The Great New Zealand All Blacks Rugby Team
In the sport of rugby, one team really stands out from the rest. The New Zealand All Blacks have something special about them that make them instantly memorable to fans of the sport worldwide. Recently though, it seems the All Blacks have been going through a rough season and the team seems to falter before big matches. They are still one of the best rugby teams in the entire world, and have a very rich history behind them.
The All Blacks have a history stretching back to 1884, when the first New Zealand rugby team was selected. That first team was very successful, winning eight matches in a row at home and abroad. In 1893, the first New Zealand Rugby Union team was sanctioned and went on an 11 winning match spree only losing once to New South Wales. The success of the early All Blacks team was what helped to cement the image of the fierce competitors that the team enjoys to this day. The team continued to win matches over the years and having such a long and rich history has proven to be a very strong asset for the team. The selection process of the team is very strong, as is the training regiment and the coaching record.
The All Blacks team is also known for doing the Haka before every match. The Haka, performed by the rugby team, is one version of a traditional Maori war chant. The All Blacks use it as a way to intimidate their opponents into submission. The team performs it before every match they play and it has become their defining signature move. It is also used as a challenge to the opposing team for the competition that is about to take place. This unique and innovative traditional dance has become part of the image of the All Blacks team, and is something unique that only they do.
The players of the team are well taken care of and highly motivated to play for their national team. A recent news story came about that related that six New Zealand team members had committed themselves to playing for the all Blacks until the year 2012. The six players were Conrad Smith, Jerome Kaino, Tom Donnelly, Sam Whitelock, Anthony Boric and Ben Franks, (Guardian News and Media Limited, 2010). This fact proves that the team members are extremely content staying with the national side, and the pride and joy they feel playing for their home team is much better than any deal that another team could offer them.
The All Blacks have not been having the best season of late. Last year, the All Blacks suffered a hat trick of defeats against the World Champions, the Springboks of South Africa. The losses were very painful for the strong team to bear, but it motivated them to improve their game and make a revival of fortunes. They decided to review the tapes of their matches and went over what they did wrong. They also decided to pursue a ruthless attacking style of play that they felt was missing from their game. The tactic paid off in a big way with the team now on a winning streak, and they are looking for a 13th consecutive match triumph after becoming the top ranked team in the world at the moment.
A few people have been commenting recently about how the All Blacks are very good at matches they play in between the World Cups but flounder at the matches they play during the World Cups. A possible reason for this could be that there is too much pressured heaped on the team. The pressure is put on them by themselves and by their fans as well. Since they are such a strong team, they are expected to blow all their competition away, but when the pressure of a huge tournament mounts, the All Blacks seem to crumble. Maybe the team needs a way to deal with this extra pressure that is pushed onto them during World Cups. A sports psychologist might be needed to analyse the team and what it does before a major tournament. If they can sort out this pressure problem, they will be unstoppable.
The All Blacks are a phenomenal team and they have been getting stronger with every passing year. They need to sort out a few things like the extra pressure getting them down, but if they are able to do that, it looks likely that no team in the world will be able to beat them. It is time for a Springboks and All Blacks showdown to take place.
Tags: