Page 16 - All Blacks v Lions - First Test

A trio of award winners: Hansen, Beauden Barrett and All Blacks Captain Kieran Read
THE HANSEN FILE
are playing. And we [New Zealand] have an environment that is really conducive to being able to do that. We’ve got a climate that allows us to get outside and play with balls, to play touch rugby and all different things. That’s one thing.
“The other thing is that we’re a small country, so our young kids play a lot of different sports and that grows a lot of different abilities. Each sport has its own gift, for the want of a better word, that creates you as a sportsman. You look at a soccer player – they’re always balanced over the ball, so if kids are playing a bit of soccer in the backyard, they’re learning to do that; but then they see [Cristiano] Ronaldo.
“In the old days, you might see it once a week on the TV. But now they see it and he’s alive for them, so they’re learning off him. I think that’s why not only do we have a good development programme, but our kids are becoming hungry for something that wasn’t done before.
“I saw something the other day in the Under 20 game [New Zealand’s semi nal with France] when young Tiaan Falcon, under enormous pressure, just back- icked one straight out behind his back – a beautiful pass – and those sorts of things you don’t have time to think about. They’re instinctive. Where has he seen that? He’s seen someone else do it and thought, ‘I’ll put that in my bag of tricks.’ It is amazing, but at the same time it’s not, because you’re starting to expect that because of the way we live our life now.”
But Hansen is also quick to add that, while that was all well and good, the individual still
has to learn to play for a team. “You have to play within a structure, but your instincts – you’ve got to trust them. As soon as you hesitate, it’s all over. There’s not enough time and space. For me, you pick people because you know they’re good enough. If you can encourage
“The Lions will look to take away all our time and space. They’ll look to dominate up front.”
them to trust themselves, trust what they see or feel, then they become successful, because what they see and feel is usually pretty spot on,” he says.
All the skills in the world are still of little use, however, if the hard work isn’t done up front. And Hansen is aware of the challenge associated with the Lions. “They’ll look to take away all our time and space with their line speed, and they’ll look to dominate us up front. Unless we get those parts of our game right, we’ll struggle,” he says. “But we know what’s coming. It’s just making sure we’re ready for it.”
TEST RECORD (ALL BLACKS)
P 69 W 63 D 2 L 4
COACHING CV
1992 Becomes coach of Christchurch High School Old Boys.
1996 Gives up career in police to join Canterbury’s Rugby Academy.
2001 Leads Canterbury to National Provincial Championship.
2001-02 Heads to Wales to become Graham Henry’s Assistant. Becomes Head Coach a month later.
2003 Wales’ performance against the All Blacks in the Rugby World Cup
earns widespread praise.
2004 Returns to New Zealand and the All Blacks as Assistant Coach.
2011 Helps All Blacks to Rugby World Cup win and is appointed Head Coach, succeeding Henry.
2013 The All Blacks become rst team in the professional era to go unbeaten in a calendar year.
2015 Secures consecutive Rugby World Cup crowns – the All Blacks are the rst team to retain the title.
2016 Coaches the All Blacks to a
Tier One world-record run of 18 consecutive wins.
2017 Coaches the All Blacks against the British & Irish Lions.
16 // OFFICIAL SOUVENIR PROGRAMME
GETTY IMAGES