[NZ] Super 12 must change - Henry
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/international/3795089.stm
Thursday, 10 June, 2004, 14:55 GMT 15:55 UK
Super 12 must change - Henry
All Blacks coach Graham Henry has launched a blistering attack on Super 12
rugby for hampering New Zealand's progress on the world stage.
Henry, who leads his country for the first time against England on Saturday,
believes attitudes must change if New Zealand are to win the World Cup again.
"Super 12 is played in summer on hard grounds and it becomes a glorified game
of sevens," he said.
"But when you play in Dunedin in June it's not those conditions."
He added: "It is a totally different ball game. You can't play that style in
international rugby.
"There has been a drift away from setting the forward platform to play the
game, and there has to be a drift back to that if the All Blacks want to be
major contenders in the future.
"We have concentrated on the Jonah Lomu's, the Jeff Wilson's and the Tana
Umaga's to do something brilliant to win a game of rugby.
"We haven't concentrated enough on the efficiency of unit play and
individuals to produce a top team.
"I think that we need to work very closely with the Super 12 coaches and
share ideas and expertise.
"We need to do that so we are all working to the same ends, and maybe giving
away a bit of the sevens style of rugby to concentrate on making sure that
we've got the basics right."
The former Wales chief has cast an envious eye over the game in England and
how it produced the side which won the World Cup so impressively in Australia
last year.
The All Blacks however crashed out at the semi-final stage and have not been
able to repeat the success in 1987 when they won the first World Cup.
"We've got a respect for rugby in Europe, and in particular, a respect for
rugby in England," he said.
"The foundations of the game are particularly strong in the Premiership. It's
a huge battle every week in most games, which provides a marvellous foundation
for the international team.
"There is a real good work ethic there, and a professionalism in the game.
"The quality of the game they are trying to produce - unit skills and
individual skills - has a major emphasis, which there hasn't been here."
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很期待Henry能帶出怎樣的All Blacks！
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