All Blacks arrogant,? Surely not!

By Toni
June 12 2003

Let's face it, as rugby fans we know to fear the men from the long white cloud. The petrifying haka, the sheer power of their pack, the genius of their backs - okay, remove the sarcasm from that last comment, it was uncalled for and evidently untrue.

The rest is rugby history though, the "mighty" All Blacks have repeatedly trampled on England and are going to do so again on Saturday.

The New Zealander's are certainly showing their feelings about the game, so it's time for an English female to hit back, put a few points correct and also get her opinion out. Why not eh? It's only a game. And if you believe it'll be "only a game" come kick off on Saturday, when the first scrum goes down and the men at the coalface of rugby stare into one anothers eyes, if you still believe it's "only a game", well - you need your head seeing too and a nice white jacket to wear.

New Zealand love beating England. England love beating New Zealand. Okay, the latter doesn't happen very often in living memory, but it does happen and it can. Now, one of my closest friends is a New Zealander, so don't think I've got it in for the Kiwi's, I'm just going to do some tongue-in-cheek observation.

England are too old. Their backs are crap. Their forwards virtually need zimmer frames to get down into the scrums. New Zealand are the best rugby playing nation in the world. They are the best at everything. There is no weakness is their game. Everyone fears them. They have won everything. Their heads are so far up their own arses it's amazing they can even see which way the posts are. Oops, not sure how that slipped in.

As English rugby fans, we're used to having the wonders of Southern Hemisphere rugby in general shoved down our throats. Southern Hemisphere rugby is the God of all. Bloody Stuart Barnes can't stop raving about how wonderful and amazing the Super 12 is, whilst the Zurich premiership pales in comparison. Well, a brief overview of recent Southern Hemisphere exploits: Australia completely lost it and suddenly forgot how to win - they even let Ireland beat them for Christ's sake, in what was not exactly a good performance by the Irish. South Africa have lost it totally as well, their loss to Scotland proof that they are no longer a force to be reckoned with. Everyone beats Scotland, apart from Italy and Wales, and that's not saying much. Gloucester could probably beat Scotland if they put their minds to it. New Zealand bottled it in the World Cup against France. So, wonderful rugby playing nations that makes the Northern system look horrendous. I'm not so sure anymore, so shut up Barnesy and move there if it's so great. Maybe I have a personal vendetta against Mr. Barnes, for the fact he's an overrated pillock (damn, these comments keep slipping in), but let's just say the North is edging closer and closer to the South.

However, this is not a question of North vs. South, it's a question of Black vs. White. The greatest rugby nation in the world versus some cheats and arrogant idiots who haven't a clue about rugby, in some opinions. England are rubbish and always will be at beating New Zealand according to one article I read. So let's regress to November 9th 2002 and reflect.

According to the same article, New Zealand were a third string outfit that day at Twickenham, a reference I'm sure Carlos Spencer, Doug Howlett and Jonah Lomu amongst others would be more than slightly peeved about. On that day, an out-of-form England who really didn't play that well, still managed to beat a New Zealand side. I don't understand how New Zealand can keep harping on about their strength and depth, then when they get beaten it's suddenly all because they put out such a young side and it's all about development yadda yadda yadda... you've heard the excuses before.

Let's rewind even further to 1998, when England got pasted by some abominal margin on their Tour To Hell by All Blacks. Now, England took a development side over there but no one seemed to remember that when they spoke of the Kiwi's huge points total. For what I remember reading in the New Zealand press, that victory was over the full-strength England team. Bias? What's that?

On that tour was one man who could change the history of English rugby. A certain Jonny Wilkinson, aged only 18 (bless) and promising to be a great player. Back to 2003, and we all know what Mr. Wilkinson can do. We know he can slot over goals from pretty much everywhere. We know his distibution skills are second to none. We know he's the best fly-half in the world. We know he's the best tackling fly-half (maybe even back) in the game. We know that when he's motivated, you get the hell out of his way. The one thing Jonny Wilkinson hasn't done is beat New Zealand in their own backyard. If that's not motivation, I don't know what is. I'm sure people will say England shouldn't be so centred around him, but for God's sake, with someone like him it's okay to be dependant on him. Against Ireland in 2002 he finally had chance to take his revenge for the 2001 defeat, and by God he took it. Spellbinding rugby from the man with the Midas touch, seemingly the only Falcon to ever be fully in flight. When Jonny plays well, England play well, so here's hoping for Saturday. If nothing else, the guy's got balls of steel and he won't bottle it.

So our ageing pack. Two words: who cares? It's worked just fine up until now. No, maybe it won't go on forever, but no one in English rugby can see past the World Cup right now. I'm sure our guys will be able to keep one foot out of the grave until then. I mean, good God, Martin Johnson is 33! Horrendous! And people are seriously trying to say that if he was a Kiwi, they wouldn't play him because of his age? Come on. If New Zealand are lacking in anything, excluding humility, it's a good, strong leader. For Tigers, England and the Lions, Martin Johnson has been that. New Zealand would kill for some of his experience and leadership. The more honest one's will even admit it.

So where do they get off being so bloody confident and full of themselves?

"Winning a third rate 6 Nations where the only team worth beating reeks of Garlic each season, and stuffing South Africa and Australia each year on the Southern Hemisphere's money making end of season junkets - just doesn't count. Where it counts, Rugby World Cups, and the Poms couldn't win a raffle, let alone a match against the All Blacks. They even lost to the filthy cheating convicts in the 1991 World Cup final."

That is a direct quote from one piece I read. So, let's discuss.

"So where do they get off being so bloody confident and full of themselves?".

Right, I'm sorry, I must be listening to a different Clive Woodward. Clive is not arrogant. Clive will not shut up about how poor England are and how much more they have to learn. It gets a bit annoying, believe me. We're not arrogant - get over the age-old perception of us would ya? All season and before, England have harped on about how every opposition can beat them and how they expect to have to work to win. They mean it. There's no being full of themselves, so why not move up into the current times and realize that arrogance is not something you can blame on the England rugby team.

"Winning a third rate Six Nations, where the only team worth beating reeks of Garlic each season". Glad to see you like the French as much as you like the English. France nailed New Zealand in the World Cup semi in 1999, so we all know they're dangerous. Ireland are constantly improving. The Six Nations is hugely envied down under - last year South Africa suddenly decided they wanted to join it. To decide if the Six Nations is third rate, why not let New Zealand and Australia have a go? It's rugby premiere tournament, even the Southerners say that.

"... and stuffing South Africa and Australia each year on the Southern Hemisphere's money making end of season junkets - just doesn't count". Right, okay. Let's point out that this tour is "end of season" to us, so if (maybe when) we lose, we'll trill out that line and see how New Zealanders like that. Secondly, our season is so much longer than the Southern Hemisphere - our players are knackered after nearly 10 months of nothing but rugby. I'd like to see the amazing Southern Hemisphere players manage that. Thirdly, New Zealand also got beaten in the "end of season junkets". Fourth, it does bloody count, look at the scorelines. Fifth, because beating Australia and South Africa is so easy, as New Zealand have proven time and time again in the Tri Nations. And yes, that was sarcasm once more.

England aren't going to win this test match. Not for my money anyway. Excuses or whatever, it IS end of season and it has no bearings on the World Cup. Maybe what we'll see on Saturday is a rehearsal for the World Cup final. So England get beaten and New Zealand are wondrous once more. Times are changing, there's no doubt about that. Look at South Africa - once rugby greats, now run close by almost everyone they play. It can happen to you, New Zealand, and maybe I'm not the only England supporter who'd like to see that day come. If we're still arrogant, we've learnt how to be from New Zealand.

Good luck to both teams, but espescially to the men wearing the red rose. The red rose versus the silver fern, black versus white, New Zealand versus England ... whatever you want to call Saturday's match, it's going to be a cracker. So sit back, cheer for England and hope that maybe, just maybe, we'll deliver a bit of a shock to the greatest rugby nation on earth. Or maybe we'll deliver a shock to New Zealand, the best team and supporters at believing their hype and thinking their invincible.

Two words: you're not