- A multi-level development system. There are not less than 5 levels culminating in the ABs: club, school, provincial, franchise (super rugby), and finally the All Blacks. There is constant debate about the length and clutter of the rugby season (10 months from March to Dec) but the complexity of the system has one major positive effect which is multi-level, incremental player development.
- The greatest example of succession planning of any sports team. After the 2014 football world cup, Germany lost their captain (Lahm), their great strike weapon (Klose), and their defensive organiser (Schweinsteiger). The effect of these loses was an exit in the group stages of the 2018 tournament. France was similarly affected after the 1998 football world cup. After the 2015 RWC, the All Blacks lost four of the greatest players to wear the black jersey: Carter, McCaw, Nonu, and Smith. In the time since, they have lost 3 of 31 games (better than 90% winning record). There is incredible depth in NZ rugby, but a balance still needs to be struck between introducing new players and maintaining standards. The All Blacks do that better than any other elite sports team.
- Belief and skills to match the ambition. All Blacks players don’t merely expect to win, they are certain they can. I recall reading many years ago about an overseas player saying of the All Blacks: “You never really beat NZ, they just run out of time (every now and again)”. There is a relentless intensity that can be seen at every level of rugby in NZ that demands a matching skill set and athleticism. Pace, space, and points rewards adventure and execution, and instills belief at the level of the team and the individual.
The All Blacks are fallible, but they possess an unrivalled resilience
and adaptability.
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