Team NZ establishes benchmarks of brilliance

By Murray Deaker

Just two weeks ago the Halberg Trust celebrated 100 years of New Zealand sport with a dinner which recognised Peter Snell as the outstanding New Zealand sportsman of the century.

If the Halberg Trust lasts for another 100 years, it may have to go right back to the start of this century for its winner. Team New Zealand will certainly take some beating.

Any discussion involving the comparative merits of sportsmen or teams from different sports and eras is always subjective and open to dispute.

Despite that, there is no question that Team New Zealand take their place alongside the All Blacks of 1905, 1924 and 1987, beside the New Zealand rowing eight of 1971 and 1972 and the New Zealand men's amateur golf team who won the Eisenhower Trophy in 1992.

In fact, it would not be difficult to make a strong case for asserting that Team New Zealand are our greatest sports team of all time, but such an argument would only detract from the analysis of what makes a great sports team.

Right now we have a unique opportunity to determine what constitutes a great sports team because while Team New Zealand rule the waves, the Australian cricketers completely dominate the world scene. There are some clear parallels between our yachting and Aussie cricket upon which success is based.

Both sports are blessed with ideal environments to nurture their development among young, keen learners.

The winds, tides and currents of not only the Waitemata Harbour and the Hauraki Gulf but also those near most of our main centres are the ideal training grounds to develop the skills needed to win in everything from a P-class right through to NZL 60.

The weather and soil of Australia have combined to produce hard, true cricket pitches which encourage boldness with bat and aggression with ball. These ideal conditions encourage the type of competitiveness that allow youngsters to learn while under pressure. They are tough schools and only those with the skills to make it to the top come through.

Unquestionably the toughest opponent for NZL 60 is NZL 57. There wasn't a need for an official defender series because every day the two black boats went out to their so-called "practice" they actually went out to battle.

The competition for places in both the Australian cricket team and Team New Zealand is more intense than anything Pakistan, India or England can throw at the Aussies, or Prada, American One or Stars and Stripes can throw at Team New Zealand.

A perfect example of the lengths young men will go to be part of this action is sailmaker Paul Murray. At 32 he has already been part of the shore crew of the 1992 campaign and was sailmaker in the winning team in 1995.

He has been on board this campaign since 1996, fixing sails and doing odd jobs around the base. His only break away was when he was part of Paul Cayard's winning team in the round-the-world race.

Yet, with all that experience, Paul could make it only as a reserve sailor for the B team in this year's campaign. He's not moaning about that. In fact he is already making plans to ensure he gets sufficient experience over the next three years to win a permanent place in the B team for the next campaign.

By the time someone makes either the Australian cricket team or Team New Zealand he will done his apprenticeship and slogged so hard to get there that he won't give it away without a hell of a fight.

The common effort that has been put in is the bond upon which the spirit and pride of the team is established. Once established it can be destroyed only internally - and neither the Australian cricket team nor Team New Zealand has shown any sign of self-destruction yet.

* Murray Deaker is the host of Radio ZB's Sportstalk.