Editorial: Nobody puts up statues to losing coaches either

Opinion

A particularly unfortunate type of response is creeping into the repertoire of this country's sporting coaches. It conveys the notion that criticism from people outside the team itself is not worth listening to because they lack an intimate knowledge of what is going on.

This week, Steve Hansen took that tack in the wake of the All Blacks' appalling lineout performance during the Tri-Nations loss to the Springboks.

"They have not yet built any statues for critics and wannabes," said Hansen, quoting the legendary American football coach Vince Lombardi. What he was saying, in effect, was that he was not about to take notice of any criticism, even that of former All Blacks who had excelled in the lineout. As for the man and woman in the street, their views were, clearly, of absolutely no interest. Not only is there a studied arrogance about this but an almost touchingly naive belief that people can somehow be talked out of seeing what is right before their eyes.

Hansen's pronouncement was the more ridiculous in that it coincided with the All Black selection for this weekend's match against Australia. That totally undermined his view that, in terms of the lineout, all was under control. The plucking of lock Tom Donnelly from the national provincial championship said something had gone very wrong. A total of five changes in the All Blacks' starting XV confirmed the high degree of alarm. The selectors were, in effect, agreeing with critics throughout the country that the team's performance had been unacceptable.

Hansen was right about one thing. None of his critics will have statues built for them. But nor do they erect statues for losing coaches.