All Blacks 'don't listen to drivel'
I would suggest to England and France, whatever you are doing and saying, keep it up because it is obviously having an effect!!!
Despite all the posturing, I would suggest the ego's of the IRB #1 All Blacks are the most fragile in the Rugby world.
As outright favourites they have the most to lose and the least to gain in France and I honestly do believe that cracks are starting to show.
For their sakes, hopefully Henry has enough Silastic in his toolbox to hold them together.
All Blacks 'don't listen to drivel'
August 26, 2007
"Shut up - because we aren't listening." That's the message from senior All Blacks to the cheap shots coming out of England and France on the eve of the World Cup.
In the past two weeks French coach Bernard Laporte, England's director of elite rugby Rob Andrew and former Wallaby Phil Kearns have tried to undermine the All Blacks.
But 2003 World Cup veterans Josevata Rokocoko and Chris Jack have told them to not waste their breath with any more verbal attacks.
Andrew claimed the All Blacks' ban on taking partners to their hotel rooms is a sign of panic in the side and that they're feeling the pressure of being World Cup favourites.
Kearns says the All Blacks are past their best.
Laporte has had two cracks, one questioning whether the All Blacks are using performance-enhancing drugs and the other claiming they are playing beyond the boundaries of the game's laws.
Rokocoko said the onslaught was the start of a premeditated campaign to undermine the All Blacks.
"That's the kind of stuff we've been expecting," Rokocoko told Sunday News.
"We haven't even landed in France and already were getting it. I can see over the next few weeks we're going to have a lot of things coming out in papers with people saying this and that about the All Blacks.
"It will be a test of character within the team. Every team has to look after themselves and we've got to concentrate we look after ourselves. We'll do our talking on the field and not read too much into it. The more you start reading into this kind of stuff, the more you have second thoughts about yourself and start thinking you're doing things wrong.
"But the more you believe in your systems and the people around you then you've got nothing to worry about other than performing when given the chance."
Meanwhile Jack, who will play for English club Saracens after the World Cup, has rubbished the value of a story in the Herald on Sunday that said Wags were banned from players' rooms at the cup.
"We've had that rule in place ever since I've been an All Black, so I don't know why they've jumped on that now," Jack said.
"It's just the way we work."
Jack also threw his weight behind Rokocoko's words about the anti-All Blacks comments going around.
"People's goal is to try and put us off and if that's the way they're going to work then that's fine," said a defiant Jack.
"I can't see it working. People have always tried to get into us and that's the way it goes. We'll just stay quiet and do our thing. We're doing that quite well at the moment."
Sunday News
