Marc Hinton of The Dominion Post believes that All Blacks head coach Graham Henry has now realised that, when it comes to this year's World Cup, winning is all that matters.
"For the first time in his eight years in charge of the All Blacks, Graham Henry appears ready to embrace the art of winning ugly.
"Not before time, some would suggest, no doubt with a roll of the eyes. Finally, it would appear the penny has dropped when it comes to the demands of the quadrennial test of fortitude known as the Rugby World Cup. The All Blacks have long preferred expression over pragmatism, and many would argue that it has been the major contributor to a 24-year world cup drought.
"Where Australia, England and South Africa have all grasped the need to be prosaic rather than pretty in the white-hot atmosphere of a world cup, All Blacks sides ever since 1987 have ignored it to their cost. It has even seemed in the past that the All Blacks would rather not win at all than win ugly."
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