star-Times.
“Deans is by far the most successful coach in the history of the Super rugby series, and he has moulded the Wallabies along the same lines that he used to take the Crusaders to five Super rugby titles.
“Even All Blacks assistant coach Steve Hansen said there was an air of the Crusaders about the Wallabies, yet the All Blacks did not seem prepared for that.”
New Zealand's most popular radio phone-in program took non-stop calls bemoaning the loss of Deans and describing the All Blacks' gameplan as ill-conceived.
The All Blacks were “more stupid than courageous,” wrote Gregor Paul in the Herald on Sunday.
“The All Blacks straddled that fine line between bravery and stupidity last night and ended up putting the emphasis too heavily on the latter,” he wrote.
“As a consequence, New Zealanders really will wake up this morning and wonder if they let the wrong coach go at the end of last year.”
In the same paper, Greg Ford backed Paul up, and hit out directly at the union.
“Given Saturday night's result and their shock decision to re-appoint Graham Henry back in December, a poll of the New Zealand Rugby Union board as to whether they still stand behind their decision would be a fascinating exercise right now,” he wrote.
Under the headline 'Backline try-hards fall short again', columnist Duncan Johnstone was aghast at the scoring opportunities spurned by lackadaisical finishing.
“With a mountain of possession the All Blacks made 11 line breaks to the Wallabies' eight, ran with the ball 121 times compared to Australia's 73 and made almost twice as many metres (909 to 503),” Johnstone said.
“Yet they didn't have much to show for it in the end as they were either smothered by some hugely effective and at times desperate defence from the home side.”
The media allowed, by and large, one more shot at redemption, with many warning of far more broadsides to come if things did not pick up.
“One more defeat, especially at home against the Wallabies, and this whole Henry thing could implode in a big way. Seriously,” columnist Marc Hinton wrote on the RugbyHeaven website.
“The New Zealand public will bay for blood on the floor if the All Blacks lose three on the trot. They'll demand change, even if the reality is it can't come until, at the very least, the end of this competition. It will be an unholy mess.”
Gifford saw next Saturday's Test as a “must win … or the rest of the Tri-Nations will be long, painful, and, perhaps worst of all for our rugby, divisive.”