I arrived back in New Zealand in time for the Air New Zealand NPC Final and it felt great to be back in an environment where Rugby was the main topic of conversation. 

It's been fantastic to see Wellington winning with passion and watching Rodney So'oialo, Jerry Collins, Tana Umaga and Ma'a Nonu drive forward no matter what the odds.
       

I've also enjoyed watching Canterbury display their own brand of flair, ruthlessness and professionalism and total calmness and belief, bringing to mind something Grant Fox told me that stood the great All Blacks apart: "ice in the mind and fire in the belly".

I've long been supportive of Justin Marshall and Andrew Mehrtens and it was great to see them run the game as only they can on Final night. 

They took the right options every time with flair, professionalism and an absolute desire to win.  

Mehrtens appears rejuvenated and if these two can retain the hunger they will make a powerful combination in the melting pot of the British Lions tour. 

We are blessed with brilliant options in Daniel Carter, who I believe is a better attacker and goalkicker than the much heralded Jonny Wilkinson, in Aaron Mauger who is growing in confidence at second-five, in Sam Tuitupou and in a personal favourite of mine, Nonu, who I think has buckets of pace, strength and determination.

I'm sure the mighty Blues back three of 'Mils' Muliaina, Doug Howlett and Joe Rokocoko will shine in the Northern Hemisphere and I can't wait for the November adventure to begin. 

It will be terrific seeing Tana Umaga, one of our great players lead the side and hopefully pass on the reins to the best openside flanker in the world, Richie McCaw.

The Final was a fitting end to a fantastic reminder that the NPC is still the very essence of what makes New Zealand Rugby the best in the world. And I also thought we saw the best referee in the world, Paddy O'Brien, have another tremendous game in the Final. It's a shame he, Steve Walsh and Paul Honiss won't get to referee a World Cup Final because of course we'll be in them from now on.  
  

I am very disappointed that the NZRU has decided that the All Blacks will not be playing in the NPC. 

I believe this is a terrible decision for New Zealand Rugby, for our long term commercial prospects, for supporters and for players. 

The NPC is what makes New Zealand special and we should be matching the best of our best All Blacks with the best of the up-and-comers to keep standards and performance growing. I hope this decision will be revisited and changed.

In 2002 I was watching the All Blacks in the Northern Hemisphere. The selection was experimental and a failure. 

Nearly half of the squad never made All Black selection again, and some of them were what would be termed 'development players'. Wearing the All Black jersey is not experimental.

The obsession with World Cups is fine but it must be balanced. We must win every game, every Tri-Nations, every tour match and the World Cup. 

We need to follow the example of the Australian cricketers; their goal is to win every Test match. This leads to them winning every series and being very competitive at World Cup time.  
       

I believe the New Zealand 'Big Four' of Henry, Sir Brian Lochore, Wayne Smith and Steve Hansen value the jersey and the heritage too much to take any other approach. 

We need to get our combinations right against what will be a very committed, passionate Italy, then explode against the passionate and unpredictable Welsh and then dominate mentally and physically against what is possibly the best team in the world today, France. 

We can then enjoy the Barbarians game and head off for a break with players' morale, enthusiasm and belief high in preparation for a vital 2005 - three Tests against the Lions, two against the Wallabies and two against the Springboks. Much tougher than winning a World Cup and in many ways just as important.

Last month I wrote about the obsessive fanaticism, professionalism and preparation of Clive Woodward. 

There has been much hilarity in response to the 26-man (and woman) management team for the Lions. I am not part of that Greek chorus. 

He is trying something completely new. Splitting the team into two and having experts for both Saturday and midweek squads. 

He has picked the best coaching in Great Britain with Andy Robinson, Ian McGeechan, Eddie O'Sullivan and Gareth Jenkins. He has ensured that all players and countries are represented to overcome isolation, cliques and favouritism that have been evident in some tours of the past. He has got a lot of expert defence coaching in Phil Larder and Mike Ford from Rugby League, and terrific specialised support.  
  

Whilst the numbers might seem preposterously large it makes more sense when you accept that a new concept is being trialled, that of two separate squads.

It isn't that different from the approach Laurie Mains took on the early 90's when he was the first of the new era to recognise the importance of video analysis, specialist coaching and learning from League. 

There's no way I would want New Zealand to duplicate the Woodward approach. However I'm sure that our 'Big Four' will not be sucked in to underestimating or ridiculing the approach. Woodward after all has proved himself on the toughest stage of all and won the World Cup.

Speaking of Laurie Mains I caught up with one of his great successes when I was in Auckland. 'Inga the Winger' or 'The Big Black Bus' (Va'aiga Tuigamala), is back now in Auckland and is working with cousin David Tua to motivate and get him ready for one last crack at the title.  
                

'Inga' was a terrific player who made the most of his ability in both codes and has been a stand-up example wherever he's played. He was inspirational in helping Jason Robinson through some personal difficulties, and he has been a terrific ambassador for Samoan Rugby. He is loved from Wigan to Newcastle and has a lot to offer the game still.

He came to see me with David to talk about 2005 and how David could refocus on becoming champion. 

The big court case needs to be resolved and David needs to drop a few kilograms. The passion is still there, the will is still there, and there's no Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson or Lennox Lewis to get in the way. 

What a fairytale that would be if David Tua could fulfil his destiny and New Zealand could have the Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World at the end of 2005. It couldn't happen to a more inspirational guy.  
  

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