All Blacks Furious With Leaked Photo
The photo of the All Black playbook that is causing all the fuss.
New Zealand assistant coach Steve Hansen slammed the appearance of a photograph of a page of the All Blacks’ playbook in Australian newspapers on Wednesday as a breach of trust with the media.
The picture, showing the hand of New Zealand coach Graham Henry clasping notes detailing five different tactical plays from lineouts and scrums, was snapped during All Blacks training ahead of Saturday’s Tri-nations test against the Wallabies.
“At the end of the day you guys and photographers come to training and there are a few unwritten rules and the photographer has breached the trust. There’s not too much we can do about it,” he told local media on Wednesday.
“The good thing about it is yesterday was a defensive training day so we won’t have to change our tactics too much.
“There are a whole lot of things that are going to happen on Saturday night and I don’t think one photo is going to make too much difference.”
The picture was splashed across Australian newspapers accompanied by varying degrees of analysis.
The Australian newspaper concluded the All Blacks would target flyhalf Matt Giteau and wing James O’Connor in defence, while focusing on negating flanker David Pocock, whose ball-pilfering was praised during the 30-13 defeat of South Africa in Brisbane last week.
Australia’s assistant coach Jim Williams said he had not seen the photograph but dismissed the idea that it would influence his team’s preparations.
“I wouldn’t read too much into it myself and I probably won’t even bother looking at it,” Williams told reporters.
“(It’s) not going to make me take any extra precautions.”
The Wallabies host the All Blacks at Melbourne’s Docklands stadium on Saturday in their first Tri-Nations clash for the season.
Courtesy of REUTERS
All Black Coaches Play Musical Chairs
Graham Henry: Contemplative
The coaches of the No.1 rugby team in the world have had their job specs redefined again.
Head coach Graham Henry has relinquished control of the pack, and shifts to an attack-focused role, while assistant coach Steve Hansen swaps back to managing the forwards.
Wayne Smith, also an assistant coach, stays in charge of defence, a role that was first handed to him last year when the three coaches swapped roles for the first time.
The trio have been in charge of the All Blacks since 2004, and kept their jobs despite their team going out of the 2007 Rugby World Cup at the quarterfinal stages.
Many in New Zealand have questioned the wisdom of changing again after an undefeated tour of Japan and Europe at the end of 2009.
“Is this forever? I don’t know,” Henry said. “People asked why have we changed the roles after such a successful tour. There’s no point in going through this review process and not taking any notice of the information we’re getting. We think it’s a way forward in improving what we’re doing both for the team and as coaches.”
Defence coach Smith said it was best that Henry should run the team’s offensive strategies: “Graham’s very humble and gives everyone else credit, but strategically I think he’s the best in the world. He works hard at it and he’s great at it.”
The All Blacks open their season against Six Nations runners-up Ireland in June, and follow it up with a double-header against Wales.
Their focus then shifts to the Tri-Nations, a title they lost to the Springboks last season.
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