Editorial: Let’s have consistency in our sport

Opinion

Consistency is that most elusive of commodities in sport. Relatively few are the Manchester Uniteds and New York Yankees - teams that function as high-performance dynasties rather than witness their fortunes ebbing and flowing with the coming and going of influential players. For New Zealand, with its small population and limited resources, regular appearances on the winner's podium are especially difficult to achieve. Yet by any standards, 2004 was a year of remarkable inconsistency for its flagbearers.

The All Blacks are the closest we have to a sporting dynasty. Over the years, they have fashioned an impressive winning record, even if the advent of professionalism has made maintaining that edge more difficult. This year, a new coaching trio began in emphatic style, beating world champions England with ease. But the team then stumbled to two away defeats in the Tri-Nations, hobbled by the failure of new backline tactics. The year, however, ended on a high note as the All Blacks, harnessed by the now wiser coaches, produced a 45-6 victory over France in Paris.

New Zealand's cricketers were guilty of the same, often maddening, inconsistency. There have been few more authoritative and scintillating test wins than that recorded over South Africa at Eden Park. Yet the same team, hyped beyond its ability, went on to be soundly beaten in England and humiliated in Australia. Only the one-day flag continued to flutter proudly. The Black Caps beat South Africa and Pakistan easily at home, won a three-way series with England and the West Indies, and matched Australia in the Chappell-Hadlee series. But that could not mask the failings in the test arena, a situation compounded by the limited talent emerging from domestic competition.

Some sports could not even boast the occasional success of a season of inconsistency. In rugby league, the Warriors never recovered from management boo-boos that led to the departure of a player of the calibre of Ali Lauiti'iti, as well as coach Daniel Anderson. Shrewd recruiting held out the prospect of better fortune in 2005. Unfortunately for Anderson, the disintegration of his relationship with key players flowed through to the national team. The Kiwis' unsatisfactory performance put his coaching tenure under a cloud. But league's misfortunes were nothing compared to those of soccer and tennis, both of which were among the world elite 20 years ago. The defeat by Vanuatu, who knocked the All Whites out of the Confederations Cup and the World Cup play-offs, and a Davis Cup loss in Pakistan plumbed new depths.

Inconsistency was again the rule of thumb at the year's major highlight, the Athens Olympics. It produced the best spectacle, that of triathletes Hamish Carter and Bevan Docherty winning gold and silver, as well as superb victories for cyclist Sarah Ulmer and rowing's Evers-Swindell twins. Yet there were no medals from the yachting and equestrian squads, a disappointing outcome given those sports' record of success.

The biggest stories from the Olympics and their aftermath, however, concerned drugs cheating. Victor Conte, the founder of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative, labelled the Games "a fraud", and alleged that doping was rampant among top American athletes. The sensational absence from Athens of Greek stars Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou, who were later charged with faking a motorcycle accident to avoid drug testers, hardly diluted his claims. In the ongoing battle between anti-doping agencies and drug users, times finally appear to be getting tougher for the cheats.

The year after the Olympics is usually one for gathering breath, for international events to be relatively low-key. But that will not be the case in New Zealand. It hosts one of the major events, the tour by the British Lions. The three tests represent the ultimate test for the All Blacks. Consistent performances are a must. As they will be for other sports hoping to make a bigger impact in 2005.