McCaw, Carter top Welsh poll of 50 greatest rugby players

Filling in the hours ahead of the 7.30pm kick-off for the All Blacks against England by moping around wondering what you can do to move the clock along a little quicker until match time in Auckland?

Ponder the Western Mail's, that's the Cardiff newspaper, effort at deciding who are the 50 greatest rugby players of the modern era.

There're some interesting choices. Would you believe French captain Thierry Dusautoir is only ranked No.40 while Italian captain Sergio Parisse is No.6? Would you believe there is no place for Sean Fitzpatrick? Do you think Percy Montgomery and Jason Robinson were better fullbacks than Christian Cullen?

Where is Kieran Read? This is surely an oversight given he was named last year's IRB player of the year.

No surprise that Richie McCaw is named the greatest player, nor that Dan Carter is ranked No.2.

There is always a regional bias in these sorts of teams but there are plenty of points for debate. And you would have to ask, even if on a regional basis where is Jerome Kaino, the player of the 2011 Rugby World Cup?

And Australians might wonder why David Pocock doesn't rate a mention.

50 - Scott Quinnell (Wales)

49 - Yannick Jauzion (France)

48 - Carl Hayman (NZ)

47 - Mils Muliaina (NZ)

46 - Gary Teichmann (SA)

45 - Martyn Williams (Wales)

44 - Rob Howley (Wales)

43 - Ma'a Nonu (NZ)

42 - Bakkies Botha (SA)

41 - Will Greenwood (England)

40 - Thierry Dusautoir (France)

39 - Tana Umaga (NZ)

38 - Jean de Villiers (SA)

37 - Conrad Smith (NZ)

36 - Augustin Pichot (Agrentina)

35 - Adam Jones (Wales)

34 - Schalk Burger (SA)

33 - Joe Rokocoko (NZ)

32 - Stephen Larkham (Australia)

31 - Fourie du Preez (SA)

30 - Juan-Martin Fernandez Lobbe (Argentina)

29 - Justin Marshall (NZ)

28 - Matt Giteau (Australia)

27 - Will Genia (Australia)

26 - Scott Gibbs (Wales)

25 - Richard Hill (England)

24 - Gethin Jenkins (Wales)

23 - Doug Howlett (NZ)

22 - Christian Cullen (NZ)

21 - Lawrence Dallaglio (England)

20 - George Smith (Australia)

19 - John Smit (SA)

18 - Jason Robinson (England)

17 - Zinzan Brooke (NZ)

16 - Percy Montgomery (SA)

15 - Paul O'Connell (Ireland)

14 - George Gregan (Australia)

13 - Victor Matfield (SA)

12 - Bryan Habana (SA)

11 - Martin Johnson (England)

10 - Jonny Wilkinson (England) 

9 - John Eales (Australia)

8 - Shane Williams (Wales)

7 - Tim Horan (Australia)

6 - Sergio Parisse (Italy)

5 - Joost van der Westhuizen (SA)

4 - Jonah Lomu (NZ)

3 - Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland)

2 - Dan Carter (NZ)

1 - Richie McCaw (NZ)

Latest review of 'Conquerors of Time'

This proved a pleasant surprise to find on Queen's Birthday Monday. Jack Lovelock strikes again!

Racing Past >> Book Reviews >> Conquerors of Time

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Book Review

Conquerors of Time by Lynn McConnell. Sports Books, Cheltenham, UK, 2009. 239pp.

It took me a while to get hold of this book, but I’m glad that I persevered. It’s now in my must-have collection. This highly researched book focuses on the 1,500 and covers the 1932 and 1936 Olympics and the years in between. Primarily the book is about Jack Lovelock, Luigi Beccali, Glenn Cunningham, and Bill Bonthron, the first three having run in both Olympics. There is also information about other great 1,500 runners of this 1932-1936 period: Sydney Wooderson, Gene Venzke, Phil Edwards, and Jerry Cornes. Wooderson and Venzke had one disappointing Olympics in 1936; Cornes and Edwards, however, medaled in one Olympics and placed in the top six in the other. 

The structure of this book is well conceived. With the two Olympics as the book-ends, Lynn McConnell fills the middle with chapters on Lovelock, Beccali, Cunningham, Bonthron, Wooderson and Venzke, each chapter focusing on a race in which these main characters competed. The races between the two Olympics heighten the interest in the big race to come, the Berlin 1,500. Before we get to his thorough three-chapter coverage of the 1936 Berlin 1,500, we get excellent material on the immediate build-up to this extraordinary race that was held in front of Adolf Hitler. Finally, we get an interesting chapter on the lives of these athletes post-1936.

Being a New Zealander, McConnell not surprisingly focuses a little more on Jack Lovelock. But this does not detract from the book at all. After all, the climax of this story is the victory of Lovelock in Berlin! Lovelock’s running career, of course, has been well documented by Norman Harris (1964) and David Colquhoun (2008), but McConnell adds more, especially in his long chapter on Lovelock’s tactic in Berlin, “The Three-Hundred Metres Sprint.” Those who have already read Harris and Colquhoun won’t be disappointed. 

There is a lot of original material on some of the other runners. McConnell, in researching this book, spent some time in the USA. He was in contact with the families Bonthron, Cunningham, Beccali (who settle in the USA) and Venzke. As they say, fascinating stuff. 

McConnell is a well-known New Zealand journalist with 16 books to his credit. He has written on many sports, especially cricket and rugby. He is also a historian. Here is a sample of his writing as he assesses Jack Lovelock: “His revolutionary approach has been under-appreciated. He has been wrongly portrayed as nervous, indecisive and hard to get to know. He was committed, driven and inspired. He knew what he wanted and he ensured he didn’t deviate from that path. Perhaps that did make him difficult to understand, but then again, how many people would understand if he did open himself up to them? He was thinking on a different level from those around him. Whatever his personal characteristics may have been, there can be no doubting his methodology. He created a devastating tactic to win the most important race of his career.” (pp. 183-4) 

Conquerors of Time is particularly valuable for it material on Beccali and Bonthron. Hitherto not much has been written about these two world-record holders. But I would have like more on British runner Jerry Cornes and on Canadian runner Phil Edwards. These two were prominent in both Olympic races. 

Perhaps the gem of this  book is the 14^th of the 15 chapters, “The Three-Hundred Metres Sprint.” The 14 pages of this chapter explore in depth Lovelock’s psychological make-up and how he used his intellect to develop the tactic that won him an Olympic gold. McConnell writes, “While others would employ greater strengthening as the basis of their improvement to break the four-minute barrier and achieve other world-record times, Lovelock pitted this thought processes as the back-up to his undoubted running skills.” (p. 183) Good use is made of an essay Lovelock wrote in 1935, “Youth and Modern Sport.” In this essay  Lovelock talks about temperament and claims that “mental stability” is “at the root of all athletic success.” McConnell uses this essay and other material to follow the evolution of Lovelock’s approach to Berlin. He argues that the 300 sprint that Lovelock used was just one of his options. All of these options, Lovelock told a young protégé before the race had to be “a surprise.” 

Brilliantly conceived, thoroughly researched and elegantly written, this is one of the best running books I have read. In my view it is the seminal book on middle-distance running in the 1930s. Very highly recommended. 

Note: The paperback version of this book is expensive and difficult to find, but it can now be obtained as a download.

http://www.racingpast.ca/reviews.php?id=24

Fekitoa and Tuipolotu bring exciting qualities to All Blacks

New All Blacks Malakai Fekitoa and Patrick Tuipolotu are determined theirs will not be a short-term stay in the side after being named in the squad to prepare for the three-Test series against England starting on Saturday at Eden Park.

Both are Auckland developed players but Fekitoa has made his mark with the Highlanders in Super Rugby while Tuipolotu has become the first member of the 2013 New Zealand Junior World Championship team to make the Test stage.

Fekitoa said missing out on the Blues had been a significant motivation for him when he was picked up by the Highlanders and he went into the Super Rugby campaign determined to prove what he was capable of.

He didn't expect to move as far quite so quickly but was delighted to have the chance to experience the All Blacks environment.

Fekitoa said he had been able to show his capabilities so emphatically as a result of the belief of the Highlanders' coaching group.

"They never told me not to do anything. They just want to make sure I develop and that I am happy and they have given me every opportunity to make sure I perform," he said.

Fekitoa has set his sights high and said he had always wanted to be the best no matter what team he was in.

"Whether I was playing Sevens in Sri Lanka or Sevens in Tonga, I always wanted to beat people and I just want to get into this team and learn as much as I can from the senior guys.

"I just want to learn, develop my game and test myself at this level to see if I am good enough," he said.

His first taste of the All Blacks environment was during the two pre-season training camps in May and he noticed an immediate benefit.

"It got my timing up and when I got back to the Highlanders I could see things clearer and I could see things a bit easier and I felt a little bit better than where I was before the camps," he said.

He also felt his exposure to the requirements of top level player had shown that he was not too far away from reaching that standard and it had been a good start for him.

Tuipolotu was still getting used to how quickly events had moved for him in the game.

"It's way ahead of where I thought I would be. I didn't think I would get game time for the Blues at the start of the year, but I am happy to be where I am now and I'll take my opportunities as they come," he said.

In the Blues environment he felt coach Sir John Kirwan had helped him express himself.

"I like to run with the ball, I like to be in open space. JK [Kirwan] has pretty much let me do that in terms of our game plans back at the Blues and that has allowed the coaches to see what I can do," he said.

And being named in Sunday's squad had shown the benefits of that policy for him.

Getting into the camp environment in May with the All Blacks had shown him that talent wasn't enough to allow you to progress. It was all about hard work.

"Coming into the camp you see how the Richie McCaws and Keven Mealamus, and all those guys, do stuff and I sort of try to take a page out of their book to try and improve yourself to be like them," he said.

Now that he has made the step to international level he wanted game time to show that he could stay in the team. He didn't want to be a one-time All Black he wants to go far but with the realisation that he still has a long way to go.

All Blacks coach prepared for fiery England

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen is refusing to follow the media line, both in New Zealand and England, that Stuart Lancaster's team have a herculean task ahead of them in the three-Test series.

Hansen announced his squad for the series on Sunday in Auckland.

It features two new All Blacks, Auckland and Blues lock Patrick Tuipolotu and Auckland and Highlanders centre Malakai Fekitoa, and three returning All Blacks loose forwards Victor Vito and Jerome Kaino and first five-eighths Colin Slade.

"I note that England have been written off but they will have a good side for the first Test. They are the most improved side in world rugby in the last 18 months," Hansen said.

The unbeaten 2013 season was well behind the All Blacks and now it was a case of coming back and reasserting themselves.

"That's a challenge we are looking forward to. Both sides are wanting to perform well ahead of next year's World Cup," he said.

Of his new players Hansen said Fekitoa had been in sensational form and while there were parts of his game that he could improve it was a no-brainer that he should be included in the side.

Tuipolotu was a tighthead lock who got his chance as a result of injury suffered by Luke Romano. But he had the core skills the selectors were seeking and they were looking forward to working with him.

Vito's return had come about because of the increased physicality of his play. He was picking up turnovers, carrying the ball better and making good ground.

"We always knew he was a good athlete," he said.

Kaino's call-up was anticipated given the form he had shown since his return from Japan. He showed he had lost none of his physicality from the moment he resumed with the Blues and as the season progressed he had adapted to the pace of the game and his intensity levels were good.

"I thought last night he was outstanding [in the Blues win over the Hurricanes]," he said.

Steven Luatua missed the squad but Hansen said he knew what the reasons were for that and it was up to him to motivate himself to improve in the same way that Kaino and Vito had done in their careers.

While there was a need to blood new hookers for the side, Hansen said the selectors would not pick players unless they were ready and the two young hookers who have been involved in the side's apprenticeship scheme, Liam Coltman and Nathan Harris, would spend time with the side in their respective regions. If there was an injury to either Keven Mealamu or Dane Coles the selectors would not rule out calling up a player like Crusaders hooker Corey Flynn.

With first five-eighths Aaron Cruden out of rugby for six weeks, and in a well-beaten Chiefs team on Saturday night, Hansen said he played like a player who had had time off, and in a side with some issues at the moment.

However, Cruden had shown in the past that he took time to come back and Saturday's game would have done him some good.

Hansen added that the selectors were already firm in their choice of first five-eighths for Saturday's first Test in Auckland.

Great Sports Books: No.1

The first in a random series on great sports books. At this stage they are not produced in any specific order.

Ben Hogan: An American Life by James Dodson, Broadway Books, New York, 2004

Great American golf writer Herbert Warren Wind once wrote that golf 'had achieved the finest body of literature of any game'. While that statement is always open to debate, and clearly Mr Wind, had little knowledge of cricket while being openly dismissive of baseball's own library, he was correct in observing that golf was well served by its writers.

That point was hit home when discovering, Ben Hogan: An American Life. It had been recommended to me as an outstanding sports book by someone whose opinion I respect and while difficult to locate at short notice, a trip to one of the better annual second-hand book sales in Auckland netted the said volume in very good shape, and even better price!

While Ben Hogan's place among the greats of golf was well known and had been studied on and off over the years in various articles, the full extent of his method, success and professionalism had not been as well understood as it might have been. An on-going interest to one day take a look further into his career was to do with the writing of the man who is clearly the finest sports columnist of them all, Jim Murray. And it was he who provided the archetypal story of Hogan's greatness.

Following Arnold Palmer during a round in a tournament, Murray was on hand when Palmer played the ball into a ditch. Seeing Murray in the gallery, Palmer said to him: "Jim you are always writing about how great Ben Hogan was. What would he do in a position like this?" Murray's reply was succinct. "Hogan would never be in a position like that."

Biographer James Dodson came to the task of Hogan's tale with an impressive folio of golf writing behind him. He also had access to the impeccably kept Hogan scrapbooks. These provided a run down of every tournament Hogan played in.

But Dodson has not just provided a blow-by-blow account of Hogan's career. He has worked his contacts, made enquiries about who might have information on specific aspects of Hogan's life and has built a rounded picture of the man that is so much more than a book on golf. 

It is a lesson in life. 

Nothing came easy for Hogan. The suicide of his father when he was young left its mark on the young man and the resulting life of hardship and hard work quickly became the trademark of a life in golf.

Again, success did not come quickly. For many young sportspeople who intend a life in professional sport, the lessons of Hogan's development are a superb example of hard work maximising talent. Success was a long time coming for him and it was only when he had added the experience that he became such a hard man to beat - most often after he had been told he may never walk again after his car collided with a bus in foggy conditions.

Such had been Hogan's work ethic that there might almost have been an element of fate that prepared him for his post-accident career, where only the hard work he had already done gave him a template for recovery that left its mark brilliantly on golf's record book.

A solitary man, Hogan spent hours perfecting his game, and his swing, on the practice fairways around Fort Worth where he made his home. Sadly, an eye injury suffered as part of the crash would affect his putting in later years as he battled to get a clear picture of the lines he needed to sink his clutch putts. How much more outstanding his record could have been can only be imagined.

But the message of hard work is exemplified in his story, an example that talent alone is never enough for consistency at the top of a chosen sport. 

Hogan was described as a difficult man. Others swore by his loyalty. Some said he was shy, others that he was grumpy. But he had an honourable approach. Much like another great sportsman on the other side of the world, Don Bradman, he felt a duty to answer every letter ever written to him. Although in Hogan's case he could never understand why people cared. He thought once playing in his final Major that he would be long forgotten four or five years later.

He would learn that wasn't to be the case and while he died in 1997, Dodson's book, and those written by others, will surely ensure his legacy is never forgotten. Few will have enshrined it better than Dodson. His warts and all approach with material on Hogan's family, business life and friends, complete the picture.

Sports, sportspeople and sports writing often cop a bad deal from critics, but when quality is represented in books like that James Dodson has achieved, sports, and especially golf, literature, can, to paraphrase Herbert Warren Wind, be in a class of its own.

Frank Oliver - One of the hard men of All Blacks rugby

Lynn McConnell began his sports journalism career in Frank Oliver's last days in Southland but that was plenty of time to observe the legend in action. He pens some memories on the occasion of Oliver's death, aged 65, in Palmerston North on Monday.

It's ironic that hard man Frank Oliver's type was symbolic of rugby's amateur era yet he played a key role in the game when it went professional as a coach.

He was the first coach of the Hurricanes and while his time as a coach never reached the greatest heights, his reputation as a player was always likely to be his longest legacy. His death in Palmerston North on Monday took the rugby world by surprise.

Oliver, 65, came out of Southland, a policeman, hence the nickname 'Filth', as a young player who quickly made his mark as a tough nut. All Blacks status was hard won from the deep south and Oliver had to serve his apprenticeship in first-class play for seven seasons before finally being welcomed into the highest levels of the game.

It was in 1976, the year he made his Test debut in the fourth Test against South Africa, that his reputation as a player not to get on the wrong side of was obvious.

Ireland were touring New Zealand just before the All Blacks were to head off for a tour of South Africa. After a tough match against Canterbury, the Irish flew into Invercargill for their last game before the only Test of the tour.

The Irish were determined not to be pushed around after their Canterbury game so at the first hint of trouble the famed '99' call was to go up when everyone would rush into the resulting melee.

The game was only a few minutes old when all hell broke loose on the field between the Irish and Southland. Players ran from everywhere to get involved but, as a classic sequence of photos taken at the time show, the only person not involved in the fight was Oliver. He was pictured standing looking for someone to hit but the Irish had done their homework and no-one was prepared to take him on.

Stories abound of scrummaging problems on the following South African tour and when they involved front rowers the story was that a gap would open up between the hooker and prop on Oliver's side of the scrum and he would be given the room to dispense the sort of justice understood only by those in the front five.

In his final season with Southland, in 1977, the provincial team was on a four-match tour of the North Island, the second game of which was a Ranfurly Shield challenge against Manawatu. Oliver was flown up to join the team for that game only. At breakfast on the morning of the challenge he was at a table with Southland flanker, and future All Black, Leicester Rutledge who had broken a rib on the Saturday previous against Wellington.

Rutledge was telling Oliver that he could play despite the pain and Oliver told him that he was silly to attempt to play. He could do himself real damage in playing with a broken rib and he shouldn't play. Oliver had his way.

But three months later on the All Blacks tour of France after the side had been hammered in the first Test by the French, Oliver took part in the marvellous second Test where coach Jack Gleeson and captain Graham Mourie worked out a plan to run the French off their feet. It involved Oliver and Andy Haden taking part in a series of short lineouts which flummoxed the French allowing New Zealand one of the great victories of the era, all of it played by Oliver with a broken rib!

In that same 1977 season, Southland hosted Canterbury at Rugby Park and with time running out an assault on the Canterbury line looked like producing a match-winning try for 16 stone Southland centre Wayne Boynton. He was goal-line bound when corner-flagging Canterbury No.8, Alex 'Grizz' Wyllie in desperation flung out a stiff arm which felled Boynton as if he had been poleaxed.

Coming across from the lineout that had preceded the action Oliver began winding up the only retribution he knew from way back and hit Wyllie square with the most superb punch. The Rock of Amberley's knees shook and he needed to find a goal post to lean on but he refused to go down. There was never a hint of Oliver being sent off on his home midden. That was how business got done in the days before television surveillance. Southland goal-kicker Brian McKechnie landed the penalty goal, but in denying Southland a six-point chance, Wyllie had ensured Southland still lost the game.

Wyllie went looking for Oliver from the re-start but never caught up with him.

In 1978, Oliver had transferred to Otago and it was from there that he was awarded the All Blacks captaincy when Mourie was injured and unable to play and he led the side to Bledisloe Cup success.

Oliver played 17 Tests for the All Blacks, a number cut short after a back injury suffered against France in the first home Test of 1979, and 43 games in total and made 57 appearances for Southland from 1969-77, eight for Otago in 1978-79 and 54 for Manawatu.

Brendon the Magnificent

Through all the ups and downs of New Zealand cricket it had been wondered if modern batsmen had the temperament to play the sort of defensive match-saving innings that Mark Greatbatch immortalised at Perth in 1989.

Brendon McCullum demonstrated the know-how and determination is still there with a priceless effort at the Basin Reserve, and in the process became the first New Zealander to achieve 300.

Both the Greatbatch and McCullum innings started in similar fashion attempting to fend off defeat. Greatbatch scored 146 and batted long enough to deny Australia the time they needed to push for a victory.

However, McCullum went one better and played New Zealand into a position where they could push for a win. That made his effort all the more impressive. Interestingly, it continued the historic fact that of the eight 300s scored by New Zealanders in first-class play, six of them have had connections with Otago. Bert Sutcliffe scored his two 300s and Roger Blunt his playing for Otago. Glenn Turner scored his playing for his English county Worcestershire while Ken Rutherford and Mark Richardson were representing New Zealand when they scored theirs. The odd man out is one of the openers in this Test Peter Fulton who broke the cycle for Canterbury when he scored his 300.

Along the way he secured another world record for New Zealand with his sixth-wicket partnership of 352 with BJ Watling, whose involvement in the match-saving effort should not be forgotten as he posted his third Test century.

McCullum was required to play out of character and it was that aspect of his innings that was most endearing. The further he went the greater the demonstration of his batsmanship and it was an outstanding example of his skill which deserves to be fully acknowledged by the sometimes unforgiving New Zealand public.

Test cricket is the most exacting testing ground for players, and the feats that are remembered longest about players are those associated with the Test match game.

McCullum has engineered two home series wins this summer and has enjoyed having good support around, most notably from Ross Taylor who had his own batting moments to savour against the West Indies.

These are the efforts around which New Zealand's recovery and movement up the Test rankings are built around. Add to that the achievement of securing an effective bowling attack and the future looks rosier. And then there is the emergence of two genuine all-rounders in Corey Anderson and James Neesham with a superb century on debut in Wellington, and there is even greater hope.

No greater example of the hold McCullum has taken on the team could have been imagined than his Wellington innings. He is already among the greats of the New Zealand game and more rewards surely lie ahead.