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It doesn't really matter who will captain the All Blacks in the World Cup. Why? Because too much emphasis is on the cult of leadership and captaincy nowadays. Leadership, even great leadership, is not enough. It has become table-stakes for high performance. Rudolph Giuliani, known to most New Zealanders as the Mayor of New York on September 11, has just published his book on "leadership". Giulani did a fantastic job of bringing people together post the September 11 disaster but his book does not do him justice. The key principles in the book are preparation, accountability and strong self-definition. These are all-important basics, but that is all they are, basics. The key ingredient he does not come to grips with in the book is the ingredient that makes all the difference. Inspiration. In fact, he didn't lead New York out of trauma. He inspired New Yorkers to find their own way out. Much more effective. The All Blacks will win the World Cup if we pick inspirational players who stand up to be counted. In a conversation with General Norman Schwarzkopf six years ago he told me, "When given command, take charge and do what's right." Doing what's right when you are on the field means superb execution, total commitment, choiceful option taking, and relentless execution. It also mans sacrificing everything for the success of the team. We like to make things black and white and oversimplified. We live in the era of the super coach, the super manager and the super captain. Unfortunately, this is just not enough. One leader cannot do it. He cannot do it in sport or in business. Leaders all need one thing, no matter where they live or what field they operate in. That one thing is followers. Followers will not win the World Cup. I don't think Sean Fitzpatrick, Buck Shelford, Brian Lochore or Colin Meads have "born to follow" tattooed on their buttocks. US business elevated the cult of leadership to ludicrous proportions in the late 90s. Hence, the debacle that is Enron and Worldcom. Leaders with followers acting like lemmings hurtling over the cliff. The All Blacks failed to win the World Cup in 1999 for many reasons. A critical reason was that none of the players took charge on the field. They failed to provide Taine Randell with any kind of inspirational plays of their own. The Frence, on the other hand, were inspired by a halftime talk by Skrela and Benazzi. Skrela told the team that whilst the All Blacks were terric, every French team in every generation had beaten them and that afternoon at Twickenham it was the time for that particular French team and French generation to achieve everlasting glory by beating the famous All Blacks. Seven or eight French players took responsibility for the next 40 minutes and inspired their team-mates to greatness. In 1995 in Johannesburg, the Springboks were inspired by personalities as diverse as James Small, Francois Pienaar, Nelson Mandela, and for our five key players who lead the way. The great sporting teams are chockfull of inspirational players. The captain is usually one of them, but think about the 1991 quarter-final when Ireland had Australia on the ropes with three minutes to go and Nick Farr-Jones off the field injured. Michael Lynagh took charge, preventing a great Irish victory and, I believe, a World Cup victory for New Zealand. That Aussie side was full of inspirational players in every position.
Simon Poidevin, Phil Kearns, Tim Horan, Nick Farr-Jones, Tim Gavin, etc,
etc. Laurie Mains' great team of the 90s had insptirational players all
over the paddock. Sean, Zinny, Robin Brooke, Mike Brewer, Frank Bunce…
they all took charge and took responsibility. |
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So I don't think it matters who captains the All Blacks this season. What matters is that we have inspirational players on the park who will be unleashed and inspired by John Mitchell and his team to be the best they can be. My path would be to pick the impact people who make a difference, who back themselves, and who lift their team-mates. That's why I'd pick Anton Oliver; that's why I'd pick Taine Randel at No 8; that's why I'd build a place for Carlos Spencer outside Mehrts. Teaming Mehts, Carlos and Taine gives us a hardcore of pure inspiration that would lift all New Zealand. Our competitors have figured this out. England have a team full of inspirational players. Martin Johnson, Lawrence Dallaglio, Matt Dawson, Neil Back, Jason Leonard, Jonny Wilkinson have all captained England and they are all inspirational. France have four captains in Galthie, Pelous, Magne and Ibanez, with Marsh and Castignede all highly inspirational. Australia may find themselves in a similar predicament to the All Blacks in 1999 and to their own predecessors in 1995. Their inspirational players are becoming a little long in the tooth and they may lack for this when it gets down to the short strokes. True inspirational players step up as role models, mentors, and beacons of excellence who provide the benchmark for others to emulate and exceed. They relentlessly pursue victory not only for 80 minutes but for the interminable and inevitable seven minutes referee's time. They combine passion and harmony, and inevitably play all big matches "in the zone". John Mitchell was an inspirational player who inevitably played above his ability. I'm sure we can count on him to imbue that same sense of responsibility and commitment throughout the entire All Blacks team in 2003. |
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