All Blacks don't trip over details

THE rest of the rugby world grows bigger by the day, the All Blacks get smarter.

THE rest of the rugby world grows bigger by the day, the All Blacks get smarter. The evolution of professional rugby has seen New Zealand rugby diverging from other nations.

The Kiwis' smarts were on display yesterday when they won a dramatic Test against the French in Paris 26-19. Two moments of class from wing Charles Piutau helped them pull clear to record their eighth successive win over the French and their 12th from 12 Tests this year.

Little details reveal a lot about the All Blacks. The kick-chase is a classic example. As a centre, Ma'a Nonu can pass, run a decoy and kick, not to mention devastate his opponent with or without the ball. But he never competes for the ball on an offensive kick-chase. The reason highlights New Zealand's edge as rugby thinkers. The powerhouse is a frightening attacking prospect, weighing just under 110kg, though less than 183cm (6ft) tall.

Why waste Nonu's strength competing with taller men in the air when he could turn the opposing catcher the moment his feet touch the ground? The contrast with Ben Smith is revealing.

Smith will always take off and aim to win the aerial battle. But unlike his centre partner in Paris he tops 183cm at about 90kg. He will not wrestle the opposition, but his height helps beat them.

Other teams work on the chasing game, with all backs practising the art of turning an opponent on the ground and catching the attacking kick. Not New Zealand.

The men with the jumping skills jump and the blokes with the brawn do the wrestling. It seems obvious but other teams, obsessed by attention to detail that coaches like to think of as "scientific", miss the tiny details as they survey the entire scope of the game.

Outside New Zealand we make machines. In that country of four million people, they manufacture rugby players.

The breakdown is another fine example of where New Zealand's rugby intellect trumps. Most sides decide to limit numbers into the breakdown or play a risky offensive game to try to win turnovers and slow the ball at source. Both have strengths and weaknesses.

New Zealand think more flexibly. If the opposition has flooded the tackle area, they concede possession to maintain their shape. If the opposition are few in numbers, static and high over the ball, the first man in will attack, the possibility of success identified.

The science of the sport is replaced by a trained instinct for players to sniff a turnover or protect their gain line.

Coaching individuals to make the right decisions in the small aspects of the game is smarter than the grand sweep of a plan so extensive that the players have forgotten what is right in front of their noses. Others have been blinded by science. New Zealand remain rooted in common sense.

The Sunday Times