The Jersey: The All Blacks: The Secrets Behind the World's Most Successful Team

by Peter Bills

The phenomenal international number one bestseller with exclusive interviews with Richie McCaw, Steve Hansen, Beauden Barrett and Dan Carter, The Jersey is the definitive story behind the greatest sports team on the planet.‘Extremely well written. Compelling, accurate, insightful and brilliant in the way it captures the New Zealand way’ – John Hart, former All Blacks coach.With a better winning record than any other sports team in history, they stand head and shoulders above their nearest rugby rivals. How did a country of just 4.8 million people conquer the world?Peter Bills, who has reported on international rugby for more than forty years, was given exclusive access to all the key figures in New Zealand rugby as he set out to understand the secrets behind the All Blacks success. Peter talked at length with ninety people, both in New Zealand and around the world, with intimate knowledge of what makes the All Blacks tick.The Jersey goes to the heart of the All Blacks success. It is also an epic story of not just a rugby team but a nation, whose identities are inextricably linked.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction

528 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 9, 2018

Reviews

[Lee Prescott · Rating 3 out of 5]

A misleading title - any of the other rugby playing nation's management hierarchy are not going to find any secrets to make them world champs in here.

Nevertheless, interesting in parts - I enjoyed learning about how NZ's school system is geared towards churning out a production line of world class talent and how the folks from the Pacific are encouraged to come to NZ to help bolster the playing ranks. But a lot of the content lacks insight. For example, the All Black coaching practices are repeatedly referred to as best-in-class, but no reason for how that is done is really advanced. The coaches are good guys, have high emotional intelligence and have been around a while. Fair enough, but does that really explain how they are the best in the world?

Also, a lot of the points in the book are repeated again and again. I felt this could have been 100 pages shorter.

I'd recommended for anyone interested in rugby, but its not going to make you the next RWC winning coach by reading it.

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Attitude, power and endurance important aspects for playing rugby. The story of New Zealand and why the national team have dominated world rugby for over a 100 years. There is no secret just a very healthy competion from timy tots all the way to high school where competition is just as fierce as professionals players.

[Bruce Denny · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read about not only the best Rugby team in the world but also the greatest sporting team.

[Owain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good, don't agree with bit saying Beauden barret is btr than Dan carter

[Judith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting bits but a bit repetitive in places.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting look at the All Black culture and tradition. Quite well written but a bit repetitive.

[Peter Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the book was a bit repetitive and didn’t fully explain why the All Blacks have become the top rugby team in the world.

[Samuel Cowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very insightful book about the pride of not only playing rugby, but in wearing the All Blacks Jersey and playing for your country.
Other nations and rugby players could learn from this book.

[Sunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book about the New Zealand rugby team. The all Blacks are one of the most successful teams in the world ever. Here are the best bits:

Wayne Smith concedes that one of the crucial elements in the game that keeps New Zealand ahead is decision-making. 'If there is an edge that New Zealand has got in the game, I think it is probably that, he says. 'You listen to coaches and players around the world now and they talk about playing "heads-up rugby". But I think, "What does that mean?" If you have your head up but don't know what to look at and you are trying to see everything, you will see nothing. Not only that, but it will make you sluggish because you are having to think too much. Teaching players simply what they need to look for and where they need to look is critical in the game. It is a big part of New Zealand rugby - really good decision-making based on simple cues. Rugby is a multilevel, decision-making game and you need everyone on the same page. When they see the cue, they need to react in the same way. That's what great decision-making is?'

What they found when they got there was next to nothing. Yet conversely, their epic travails now became their sustenance, invaluable experiences that prepared them for the immense task of making a life in a new land. Used to walking miles each day to work, and then labouring for hours in grim conditions, they rolled up their sleeves to tackle the job. They were to prove themselves phlegmatic, dogged, good decision makers and dedicated to whatever task they attempted.
Stoicism was akin to a soothing balm on aching shoulders.

The warrior soldier. The man refusing to contemplate defeat, the man able to dig deep at times of crisis. The man capable of handling danger, remaining calm and making decisions.

the Greek philosopher Diogenes was a man of many talents. Indeed, the words of the old sage, born in 404 BC, could have been crafted solely for New Zealand rugby and its devotees. 'The foundation of every State is the education of its youth,

Jerome Kaino reveals the demands that are made. 'At a young age, the basics of this game are pushed a lot harder than how to score a try or anything like that. If you are catching a ball, put your hands up so you can catch it easier, and when passing, make sure you are pointing to where you pass. This big focus on the basics when young is so that it becomes second nature when you grow older. 'You just keep doing it. It's like speaking a language - use it or lose it. Even at our level Al Blacks and a professional franchise], we are drilled in the basics at every session. Just to make sure that when the pressure comes on, the basics are still there, they are ingrained.

Anyone on a farm in the area looking to employ workers is given strict instructions. Check that they play rugby when you interview them! Since they don't have too many big, heavy forwards (because working on a farm mainly produces lean, fit young men), they try to play a running game. They're one of the smallest teams in the competition but the idea is that they can use their fitness to wear out opponents.

Many coaches in New Zealand rugby are former school teachers used in calculating values such as discipline, dedication, and organisation within their charges.

The 'Ka Mate' haka is almost 140 years old, first composed by Te Rauparaha, Ngäti Toa Rangatira.

'That really deep connection is what I took out of it. The "Ka Mate" haka talks of a warrior hiding from his enemies: "I am going to die, I am going to live." I reckon that is so powerful because there is this guy having a battle with himself about life. He is going through this internal conflict. He is hiding.

'Kapa O Pango, a new haka created by Derek Lardelli of Ngäti Porou, took a year to choreograph. It modified the first verse of Ko Niu Tirini, the haka used by the 1924 All Blacks. Many experts in Maori culture were asked for their views. It is regarded as complementing 'Ka Mate' and is used for special occasions. First performed before a 2005 Tri-Nations international against South Africa in Dunedin, the words used were considered more specific to the rugby team than Ka Mate.


Fact is, few countries ever achieve the harmony enjoyed within the All Blacks by peoples of vastly differing backgrounds. Yet, due to considerable efforts by a variety of people - administrators, coaches, players and unknown numbers of ordinary rugby fans - New Zealand has successfully integrated three peoples - Maori, Pakeha and Pasifika - into a single nation and sports team.

It is made very clear to you and therefore you understand very early on that getting into the all black side is not the finishing point it’s the start. You are expected to leave it better than you found it.

This is a key factor in the building of New Zealand rugby and
difference between a Mazda and a Maserati. Furthermore, being brought through and offered opportunities in a system without age another reason for their supremacy. Players encouraged for years to play in a specific style, and forced to operate under pressure, will inevitably make better, smarter decisions on the field. Quick hands, quick feet, quick brains. Again, it's no coincidence the decision-making under pressure of New Zealand players is light years ahead of most of their counterparts in other countries.

Vince Lombardi: winning isn’t everything but wanting to win it.

This bold statement is palpably short on two things. Compassion and indictment. This single act, by a man worshipped universally throughout New Zealand in both life and death as one of the greatest ever (if not the greatest) All Blacks, represents one of the worst, most brutal assaults ever perpetrated by a New Zealand rugby player. At the time, Meads said, 'That's the game. You do what you have to do? Catchpole embraced a rather different philosophy. He always said he played for the enjoyment of the game. Colin Meads' philosophy was that you played to win. What Meads thought he 'had to do' was examined afterwards by Dick Tooth, the ex-Wallaby orthopedic specialist. He diagnosed Catchpole's hamstring muscle had been completely torn from the pelvic bone. There were ripped and stretched groin muscles and a damaged sciatic nerve; he said it was the worst injury of its type he had ever seen. Three months after the incident, Catchpole still could not touch his toes. He told friends the pain was terrible. It was an agonizing recovery and, thereafter, he was always troubled by a weak thigh. The instant acceleration, once the hallmark of his play, never returned.

Enoka says that they simply had to correct the culture of 2004. 'We are a team (now) that is built very much on "we", not "me". But it was the other way around then. All the focus had been on "me". It was about ego. One of our core principles is that the team towers above the individual. It is alright to say that, but another thing to deliver. Professionalism had moved us to a particular way of thinking. But the individuals asked, "What can I get, what are the opportunities for me?", which created fractures. That defeat and its aftermath was one of the worst losses I have been involved in with the team. South Africa absolutely thumped us. I remember coming home, and when we sat down and discussed it, we said, "Right. We have got to pull this thing to bits."' It was the start of what became known infamously as the 'No dickheads policy.

One reason for this is what former All Blacks lock Andy Haden calls 'the inherent knowledge of the sport not only by New Zealand males, but from plenty of knowledge by females. And they have their say. In that regard, he suspects, it is hard to see New Zealand falling back for long. 'There will be leaner times. But with the expertise, they won't last for long.' Former Australia coach Alan Jones echoed these sentiments. What makes New Zealand so good? Jones is in little doubt. There is a prevailing culture about New Zealand rugby, isn't there? The thing that always used to fascinate me about them was the women knew as much as the men.

You have got to be prepared to come last to come first

The trouble was that most became like rabbits caught in the headlights; pre-programmed players, stuffed full of orders by coaches, lost the ability to make decisions on the pitch. They couldn't adapt and play what was in front of them, no matter how propitious the opportunity. Decision-making, in an attacking sense, had withered like the dying branch of a tree. It is still the same in many countries. Take England's witless display in the Six Nations Championship against France in Paris in March 2018. Six points behind in the last moments, with a five-on-two overlap beckoning out wide; the English ball carrier sticks his head down, charges forward into contact, knocks-on and invites the final whistle. Rugby's traditional adage about finding space and running into it has been turned on its head.

Mourie had a simple response. 'He plays too high above the ground. He plays vertically so he won't get picked. You have got to have your nose half a metre from the ground! Dwyer also highlighted the example of half-back Aaron Smith. 'There was a time very early in his Test career when he was replaced at halftime in one game. I thought at the time I knew why. He lifted the ball up, took a step sideways before passing it. The next match he was on the bench and only went on in the second half. I have never seen Aaron pass the ball like that since. Now, no New Zealand halfback ever takes a step sideways. This precise attention to detail, forged in the toughest rugby proving ground in the world, is a key element in keeping New Zealand at the top of the sport.

The reason that it's unlikely you will see the latest Ferrari or Lambo behind the gates of an All Black's home is the tall-poppy syn-drome. There may be the odd one who is different, but most New Zealand rugby players have long since been made aware that such ostentatiousness strays into the world of arrogance. And if they didn't understand it, every watching inhabitant of this nation would cut them down to size in a trice if they demonstrated such traits.

But there are other factors at play here, too. Nowadays, youngsters want disposable income. Tempted by the technologies of the modern world, myriad products take up their time. Along with the Rising technological distractions, there are more serious social issues to contend with like an increasing number of single parent families. Getting kids to and from training is a big factor. Commitment to a sport is becoming less attractive to young people.

Ask him what sort of things he would tell players, and he says he doesn't really like to 'tell them. That would create a sort of hierarchical structure, in his view. 'It's about getting alongside them and together unfolding layers that generally identify things that can be improved.

Then subconsciously, you let go fear of failure. It becomes about playing to win not playing to lose. They are different universes.

In the field of decision-making, Evans says, 'The focus is not the decision itself but the information that leads to good decisions. Decision-making is a skill as well and all skills have an internal struc-ture. Once you can structure the processing for them to get the right information, they tend to make better decisions!

'A massage, nutrition, sleep and stretching. These are the key ingredients, says Shand. Nothing is better to aid recovery than sleep. All our research shows that hot and cold compression, cryotherapy... all those things are not as effective as eating well and getting good sleep.
The trouble with sleep though, is that you're not receiving any medical care or attention. Well, you can be, say the All Blacks. Several of the players have their own personal recovery pants. Manufactured in America, they contain a mini-compressor that pumps cold water around your limbs. If you have a knee injury, you can wear them to bed and set up a timer to turn on and off silently every two hours, for a two-minute period, during the night. Shand says the first twenty-four hours after a match is critical in a recovery process. Eating is an important part of any recovery. A tough Test match takes a lot out of the players and they need to put it back, which means eating every three or four hours.

'What is your greatest achievement?', I asked him, as we sat in the study of his stunning, architecturally dynamic modern home at Prebbleton, 14 km outside Christchurch. Framed All Blacks rugby jerseys hung on the wall, his desk was a clutter of papers and books.
It was a deliberately simple question. You think you know the answer even before you're told it. 'Winning the so-and-so Cup in whichever year. Yet Hansen surprised me. What he said revealed more about the man than the rugby coach. 'I think probably the greatest thing I have done is understand my own identity, so I can become a better person. And therefore be a better father, a better husband and a better friend. Those things are enormously important. I would say those things took me longer than they should have done!

But we have given them too much without getting too much back. We have created a sense of entitlement. It's a very different generation now and it's not their fault, it's ours.
Of all the values that underpin the All Blacks, he cites integrity within the group as one of the most vital ingredients. It's an honesty, the same that every team and business has, he thinks. But the key is living them daily. 'It's about living them from the top down rather than expecting the young guy to do it and the guy at the top not having to. That is the difference between a good culture and a bad one?

'The other strength he had, especially in the latter years of the All Blacks, is that nothing went unsaid. He really made sure he was honest and that we didn't pussyfoot around. We had honest conversations in terms of feedback on your game. His unique ability was to be able to sit down and tell you when you had got everything wrong, but you still went away thinking, "He believes in me." Not many people can do that. Another thing about Steve is that he has a really good feel for what is needed, during a match and during the week leading up to a game. He has got a feeling of when you need to give the team a real rev-up or you just need to put your arm around everyone and say, "Just hang in there." He has great man-management skills. He does quite a bit on the fly, too, which is another strength. He grabs some tough situations pretty damn good and pretty quickly. He also is really good if you sit down and want a yarn about your game. You end up answering your own questions with him prompting This, they always said, was a distinctive characteristic of the outstanding 1971 British & Irish Lions coach, the Welshman Carwyn James. He would sit his players down before a Test match and canvass opinions as to how the Lions should play. James invited views from as many players as possible. Cleverly, by the time the players had spoken, they had invariably outlined the tactics James would later admit he himself would have advocated. But the players had done it
for him.

Simplicity equals clarity equals intensity

It goes back to the basic tenets of the game: pass, run, catch, tackle, make decisions.

[Kudakwashe Manjonjo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been a really enjoyable read. It answered one of my deepest sporting questions...how does a team win so much and so well over such a long period of time!
Bills shows that New Zealand have managed to bring character, determination, humility, innovation, clarity of purpose and leadership together.

Peter Bills focuses on a wide range of areas in the chapters of the books to bring out what New Zealand Rugby do well. He has in depth interviews with players, coaches, competitors about the New Zealand Rugby system.

One thing that sticks out is their very strong school rugby system that creates a feeder system that ultimately wants the All Blacks to Win. This is very different from other top rugby nations. This mixed with really good coaching, pride in the Jersey and desire to win make New Zealand very good.

The author doesnt hide the facts that New Zealand Rugby has had some dark days from their arrogance when it came to World cups between 1991-2007, how the "win at all costs" culture has been detrimental and the real struggle about whether and how many players should play abroad or not.

It is quite a whole some view about the All Blacks and if you are a global fan like me, you learn and respect the team even more after.

[Ben Zerbe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A look at the machine that drives the world’s best sporting team.

This book strives to answer the question “what makes the All Blacks so much better than the rest?”. In doing so it looks at the New Zealand Rugby system from the ground up from junior rugby, schools and the scholarships handed to Pacific Islanders, to the battle to keep top stars at home and the challenges posed by long haul travel.

It asks tough questions about consequences of a win at all costs mentality and the (pre Japan 2019) question of whether the All Blacks continued dominance is good business.

It’s a thought provoking and all encompassing look at the world’s greatest rugby team. Anyone interested in New Zealand rugby or rugby generally should be able to find something worth taking away in this effort from Peter Bills.

[Recato · Rating 2 out of 5]

After page 41 this book turned into a typhoon. A 1995 RWC NZ vs Japan 145-17 typhoon.

Why you want to interview Nick Mallett (loser), Ashwin Willemse (loser) and Joel Stransky (loser) on the All Blacks is beyond me. Some of the photos are stupid. And name dropping Nicole Kidman and Gary Player... Really! The nearest Nicole will come to playing rugga is in bed with her husband.

To still refer to the Womens Rugby World Cup as is, is really insensitive. The IRB removed all gender from forthcoming World Cups. For a person to include a chapter on women and then to fall into the claptrap of gender inequality says alot.

I was also lost with the poem on dementia.

[Lumumba Mthembu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Peter Bills has a skewed vision of the world if he thinks the AB jersey & Masters green jacket are the most hallowed garments in sport. I could argue that the canary-yellow jersey of the Selecao is more iconic and revered.

Posterity has not been kind to Bills's thesis. The Springboks won the 2019 WC to debunk his notion that they would never achieve global dominance again.

[Luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brilliant look in to what motivates a group of men through many generations to be the best that they can be and to dominate a sport that is both personal to themselves and their nation.
A lot can be learnt from this book and with a little thought, how these lessons can be applied to your own life.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having been born in NZ, I understand the religious-like fervency that rugby union generates. The All Blacks are undoubtedly the best-of-the best as the author keeps reminding us. To such an extent I kept wondering why the editor hadn't pulled him into line on many occasions.

[Shahiron Sahari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and illuminating at parts but also pretty repititious. But good read if you want to understand why a tiny nation is so good and dominant in the sport. Good range of interviewees but some obvious names missing.

[Johnny Tremlett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book, delves into great detail surrounding the many different aspects of the whole All Blacks organisation. Not a rugby fan so some parts lost impact/we’re not as interesting. Would be a fantastic read for a rugby fanatic.

[Jan Van · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some really great parts, but the book waffles on a bit on some topics and areas. If it was written in half the pages it would be fantastic!!

[Tim Tat · Rating 4 out of 5]

The All Blacks zijn meer dan een rugbyteam, zelfs meer dan het meest succesvolle sportteam, ze zijn als The Harlem Globetrotters, een ‘brand’ of merk. In het huidige commerciële sportklimaat, waar Rugby Union zich tot 1995 tegen wist te verzetten wordt het zwarte shirt met de zilveren varen voor miljoenen verkocht. Maar hoe kwam het zover?
Peter Bills schrijft al meer dan 40 jaar over rugby en heeft o.a. biografieën over Gareth Edwards, David Campese, Jean Pierre Rives Willie John McBride op zijn naam. Voor dit boek deed hij ruim 4 jaar onderzoek naar de herkomst van de bevolking van Nieuw-Zeeland, naar ‘The Originals’ het eerste kiwi-team dat in Europa speelde in 1905 en 1906 en alles wat daarna gebeurde. Hij sprak met 90 (oud) internationals en coaches als Richie McCaw, Steven Hansen, Beauden Barrett, Colin Meads maar ook tegenstanders uit de grote rugby naties over wat de All Blacks nou zo succesvol maakt.
Zijn boek ontrafelt niet zo zeer de geheimen op het veld als wel de absolute wil om te winnen en de druk om te moeten zegevieren met mooi rugby. Nieuw-Zeeland is rugby en rugby is Nieuw-Zeeland. Iedereen heeft een mening over The All Blacks, van de premier tot de pompbediende, man en vrouw. Maar niet alles ging van een leien dakje voor de kiwi’s. Faalangst, het ‘bevriezen’ op het laatste moment zoals bij de WK’s van 1991 tot en met 2007, de zwarthelden domineerden het wereldtoneel maar wisten net niet toe te slaan op het laatst. Het ‘amateurgedrag’ van de internationals moest veranderen, mental coaches werden aangesteld en er werd niets meer aan het toeval overgelaten met als resultaat de wereldtitels in 2011 en 2015, de eerste keer dat een land het WK twee keer achter elkaar won. Het boek is van 2018 en lezend na het einde, met de wetenschap van nu is het haast onverklaarbaar dat Engeland de All Blacks vernederde in de halve finale in Japan in 2019.
Dit boek is niet alleen verplichte kost voor alle Haka-fetisjisten maar voor elke liefhebber van inzicht in de prachtige mix van passie en professionaliteit die de All Blacks hebben gevormd tot de superploeg van nu.
The Jersey bestel je natuurlijk bij je plaatselijke boekhandel, zo helpen we de lokale ondernemers.

[Matthew Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

That a nation of four and a half million should consistently be the best at anything is perhaps remarkable. Then again, its economies of scale. If every youngster wants to be an All Black, that every adult talks about little else- is it that surprising. That most of their players now come from the islands around New Zealand, then is it not in reality a Harlem Globetrotters type All-Stars. And then there's the elephant in the room: South Africa. They now include non-white players, but before and after that fundemental change they can beat New Zealand at crucial times. I feel it is the same with the Aussie Rugby League side, kings of the ghetto. Even a sort of hybrid championship between the Aussie RL all conquering side and the NZers would only interest those nations that actually play the sport. And when you factor in the KIwis propensity for thuggery, are they really the iconic role models they purport to be. I'm not convinced. Great book though...

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a well researched and concise history of the All Blacks and New Zealand. The book covers from the inception of the national team, WWI, world cups and the change from ammeter to professional. Bills analyses and interviews many central figures who have helped to create, foster and grow the legacy behind the much sought after black jersey. There isn't much depth to many of the opinions Bills puts out - he makes many statements but not really reasons why. There isn't a lot of secrets revealed either as many of what is discussed in the book is either well known or the normal way things are done. The book is really a good overview of the history of rugby in New Zealand and how the All Blacks are the pinnacle of the sport in the most rugby mad country in the world.

[Louie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is this book about? (write 1-2 sentences)
the book is about the all blacks and the story behind rugby.

What is your favourite part of the story and why? (write 1-2 sentences)
my favorite part in the book is probably near the beginning because its abt the history of new Zealand and rugby

Who is your favourite character and why? (write 1-2 sentences)
there's no characters

What is a lesson or a fact that you learned from this book? (write 1-2 sentences)
that this book is about they secrets of the all blacks and the history so i found that very cool

Give your review out of 5 stars
4.3

[Yon Vilarrasa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesante análisis y repaso a la historia de los All Blacks razonando todos los motivos que han hecho que un país de las dimensiones y población de Nueva Zelanda se haya convertido en el líder mundial del rugby. Los diferentes puntos de vista y que el autor no sea neozelandés ni tampoco experto en rugby le da una visión más realista al ensayo.

Buen libro para aficionados al rugby o fans de los All Blacks.

[Emma Louise Burns · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wasn’t my cup of tea as it is a non fiction book about sport.
But I did find it interesting
Will be honest skin read the a few chapters towards the end
But the last chapter the jersey I found inspiring.
Was a good book for me to read and will definitely be passing this onto my dad and hubby whom I’m sure will enjoy it more. 👍👍

[DavidP · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like rugby, and particularly the All Blacks, then you will like this book.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

No longer the world's most successful team, but this book is an amazing insight into the the most rugby obsessed nation in the world. Essential reading for lovers of the game.

[Gareth Davies · Rating 2 out of 5]

Got through this quick due to a plane trip. The book is interesting enough but is repetitive and doesn’t do what it says on the cover.