Why Do the All Blacks Struggle to Win the Rugby World Cup?
By Wayne Irving

Lets face it...Most people who follow the sport of rugby will agree that the New Zealand All Black rugby team are simply the best rugby team in the world...hands down. Their win ratio over all countries is unsurpassed by any team and they have shown these results consistently since the game came into being and the trend looks likely to continue for generations yet to come.
 
Why they are so successful is their ability to level up their game, embracing modern innovative game tactics designed to keep one step ahead of the competition. So if they are the team that consistently beats all others why then do the All Blacks struggle when it comes down to adding another rugby world cup to their trophy cabinet?
 
Since winning the inaugural tournament way back in 1987 the trophy cupboard has been barer than old Mother Hubbard's!
 
There are those who have forwarded suggestions that the All Blacks have developed an arrogant attitude to the rest of the rugby world, bred by their successes. Whether this is true or not, many countries have used the All Black blueprint formula and have made great strides in emulating them in last few years.
 
Now consider this.... New Zealand is a rugby mad nation and their fan base and union bosses expect to win every test and competition they enter into. While to lose is often regarded nothing short of a national disaster, equally bad can be to win a game without producing the expected scintillating performance each and every time they play. As one could imagine the pressure on the players and coaching staff to live up to these inherited expectations is immense as is also with many highly successful teams of different codes throughout the world.
 
The phenomenal success of the All Blacks has also proved to be their Achilles heel as the negative results at the business end of the world cups showed. Their world cup opponents looked at ways of slowing down the speed at which the All Blacks play their rugby. The 2003 and 2007 world cups were from the semi-finals onwards played with much slower paced dour tight forward games based on holding on to the ball, kicking for territorial gain and snuffing any hope of running rugby hence nullifying the All Blacks potent attacking weapons.
 
These tactics used were contrary to the All Blacks fast open style of play at which they excel at and the losses suffered at the world cups were likely due to being caught out not being allowed time to change their game plan to combat old school slow forward tactics that were used very successfully against them.The next world cup of 2011 is hosted by New Zealand and with the home advantage one might consider that the favorites may succeed this time but...one maybe hesitant to bet on All Blacks to win the cup but then again, one would be a fool not to back them. Wayne_Irving Wayne_Irving width="67" Wayne-Irving_335637 Wayne Irving Wayne Irving