ABs just warming up - Hansen
Oct 08,2012
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen issued an ominous warning to future opponents when he said the runaway Rugby Championship winners can improve.
"We are getting better," he told reporters after New Zealand survived a torrid opening half against South Africa at Soccer City to score 20 unanswered second-half points for a 32-16 triumph and 16 Test victories in a row.
New Zealand visit Australia for a deadrubber Bledisloe Cup clash on October 20 and face Scotland, Italy, Wales and England on an end-of-season tour to Europe that begins early November.
Facing the Springboks before a large, expectant crowd in the 90,000-seat football stadium proved no problem for the world champions as they improved on a 10-point winning margin when the great rivals met in Dunedin last month.
"We know we have some very talented players, but so have a lot of other teams," said Hansen, who succeeded Graham Henry after hosts New Zealand pipped France for the world title in Auckland last October.
"The difference between us and them is that we are perhaps getting our preparation right during the week and ensuring that our players have the best chance to perform on the Saturday."
The former Wales coach admitted it had been challenging travelling from New Zealand to Argentina - where they ran in seven tries in a 54-15 romp - and then to South Africa.
"We had to manage the players' workloads carefully," said Hansen, offering a possible explanation as to why the visitors cancelled the traditional eve-of-Test captains' run at Soccer City last Friday.
Hansen said juggling with different time zones tested his staff and the players, but he believed the squad "trained smart" ahead of the latest episode in one of the great rugby rivalries.
Captain Richie McCaw said mental strength was a key factor as the All Blacks turned round an early 10-point deficit to make it 16 Tests in a row - two short of the record for a top-tier rugby nation.
"We had the Rugby Championship sewn up last weekend, but the guys understood the challenge of coming to South Africa, and the need to back it up with another victory," he said.
"There are a few guys in our squad who have been around a while and they ensured that we kept our edge. Our fuel tanks probably were not 100 per cent full coming into this game so it came down to mental desire."
Comments (16)
Oct 08, 2012 at 18:00:06
the all blacks are made to look good... if the bokke took their chances in both games they would of won easily...!!! and anybody that thinks the all blacks have more in the tank are living in la la land.... once two of your main boys retire "you know the two am on about" the all blacks will go into decline.... the next rugby world cup you'll be out by the quarter finals... go bokke go......!!!!!!!!
Oct 09, 2012 at 00:47:16
The AB's weren't made to look good as your own coach and media have lauded the AB's performance, but Bok fans like yourself can't see the tryline through Conrad Smiths boots. In an article on the Springbok page it said" there is a fallacy that south African rugby is the best in the world", and then something like the AB's showed that you are second best, and way off closing the gap. Carter and McCaw will be hard to replace if injured or retired but there is young blood coming through to replace them maybe not to their standard but both are once in a generation players so will take some time to adapt. The AB's very very rarely fall below number 2 in IRB rankings but more than not rule at #1, so can't see a decline like that of the Boks. By the way it was your coach again who rated the AB backline as best in the world....can't remember a Bok backline rating that.
Oct 09, 2012 at 08:03:05
What I find funny is when the All Blacks are kicking ass (which is more often than not) ie: 16 in a row thus far, the Bok fans cry and whinge at us. You guys ALWAYS do. What SA rugby needs is for it's fans to stop worrying about what the World Champion All Blacks are doing, stop pointing fingers and look at themselves.
Don't worry about us, we're doing what we do, winning. So, fix your OWN game, ask the hard questions about your OWN team and stop being sour grapes about OURS. Trying to grasp at straws and nitpick the ABs falls on deaf ears, we have nothing else to prove. The sooner you guys realise that, the better your team will become. Your coach is on the right line admitting we're the best and that your team is well below us. Now it's out, you guys can (try) set about righting it. Simple. Success comes from within.
Oct 10, 2012 at 00:07:45
Will say though that every time coaches/players say they can only get better...they don't...it's almost like jinking the next game, one of those voodoo things I suppose.
Oct 08, 2012 at 14:53:54
Very true. There is plenty left in the All Blacks tank and it's true as the day is long, International rugby is a TEAM effort from the bus driver to the last reserve. The closest I have seen them play to their best, but still well short, was the hiding they gave Argentina. That was impressive. 54-15 away from home. Can't wait to see this already dominate All Blacks team improve.........
Oct 08, 2012 at 17:33:02
Thats what i thought when we were unbeatable! Now you are where we were in 2009. it will last another year then you will se when your old boys hang up their boots or move to europe and japan for their retirement fund. Then the road will get bumpy but you will start where we are now, then we will look who,s talking!
Oct 08, 2012 at 20:46:02
Lol! You okes weren't unbeatable in 2009. I seem to remember the soft boks losing to 2 English club teams, the Irish and the French. You okes have NEVER looked as formidable as this current AB side. Catch a wakey wakey boetjie.
Oct 08, 2012 at 22:40:00
...And this guy, ladies and gentleman, is a father! I pity the poor young lad, if only his daddy spent as much time with him as he does obsessing over a bunch of guys he supposedly hates...
Oct 08, 2012 at 23:39:12
Yawn
Oct 09, 2012 at 18:30:12
nj my bro.... who is the above aimed at.......?
Oct 09, 2012 at 07:56:56
I admire your confidence, I do, but, what you're saying will never happen. EVER. New Zealand's depth is as deep as the deep blue sea. You know it. I know it. ;-) Heck, you're talking about a team that had to limp into the Rugby World Cup final and win it with their number 5 fly half for crying out loud!! We have a young team with a few seasoned players till at the top of their game. They make way for young blood and it continues. New Zea;ans structure is solid, has and always will be. So many players lining up to get into the ABs camp, it's not even funny! Cruden is next, then Barret and there are several others coming too in all positions, so many players, not enough spots or reserve seats.
Oct 09, 2012 at 22:29:13
urgh i cringe when i see that word 'Never'. Our domestic game is in trouble. I really really hope that we can continue our tradition of bringing up quality players through our grassroots rugby but the signs are worrying.
Oct 08, 2012 at 18:17:50
Agreed Kojak, they make such a big deal of beating an Oz team with probably 15 injuries a bok team with about 11 or 12 guys out and a bunch of retirements and a Argentinian team is pretty new to all of this, still wonder how they will fare against the Boks with 11 or 12 injuries themselves. I can tell you only 3 or 4 injuries will kill them, take out McCaw, Carter, Read and maybe one of the centres and they will get owned. I hope they rest some of these guys for their european tour so that they can themselvessee they are not that special. Lets wait till the playing is even, when every great player is available in the 2 countries and then we can speak again. Even with all of this Argentinaalmost beat them at home, Ireland was leading till a last minute drop and had the Boks not missed 20 points at the posts we would have embarresed them in Dunedin. Personally I like the space they find themselves in, they are going to come back to earth very very soon. The last stable SA side was in 2009 and look what happened then, we crushed them 3 times in a row, 2010 was injury ridden and 2011 it was 1-1 in a world cup year so we send the C team to play them in NZL and beat them here. And we all know what the injury situationis this year, so lets hope we can sort it out and get all the guys on the pitch next year!
Oct 09, 2012 at 14:04:42
Thats right paint a pretty picture for yourself and then believe in it. lol. Some of you posters made a big deal beating OZ then come out saying how the bok team was going to anihilate the ABs, and then the ABs just bought you back down to earth again. We not only have the best team on the field, we have the best team off the field who keep our players well conditioned, therefore injury free. Dont fight the best - learn from the best. Ok sourgrapes.