How strong are the All Blacks?

LYON — They have racked up 184 points in their opening two World Cup pool games but just how good the All Blacks really are remains open to question.

South Africa have set out their credentials with a clinical 36-0 destruction of defending champions England and Australia have confirmed their candidature for a third crown with a 32-20 win over a lively Wales but New Zealand have yet to be tested. With matches against an unfancied Scotland side and a second grade Romania to come, there is the very real prospect that Graham Henry’s side will reach the quarter-finals without ever being stretched.What is clear, however, is that the 2007 All Blacks team are one of the most talented sides to grace the World Cup and that they have more versatility and greater strength in depth than any other team in the tournament.A World Cup record 13 different players got on the scoresheet in Saturday’s 108-13 annihilation of a courageous Portugal side, while second-string flyhalf Nick Evans scooped an individual points haul of 33.Jerry Collins, standing in as skipper for Richie McCaw, provided further proof that he is one of the most exciting loose forwards in the world with a superb all-round performance, combining his usual rock-like presence in the contact phases with superb running and passing.Joe Rokocoko set out his case for a first team place on the wing by giving a taster of his electric pace with the opening two tries, while Leon MacDonald made a strong claim for the fullback berth with some sparkling runs from deep.Unlike some previous All Black sides, this team did not run up a massive points total because of a ruthless desire to destroy their opponents, instead the emphatic scoreline was more a product of high-class team play.STEP UP “We’re probably not entirely satisfied with the way we played but it’s a step up from last week,” Collins told reporters.”We tried to keep the ball as much as possible and to work on our game and not get carried away trying to score points.We were just focusing on our basics and fundamentals, the things we need to nail as we get to the business end of the tournament.”You can get white-line fever and ball-hungry and we managed to avoid that.”Anyone who has seen the team train knows that this is a happy All Black team, a far cry from some its more grim-faced predecessors.It could just be that the team’s sheer zest for the game will help it overcome the psychological barriers that have stopped the All Blacks from winning the World Cup since the inaugural tournament in 1987.But Collins, whose laid-back demeanour conceals a steely determination to win, knows better than to take anything for granted.”At the beginning of the tournament you’re raring to go, it’s always like that, then the pressure starts mounting,” he said.”But we’re in a pretty good space.Here’s hoping, eh.”Nampa-ReutersWith matches against an unfancied Scotland side and a second grade Romania to come, there is the very real prospect that Graham Henry’s side will reach the quarter-finals without ever being stretched.What is clear, however, is that the 2007 All Blacks team are one of the most talented sides to grace the World Cup and that they have more versatility and greater strength in depth than any other team in the tournament.A World Cup record 13 different players got on the scoresheet in Saturday’s 108-13 annihilation of a courageous Portugal side, while second-string flyhalf Nick Evans scooped an individual points haul of 33.Jerry Collins, standing in as skipper for Richie McCaw, provided further proof that he is one of the most exciting loose forwards in the world with a superb all-round performance, combining his usual rock-like presence in the contact phases with superb running and passing.Joe Rokocoko set out his case for a first team place on the wing by giving a taster of his electric pace with the opening two tries, while Leon MacDonald made a strong claim for the fullback berth with some sparkling runs from deep.Unlike some previous All Black sides, this team did not run up a massive points total because of a ruthless desire to destroy their opponents, instead the emphatic scoreline was more a product of high-class team play. STEP UP “We’re probably not entirely satisfied with the way we played but it’s a step up from last week,” Collins told reporters.”We tried to keep the ball as much as possible and to work on our game and not get carried away trying to score points.We were just focusing on our basics and fundamentals, the things we need to nail as we get to the business end of the tournament.”You can get white-line fever and ball-hungry and we managed to avoid that.”Anyone who has seen the team train knows that this is a happy All Black team, a far cry from some its more grim-faced predecessors.It could just be that the team’s sheer zest for the game will help it overcome the psychological barriers that have stopped the All Blacks from winning the World Cup since the inaugural tournament in 1987.But Collins, whose laid-back demeanour conceals a steely determination to win, knows better than to take anything for granted.”At the beginning of the tournament you’re raring to go, it’s always like that, then the pressure starts mounting,” he said.”But we’re in a pretty good space.Here’s hoping, eh.”Nampa-Reuters