Spirit yielded special tour, says Lochore

All Black selector Sir Brian Lochore on arrival with Grand Slam-winning side members in Auckland yesterday. Picture / Kenny Rodger

All Blacks selector Sir Brian Lochore said one of the major positives to come out of the Grand Slam tour was that all 35 players lived up to expectation.

Lochore, who arrived home yesterday with assistant coach Wayne Smith and about 12 of the players, said the All Black management had sat down and mapped out the four teams that would line up against Wales, Ireland, England and Scotland immediately after settling on their touring squad.

Although the teams were never noted on paper, Lochore believes, aside from maybe two injury-forced changes, those were the exact teams that took the field.

"I have been away with other teams where some players have handled All Black rugby and others haven't. This time it wasn't like that.

"I am sure there were plenty of New Zealanders who worried about whether we were doing the right thing. We had tremendous confidence in the young players and not one of them has let us down."

Following on from their Tri-Nations success, the All Blacks romped home against the four nations achieving just the second Grand Slam tour of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Lochore said the team's willingness to help one another was a key factor in their success.

"Locks helped locks, halfbacks helped halfbacks and props helped props, which is something that has not always been prevalent in All Black rugby.

"There has always been a bit of jealousy between one another - that is absolutely a natural thing to happen.

"But on this tour, because they all knew they were getting a reasonable amount of game time, they helped one another."

He said there was also a good spirit within the team.

"Rugby is hard work and you need times where you can be together and have fun like we did.

"We went out, like normal human beings, a couple of nights during the week for dinner where we had wine and a beer and sat around and laughed and joked.

"Those things are special."

But with France ever improving and England quickly rebuilding, Lochore said the key now was to ensure this side didn't follow in the footsteps of past sides who had dominated in the years between World Cups then failed to deliver at the main event.

"This team has an enormous amount to give. They are all aware of that.

"But just how much we give next year is something we need to talk about."

Twenty-seven years after he led the All Blacks to their historic first Grand Slam victory, Graham Mourie said it was hard to compare the 1978 rugby amateurs with today's professionals.

"We played 18 games and were away for nearly three months and played twice a week. I think we had six replacements in 18 games."

However, he said what the 2005 and 1978 teams had in common was the spirit which held the teams together.

"I think 1978 was a very close side. These guys look like they have had a pretty good tour and I would assume from all the feedback they have got on very well and have been very focused."

Mourie, who was at the airport to meet the team, said one of the highlights of this tour for him was the performance of newcomer Jason Eaton.

"There is still room for fairytales when you have got a guy like that, who was playing second division rugby last year ... to see him come through is what opportunity is all about.

"I have got eight year-old twins who play the game, and they just get a thrill when you talk to them about these guys. They have that little light in their eye. For every kid I suppose it says there is an opportunity."