THE PLAYING VICTIM

There’s no other job in New Zealand, in rugby, that comes with such a mix of adulation and hate. But that’s life as All Blacks captain. It’s a post where the occupant is revered in New Zealand and often despised, certainly not liked much, everywhere else. It’s long been this way, but the vitriol directed at All Blacks captains has intensified as the legacy of the team and the profile of the game has grown. Success has bred jealousy and jealousy has clouded the judgement of many of those determined to beat the All Blacks.

The determination to beat the All Blacks is relentless around the world. They are the benchmark, the scalp everyone wants. It doesn’t matter who the world champions are, a victory against the All Blacks will be seen as the greatest achievement in the game. Plenty of international sides have been in the midst of an appalling run of form and then been transformed into something unrecognisable when they have played the All Blacks. It is rare indeed for any team