Category: News items

Isn’t it great that we have an All Black coach with the balls to pick on current form irrespective of experience – even if it does mean dropping our best two outside backs?  He pulled it off – on the biggest stage against the best opponent.

No perceived weaknesses. Yes we have the cattle.

Now the team is complete. Providing the referees don’t destroy the flow of the game, any other team will need to play exceptionally well to beat the All Blacks.

For NZ to win a third consecutive RWC Kieren Reid will need to play at his very best.  If he does he will retire as one of the great No. 8s of All Black rugby.

My first impression is this team is strong enough across the board to win RWC Japan. 

I get the sense this highly successful and acclaimed coach and management group have thought deeply about the make-up of this team and the combinations. The physical capabilities are there. The experience and leadership are there.  The subjective category of mental strength gets a pass from me. I think this squad is risk free on and off the field.

I am a supporter of Hansen and co. They’re the real deal and have done a good job so far.  

The core roles of the Head Coach are to select the team and develop the strategy.   

There is growing speculation that Kieran Reid will play at blindside against the Wallabies in Perth this Saturday.

The All Black selectors have learnt their lesson. A draw is not a loss for the All Blacks but for South Africa it’s a win away from home and with it will come self-belief. They will be even harder to beat in Yokohama. 

Sir Graham Henry presented to the IRANZ High Performance Coaches group this week and made a remarkable statement:  60% of being successful as a coach is selection.

“We’re going to have to be hungry for success,” Steve Hansen said, after announcing the squad. In my view this is the key attribute required to win the Rugby World Cup.  We have the players, we have the history, we have the technical and tactical skill and nous.  But we won’t win the Cup unless we have sufficient hunger! We often hear comments like “we need experience at this level.” This is true, but sometimes players with experience lack the hunger.  On the other hand they have the ability to apply themselves mentally – to live, think and play in the moment, without the mind being distracted in any way or form.  This is what we call mental toughness. Most experienced players have this attribute.  The hunger is desire – to be desperate to do as well as you possibly can.

It was an absolute cracker and the Crusaders totally deserved their win.  It might have been by the narrowest of margins, but they led all the way. 

Since IRANZ was established in 2001, 16 of our Player and Coach Graduates from the USA have pushed on to become USA Eagles.

I guess with 20 years of player and coach development at IRANZ and half that total coaching at club level, from age grade to Premier, I am equipped to make the following statement.

Reeve Satherley attended the Advanced Players Course in December last year, and has quickly progressed into senior rugby ranks.

IRANZ Staff caught up recently with his mother Julz to hear how he’s been getting on.

To win the Rugby World Cup, you need the ball – and the lock’s role of aerial possession is now far more significant to secure the ball for their team.

Another busy month looms for IRANZ – with five different Courses available in July for rugby players & coaches looking to grow and develop.

Three Hookers will be selected in the All Black Squad for the Rugby World Cup Squad this year.

It’s time we, the punters, started picking the All Black Squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

For the next few weeks, I’ll be breaking down who I would select for the squad, and the reasons behind each selection.