All Blacks Peaked To Early - Bob Dwyer
All Blacks peaked early
Tuesday Jul 10 07:00 AEST
Former Wallabies coach Bob Dwyer thinks the All Blacks have passed their prime, peaking a few years ago when they demolished France.
Dwyer has told The Australian that he feels the All Blacks are in decline ahead of September's World Cup.
"In some ways it's inevitable that they're in decline. When you are at an absolute peak, the only way you can go is down," Dwyer said.
"I believe the All Blacks have been steadily, if minutely, been playing worse, month by month for the past 18 months."
While Dwyer thinks New Zealand are still the best team in world rugby, he feels they are now beatable, having been at their best in 2004 when they thrashed France 45-6.
"I've never seen a team play like they did for the full 80 minutes that day," Dwyer said.
"When I think of the best rugby I have ever witnessed I'd have to say Australia for half a game against England in Sydney in 1991 and again for half a game against South Africa in Cape Town the following year. But never have I seen the type of rugby the All Blacks played against France that day sustained for an entire Test match."
Australia faces the ultimate test of its standing in the return Bledisloe bout in Auckland on Saturday week and Dwyer is not sure the Wallabies are going as well as he had hoped.
"After the Melbourne Test I thought we were on the right track. After last Saturday, I'm not so sure," he said.
Of course the last thing current coach John Connolly wants to hear is talk of an All Blacks side on the way out. The Wallabies, who have struggled to win away from home for the past few years, can't afford to have the All Blacks fired up by such talk.
Even if they are in decline, the All Blacks still present a formidable hurdle to the Wallabies' hopes of Bledisloe, Tri-Nations and World Cup glory.
