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Touchline • Issue 16 • 47
Regardless of the source of the name, the mere act of dubbing
a team organically speaks to the admiration that all felt for
this incredible group of sportsmen.
The statistics speak for themselves: during the tour, they
played 30, won 29, scoring 821 points to 35 conceded. Against
well-drilled and established county teams, the results were
astonishing: 41-0, 41-0, 32-0, 28-0, 34-0, 16-3, 63-0, 31-0,
and 44-0. These were in the days of much lower totals than
currently.
Both England and Ireland were seen off for the same score of
15-0. It is estimated that around 75,000 spectators were at the
match where England were humbled.
The Scottish match has become
famous for the bad blood that
developed between the two groups.
The Scottish RU made some
shockingly –if slightly stereotypical-
tight-fisted decisions both before and
after the match. Unwilling to pay the
New Zealand team a flat rate, and
expecting a low crowd, they offered
instead a net percentage of the gate.
An ungainly back flip was attempted
when they got wind of the fact that
over 20,000 supporters were on their
way to watch the match.
This level of support would ensure
the All Blacks made far in excess of their initially requested
figure. So it may have been an innocent oversight when no
straw was placed on the turf on the freezing night before
the match. The Scottish RU attempted to convince the New
Zealanders to cancel the match due to frozen conditions, but
perhaps bloody-mindedness made the All Blacks insist on
playing. In parlous conditions, the All Blacks ran out winners
12-7.
It was a streaky win, but certainly satisfying. Which perhaps
lead to the even more petulant behaviour of the Scottish RU,
who went to the All Black’s changing room to ask for their ball
back.
The solitary loss in the series was to Wales, but like Bradman’s
99.94 average, it only served to make the team more human.
Aside from that blemish, the only team that managed to score
more than one try against them was the French national team
at the end of the tour. It was said that the tourists were less
then competitive when faced with a team playing its first
international, so perhaps those tries were gentlemanly rather
than testament to French Rugby.
So how did a team of colonials simply show up and beat the
best teams of the United Kingdom? Judging from the press of
the day, it was certainly a shock when the All Blacks took apart
their teams. Those reports imply that the English teams were
no longer a true fighting force: something had gone out of
them. The truth, though, was simpler.
Let’s start with endurance. The All Blacks were renowned for
their speed and the way they seemed to swarm the ball in a
manner with which the British could not compete. One prime
reason for the superior fitness was simply a vagary of the
rules. In New Zealand, the game was played for 90 minutes, in
Britain it was 70 minutes. Those extra 20 minutes helped the
regular New Zealand player build
up a toughness that carried them
through some of the scrappier
matches.
Add to that the long boat voyage
from New Zealand to Plymouth, in
the south of England. Ship-board
life is notoriously dull, so the
player livened things up with long
training sessions. They would box
and run around the ship, but it is
not recorded how many balls were
lost overboard. So a certain lack of
diversion probably had the players
exercising more than they may have
at home.
Another offshoot of life on a ship was that when they were not
exercising they were talking rugby. The leadership of the team
would brainstorm plays. By the time the got to England, each
forward had a place within the ruck, whereas in Britain the use
of designated forwards was not wide spread.
Another innovation that shocked the locals was the five-eighth,
which was a common position in New Zealand but unheard of
in the UK. This player helped the team transition from defence
to attack quickly. The All Blacks also played with an attacking
fullback, which was until then seen as a purely defensive
position.
All of these small advantages feed into what made this team
great. But, as with all great teams, stars must align. For a
legend to be created it takes more than tactical tweaks and a
clever name.
The Originals remain one of sport’s legendary teams. In New
Zealand, they have a cult status that can only come when
sport transcends the mere act of kicking a ball. They helped a
country forge an identity.
The Scottish match has become
famous for the bad blood that
developed between the two
groups. The Scottish RU made
some shockingly – if slightly
stereotypical - tight-fisted
decisions”