Former England coach Brian Ashton perfectly explains why All Blacks rugby has always been so dominant
Former England coach Brian Ashton has perfectly summed up the reason why the All Black rugby team has managed to be so dominant in rugby.
An old video has surfaced showing Brian talking about the New Zealand rugby team, and the reason why they have been dominant for so long in the sport.
Brian Ashton was the England coach between 2006-2008 and saw England to an unlikely World Cup final in 2007 where they lost to South Africa.
Ashton spoke about the All Blacks focused on becoming ‘better people’ as they all bought into the “No D***heads” Principle which has moulded their selection policy for almost 3 decades.
If you ever wanted to know why the All Black rugby team has managed to maintain such a high quality for so long, give this a watch.
The All Blacks Principles
- Sweep the Sheds – Rugby is a team sport and everyone needs to contribute on and off the field. Richie McCaw might be considered a legend of the game but he and other well-known names are just ‘one of the boys who clean the sheds’ [changing rooms] after every game. Stay grounded.
- Go for the Gap – Or to put it another way, if you stand still everyone will pass you by. The All Blacks are always looking at ways to test themselves, even Dan Carter admitted he still had a point to prove when he said he took the last conversion of his international career with his right foot because he had never scored with his weaker foot. Constantly strive to improve
- No Dickheads – Excuse the language but it conveys the point. You want to enhance your team by adding talented players but that doesn’t mean that any talented player will do. The All Blacks are very much a team first and look to find individuals who have the right character. You can develop talent, you cannot change character.
