But still, the All Blacks’ strategies, coordination and concentration were hopeless, whatever the circumstances.
The only giant positive to come out of 2022 so far is Samisoni Taukei’aho, the powerful Chiefs hooker.
Could anyone, with hand on heart, claim that Ian Foster’s All Blacks are on a discernible upward path towards next year’s World Cup?
His All Blacks are the Kick Backs. I presume hoofing the ball all the time is part of some sort of World Cup preparation, but it is horrible to watch and was ineffective against Japan.
As for Japan, I used to snigger when a top Kiwi player headed there for the money. But no more.
There is some great thinking going on in Japan rugby, unlike here.
New Zealand captain Sam Cane and coach Ian Foster after the test against Japan. Photosport
WINNERS: Jamie Joseph and Tony Brown
They should have been chased/appointed as the All Blacks coaches to succeed Steve Hansen.
Joseph and Brown are a well-honed partnership. Japan’s coaches proved their exceptional ability at the last World Cup.
They did it again on Saturday night, as Japan marshalled their limited resources with great confidence and skill against the All Blacks
Added to that, the Joseph/Brown appointment would have been an important moment in history, giving the All Blacks a coach of Māori heritage for the first time.
It is a matter of continuing shame, for New Zealand rugby and the country, that this issue remains on the table.
In 2019, New Zealand Rugby sat on its hands and looked after its mates — oh sorry, relied on its succession plan — instead of showing the dynamic foresight and leadership professional sport requires.
Foster is a terrible All Blacks coach.
His team were flat-track bullies against Japan, operating on a burst of adrenaline when they thought the game was theirs in the first half, and going into their shell when Japan refused to lie down.
The depth to which the All Blacks have plunged under Foster’s guidance has been masked, slightly, by the egomania of French referee Mathieu Raynal who handed them a ridiculous get-out-of-jail card against Australia.
They were initially helped by more favourable refereeing decisions in Tokyo, scoring first-half tries after a probable forward pass and a decidedly crooked lineout throw.
But the truth keeps coming to the surface.
WINNER: Warner Dearns
Dearns was the best lock on the field in the All Blacks-Japan test.
He’s a Kiwi, playing for Japan.
What a game Dearns had, what a try he scored. He looked like a young Brodie Retallick.
At over two metres tall, and about 120kg, the 20-year-old is exactly the type of lock New Zealand needs to develop, as Retallick and Sam Whitelock near the end of the road.
If New Zealand Rugby knew what it was doing, Dearns would be an All Black.
But the game here is run by a confused, cumbersome and crumbling monolith.
The All Blacks needed to target someone like Dearns, instead of wasting their money on league legend Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, who is too old and too ordinary.
Tuivasa-Sheck’s skills were never fully-suited to any rugby union position. He is a PR exercise.
WINNER: Glenn Phillips
Phillips’ century against Sri Lanka kept New Zealand on track at cricket’s T20 World Cup when they were about to unravel after the brilliant opening against Australia. It was great to see a player expressing such a range of emotions.
Glenn Phillips celebrates his brilliant century against Sri Lanka. Photo / photosport.nz
LOSER: Sri Lanka’s fielding.
Terrible… like some of the weather.
WINNER: Tonga v Samoa quarter-final showdown
At last, cut-throat games to look forward to from the so-far hopeless Rugby League World Cup in England.
The Pacific powerhouses will clash in a mouthwatering quarter-final in Warrington.
The league mob may be fooling themselves, but no one else is taken in by a tournament pretending that Greece, Lebanon etc. are legitimate rugby league nations.
The ridiculous margins tell the story.
League needs to run a tight and highly competitive World Cup, and park the faux development stuff elsewhere.
But Tonga v Samoa and New Zealand v Fiji are brilliant quarter-final matchups to bring the tournament alive, finally.
LOSER: Women’s Rugby World Cup.
It’s been a bore. The results are far too predictable, the games too one-sided.
Skipping over the semifinals, it should be a great final between England and New Zealand.
Alana Bremner of New Zealand celebrates her try with Kendra Cocksedge. Photosport
LOSER/WINNER: Tom Brady
Things have turned pear-shaped for the greatest NFL quarterback of all. At 45, maybe the magic has finally worn off.
It’s amazing that he’s been able to perform so well deep into his 40s, but the wheels are coming off his Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It won’t even put a minor ding in his amazing reputation though.
And luckily for Brady and his Bucs, they are in the NFC South division, the worst in the NFL.
LOSERS: The reputation of some Auckland school principals.
These bosses helped fuel the school rugby race in Auckland, creating a situation in which they feel it necessary to pull the plug on live TV coverage.
From what I’ve read, the principals haven’t exactly owned up to creating the alleged problem, of putting unhealthy pressure on kids who are supposed to be getting an education.
Instead, they talked about other organisations and institutions seeking to professionalise school rugby, exploitation and commercialisation.
School principals rule the roost, we all know that.
It was the schools themselves who got into player poaching wars, who recruited young rugby stars like they were professionals.
I’ve got no doubt at all that some educators are drawn by the bright lights and want to see themselves as part of the professional rugby setup. Leading rugby schools even went on hunting missions in the Pacific nations.
Some schools saw successful first XVs as a way of enhancing their business model, I believe.
Suddenly it is everyone else’s fault.
One principal talked about the enormous pressure players felt when they take the field.
But kids feel enormous pressure in many places, from taking exams to social media to finding their place in the world.
Learning to deal with pressure is one of life’s lessons, not running from it.
TV coverage sounds like a scapegoat.
And the remedy sounds very old school. Put it this way, TikTok and Facebook aren’t going to disappear.
It wouldn’t surprise me if the TV coverage returned down the line.
WINNERS/LOSERS: Protesting Australian football players.
On one hand, I admire the 16 Socceroos players protesting human rights and labour issues in Qatar, where they will soon head for the Fifa World Cup.
On the other hand, Qatar has got a point when it says no country is perfect.
Western democracies act as if they have a moral mandate, conveniently overlooking or perhaps not seeing their own sorry behaviour including atrocities against their own people.
And I’m also sick of all the sports causes. Yes, sport is part of the real world and has a role to play in making the world a better place. But sport is also a chance to escape the woes of the world.
WINNER: The baseball World Series
The Philadelphia Phillies’ amazing first-game comeback, from 0-5 down against the great Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander, set up a brilliant best-of-seven series.
The Astros quickly responded in game two.
Can’t wait for the three upcoming games at Philadelphia, where the home crowd generates an incredible atmosphere.
Philadelphia is regarded as one of the greatest sports cities in the USA. Mind you, there are a few of those.
WINNER: India’s female cricketers
Put on an equal pay footing with the men. Women’s sport is making big and little strides everywhere.
