Team New Zealand

As Team New Zealand prepares to put the Auld Mug away following their impressive performance in Bermuda, I would like to pay a special tribute to team boss Grant Dalton on behalf of the country for pursuing an agenda that proved successful.

Although Dalton has had his detractors ever since he took over, if it weren’t for his vision and perseverance, we may not be celebrating a win.

This is because TNZ’s heroics on the water were only made possible by Dalton and Co pursuing a plan they believed had the potential to produce the goods.

The fact Dalton had the courage to replace Dean Barker with Peter Burling said more about his vision and tenacity than almost anything else for although he would have been forgiven for sticking with the status quo, whether it would have produced the outcome is a different matter.

In short, Team NZ’s victory is not only a reminder of what is possible when the right leadership is in place, it supports the notion that without it, falling short is inevitable.

All Blacks

Although the British and Irish Lions Tour was a success for world Rugby and indeed, a testament to all who contributed, the fact it resulted in a draw has dented the AB’s air of invincibility.

The challenge Steve Hanson and Co are up against is not only down to Northern Hemisphere Rugby improving, it’s because an increasing number of their own are being headhunted by lucrative contracts they will never be able to match.

Although it isn’t an exodus, the departure of an increasing number of our finest is giving those in the north the sense that they are getting ever closer to where they want to be. As a result, the ‘secret’ we’ve enjoyed for a generation will dissipate; albeit it won’t change the fact that talent developed by way of quality (regional) competition and top-end coaching will determine how it unfolds rather than assuming the tipping point has come and there’s little we can do but watch it play out.

In other words, every coach from this part of the world who has offered their services in the north will have more than likely said to their players that they’re no different than the AB’s (or Wallabies or Springboks) however, until such time as they experience it for themselves, it can be hard for them to believe. The fact they are now playing alongside those who’ve dominated the game is giving them the opportunity to validate the rhetoric thereby increasing their level of confidence; which in turn is improving their ability to compete.

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