WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.839 Welcome to today's deep dive. We are so thrilled 00:00:02.839 --> 00:00:04.780 to have you joining us. We really are. Whether 00:00:04.780 --> 00:00:07.299 you're prepping for a big meeting or commuting 00:00:07.299 --> 00:00:10.380 or you're just incredibly curious about how the 00:00:10.380 --> 00:00:12.699 world works, you found exactly the right place. 00:00:12.820 --> 00:00:15.960 Absolutely. Today, we have a story that is going 00:00:15.960 --> 00:00:19.089 to... really challenge the way you think about 00:00:19.089 --> 00:00:22.089 strategy, about innovation, and shaking up the 00:00:22.089 --> 00:00:24.469 status quo? We certainly do. And to get us there, 00:00:24.609 --> 00:00:27.210 we are looking at a really comprehensive piece 00:00:27.210 --> 00:00:29.969 of source material. Right. It's a wonderfully 00:00:29.969 --> 00:00:33.869 detailed historical overview via Wikipedia of 00:00:33.869 --> 00:00:38.469 the 1905 to 1906 rugby tour by the team that 00:00:38.469 --> 00:00:40.909 would become known globally as the original All 00:00:40.909 --> 00:00:43.109 Blacks. The mission for today's deep dive is 00:00:43.109 --> 00:00:46.479 simple. But the scope of it is enormous. We're 00:00:46.479 --> 00:00:48.740 going to explore how a single rugby team traveling 00:00:48.740 --> 00:00:50.560 from the bottom of the globe to the northern 00:00:50.560 --> 00:00:53.460 hemisphere didn't just play a game. No, they 00:00:53.460 --> 00:00:56.140 didn't. They completely redefined an entire sport. 00:00:56.920 --> 00:00:59.179 And they set a standard of excellence that has 00:00:59.179 --> 00:01:01.719 endured for well over a century. Okay, let's 00:01:01.719 --> 00:01:03.899 unpack this. Because the final numbers of this 00:01:03.899 --> 00:01:06.799 tour are, frankly, hard to wrap your head around. 00:01:06.959 --> 00:01:09.700 They really are. Imagine you go on a road trip 00:01:09.700 --> 00:01:13.920 across the world. You play 35 highly competitive 00:01:13.920 --> 00:01:17.040 matches against the best teams on the planet. 00:01:17.120 --> 00:01:21.640 Out of those 35 matches, they won 34. 34 wins. 00:01:21.939 --> 00:01:26.239 Yeah, and they scored 976 points while conceding 00:01:26.239 --> 00:01:29.019 and get this only 59. It is a staggering statistic. 00:01:29.719 --> 00:01:31.799 I mean, when you look at that point differential, 00:01:32.099 --> 00:01:36.659 976 to 59, you aren't just looking at a team 00:01:36.659 --> 00:01:38.540 that was a little bit better than their opponents. 00:01:38.739 --> 00:01:40.719 Not at all. You are looking at a team that was 00:01:40.719 --> 00:01:42.939 playing an entirely different game than everyone 00:01:42.939 --> 00:01:45.079 else on the pitch. Hold on, though. Point differential 00:01:45.079 --> 00:01:47.859 is one thing, but how does a team from a small 00:01:47.859 --> 00:01:51.060 colony cross the globe and actually achieve that 00:01:51.060 --> 00:01:53.560 kind of total dominance? Right. To understand 00:01:53.560 --> 00:01:55.480 that, we have to start at the very beginning. 00:01:55.780 --> 00:01:59.519 Picture this. It's 19 to 5. The selectors in 00:01:59.519 --> 00:02:03.239 New Zealand start with a sprawling 53 -man squad. 00:02:03.519 --> 00:02:06.200 A massive group. They whittle that down to 16 00:02:06.200 --> 00:02:09.840 certainties, and finally, a 27 -man squad boards 00:02:09.840 --> 00:02:13.719 a ship called the Rimutaka on July 30, 1905. 00:02:14.199 --> 00:02:17.099 And for you listening, keep in mind, this isn't 00:02:17.099 --> 00:02:19.659 a quick 14 -hour flight like we have today. Right, 00:02:19.699 --> 00:02:22.960 no airplanes. This is a grueling, weeks -long 00:02:22.960 --> 00:02:26.460 ocean voyage across the globe. Just stuck on 00:02:26.460 --> 00:02:29.229 a boat. Exactly. That is a crucial piece of context. 00:02:29.509 --> 00:02:32.129 You have athletes stuck on a ship for weeks. 00:02:32.310 --> 00:02:34.689 When they finally arrive in Plymouth, England 00:02:34.689 --> 00:02:37.210 in early September, they set up their training 00:02:37.210 --> 00:02:41.050 base in a town called Newton Abbot. They don't 00:02:41.050 --> 00:02:43.310 have months to acclimatize to the weather or 00:02:43.310 --> 00:02:46.229 the time zone. Their very first match is scheduled 00:02:46.229 --> 00:02:48.849 for September 16th against Devon. Which was not 00:02:48.849 --> 00:02:51.590 an easy debut. Not at all. Devon was no warm 00:02:51.590 --> 00:02:53.530 -up team. They were the runners -up in the most 00:02:53.530 --> 00:02:56.110 recent English county championship. Wow. And 00:02:56.110 --> 00:02:58.550 even more intimidating for a touring side, their 00:02:58.550 --> 00:03:01.389 roster featured 10 players from Devonport Albion, 00:03:01.389 --> 00:03:03.270 which was the top club in England at the time. 00:03:03.389 --> 00:03:06.030 So naturally... Devin goes into this match as 00:03:06.030 --> 00:03:08.750 the clear favorites. Of course. The local crowd 00:03:08.750 --> 00:03:11.969 of about 6 ,000 people shows up expecting to 00:03:11.969 --> 00:03:14.530 see these colonial upstarts get taught a swift 00:03:14.530 --> 00:03:17.330 lesson by the English masters of the game. That 00:03:17.330 --> 00:03:20.050 was the expectation. But what actually happens 00:03:20.050 --> 00:03:23.580 is a complete slaughter. The All Blacks win 55 00:03:23.580 --> 00:03:27.659 -4. Incredible. They score 12 tries. And if you're 00:03:27.659 --> 00:03:30.300 not a rugby follower, a try is basically their 00:03:30.300 --> 00:03:32.180 version of a touchdown, where you physically 00:03:32.180 --> 00:03:34.280 ground the ball in the end zone to score the 00:03:34.280 --> 00:03:36.699 bulk of your points. Yeah, 12 of those in one 00:03:36.699 --> 00:03:39.699 game is absurd. We also have to highlight a player 00:03:39.699 --> 00:03:42.699 named Billy Wallace, who scored 28 points all 00:03:42.699 --> 00:03:46.400 by himself in that single game. 28 points. That 00:03:46.400 --> 00:03:49.780 is a scoring record. that stood untouched for 00:03:49.780 --> 00:03:54.120 51 years. It was such a comprehensive dismantling 00:03:54.120 --> 00:04:00.580 of a top tier English side. I literally couldn't 00:04:00.580 --> 00:04:03.419 believe it. The result defied their entire understanding 00:04:03.419 --> 00:04:06.060 of the sports hierarchy. It was so unbelievable 00:04:06.060 --> 00:04:08.500 that British newspapers actually reported it 00:04:08.500 --> 00:04:11.560 as a typo. Yes. They printed the result as Devon 00:04:11.560 --> 00:04:15.199 55, New Zealand 4. Because they assumed the telegraph 00:04:15.199 --> 00:04:17.680 operator had made a catastrophic error. They 00:04:17.680 --> 00:04:20.259 couldn't fathom losing like that. They had to 00:04:20.259 --> 00:04:22.480 issue retractions and corrections later when 00:04:22.480 --> 00:04:25.040 they realized the truth. And when the New Zealanders 00:04:25.040 --> 00:04:27.220 got back to their base at Newton Abbot, they 00:04:27.220 --> 00:04:29.439 were greeted by a brass band and a cheering crowd. 00:04:29.759 --> 00:04:32.120 They had officially arrived. But the question 00:04:32.120 --> 00:04:35.180 you really have to ask is why? How does a team 00:04:35.180 --> 00:04:38.100 from the colonies completely dismantle the inventors 00:04:38.100 --> 00:04:40.600 of the game? Right. It wasn't just luck, and 00:04:40.600 --> 00:04:42.579 it wasn't just that they were physically larger 00:04:42.579 --> 00:04:45.019 men. Not at all. What's fascinating here is the 00:04:45.019 --> 00:04:47.720 scientific approach the All Blacks brought to 00:04:47.720 --> 00:04:50.060 the sport. You played smart. They really did. 00:04:50.199 --> 00:04:52.160 They didn't just play hard. They played smart. 00:04:52.699 --> 00:04:55.319 Let's look at their structural innovations, starting 00:04:55.319 --> 00:04:57.860 with the scrum. For you listening, the scrum 00:04:57.860 --> 00:05:00.939 is that moment where the big forwards pack together 00:05:00.939 --> 00:05:03.800 and push against the other team to restart the 00:05:03.800 --> 00:05:06.040 game. A huge mess of bodies pushing. Exactly. 00:05:06.360 --> 00:05:09.579 At the time, the standard British formation for 00:05:09.579 --> 00:05:13.160 a scrum was 3 -2 -3. That's three players in 00:05:13.160 --> 00:05:15.379 the front row, two in the second, three in the 00:05:15.379 --> 00:05:19.819 back. The All Blacks introduced a 2 -3 -2 scrum. 00:05:19.879 --> 00:05:22.319 And it wasn't just the shape of the scrum that 00:05:22.319 --> 00:05:25.740 was different. It was the entire philosophy behind 00:05:25.740 --> 00:05:28.800 how it functioned. Yes. Our sources highlight 00:05:28.800 --> 00:05:31.759 that the British teams operated on a first -up, 00:05:31.800 --> 00:05:34.379 first -down mentality. It was essentially like 00:05:34.379 --> 00:05:36.519 a pickup basketball game. Just jump in wherever. 00:05:36.879 --> 00:05:39.120 Right. If you were the first forward to arrive 00:05:39.120 --> 00:05:41.120 at the scrum, you just took the first available 00:05:41.120 --> 00:05:43.079 spot, whether you were suited for it or not. 00:05:43.370 --> 00:05:46.509 It was incredibly disorganized. Yeah. But the 00:05:46.509 --> 00:05:49.949 All Blacks assigned specific predetermined roles 00:05:49.949 --> 00:05:53.920 to their forwards. Every man knew exactly where 00:05:53.920 --> 00:05:56.079 he belonged in the scrum, regardless of when 00:05:56.079 --> 00:05:58.639 he arrived at the mark. Like specialists. Precisely. 00:05:58.800 --> 00:06:00.720 This meant they were functioning like a highly 00:06:00.720 --> 00:06:03.139 specialized assembly line. They were a cohesive 00:06:03.139 --> 00:06:06.040 unit pushing together, which completely disrupted 00:06:06.040 --> 00:06:08.500 the disorganized British packs. And they didn't 00:06:08.500 --> 00:06:10.600 stop at the forwards. They also invented entirely 00:06:10.600 --> 00:06:13.420 new positions. They did. The All Blacks utilized 00:06:13.420 --> 00:06:16.339 something called the Five Eights. Yes, the Five 00:06:16.339 --> 00:06:18.920 Eights. In standard British rugby at the time, 00:06:18.939 --> 00:06:21.360 you had a halfback and you had three quarters. 00:06:21.660 --> 00:06:24.639 The all blacks put players right in between them, 00:06:24.680 --> 00:06:26.720 the five eighths. Brilliant move. Think of it 00:06:26.720 --> 00:06:30.459 like reorganizing a corporate flow chart. They 00:06:30.459 --> 00:06:32.620 found the white space on the field that the British 00:06:32.620 --> 00:06:35.620 weren't using and filled it. And it worked. It 00:06:35.620 --> 00:06:38.899 created an immense defensive advantage, clogging 00:06:38.899 --> 00:06:40.879 up the midfield and shutting down opposition 00:06:40.879 --> 00:06:43.319 attacks before they even had a chance to develop. 00:06:43.560 --> 00:06:45.560 We also have to talk about their fitness and 00:06:45.560 --> 00:06:48.339 overall philosophy. Oh, definitely. In New Zealand, 00:06:48.639 --> 00:06:52.019 domestic club matches were played with 45 -minute 00:06:52.019 --> 00:06:55.620 halves. In Britain, halves were only 35 minutes 00:06:55.620 --> 00:06:58.579 long. 10 extra minutes per half. So the All Blacks 00:06:58.579 --> 00:07:01.899 effectively had superior endurance baked into 00:07:01.899 --> 00:07:04.540 their daily routines. They were conditioned to 00:07:04.540 --> 00:07:07.519 run harder for a much longer period of time. 00:07:07.740 --> 00:07:09.379 Plus, they expected everyone on the field to 00:07:09.379 --> 00:07:11.779 be an attacker. Right. The British press was 00:07:11.779 --> 00:07:14.199 shocked to see the All Blacks fullback actively 00:07:14.199 --> 00:07:16.480 running up the field and joining the attack. 00:07:16.680 --> 00:07:19.379 It was unheard of. Traditionally, the fullback 00:07:19.379 --> 00:07:22.000 was viewed strictly as a defensive safety net. 00:07:22.269 --> 00:07:24.209 Almost like a soccer goalie. Just standing at 00:07:24.209 --> 00:07:27.610 the back. But the All Blacks believed every single 00:07:27.610 --> 00:07:30.850 player on the pitch should be available to take 00:07:30.850 --> 00:07:33.329 a pass and advance the ball. Yeah. It was total 00:07:33.329 --> 00:07:36.029 rugby. Decades ahead of its time. Now, whenever 00:07:36.029 --> 00:07:38.529 you introduce a revolutionary style of play, 00:07:38.670 --> 00:07:42.069 it naturally creates friction. Always. If we 00:07:42.069 --> 00:07:44.350 connect this to the broader context of the tour, 00:07:44.470 --> 00:07:47.029 you can see how differently this team was received 00:07:47.029 --> 00:07:50.029 depending on the specific culture of the host 00:07:50.029 --> 00:07:52.509 nation. Yeah, the contrast between their reception 00:07:52.509 --> 00:07:55.009 in Scotland and the reception in Ireland is the 00:07:55.009 --> 00:07:57.670 perfect case study. It really is. Oh, the Scotland 00:07:57.670 --> 00:07:59.730 leg of the tour is fascinating. You've got this 00:07:59.730 --> 00:08:02.209 unstoppable, highly entertaining rugby machine 00:08:02.209 --> 00:08:05.329 rolling into town. And the Scottish Rugby Union, 00:08:05.509 --> 00:08:08.410 the SRU, basically gives them the cold shoulder. 00:08:08.550 --> 00:08:10.250 And just as a quick reminder to you listening, 00:08:10.329 --> 00:08:12.689 when our sources dive into these upper class 00:08:12.689 --> 00:08:15.209 versus working class dynamics of 1905 Britain, 00:08:15.290 --> 00:08:17.529 we're just reporting the historical viewpoints 00:08:17.529 --> 00:08:20.370 presented in the texts, not endorsing them. Right. 00:08:20.449 --> 00:08:22.560 Just looking at the history. But according to 00:08:22.560 --> 00:08:25.879 the historical record, the SRU was notoriously 00:08:25.879 --> 00:08:29.329 conservative. At the time, rugby in Scotland 00:08:29.329 --> 00:08:31.670 was very much a game of the upper classes. Very 00:08:31.670 --> 00:08:33.950 exclusive. They believed the sport should remain 00:08:33.950 --> 00:08:36.490 strictly amateur, played purely for the love 00:08:36.490 --> 00:08:38.970 of the game. They were actively uncomfortable 00:08:38.970 --> 00:08:41.750 with the immense working class public interest 00:08:41.750 --> 00:08:44.370 that the All Blacks were generating. They didn't 00:08:44.370 --> 00:08:47.289 like the crowds. Exactly. They felt rugby was 00:08:47.289 --> 00:08:50.009 for the players, not the spectators. If you've 00:08:50.009 --> 00:08:52.029 ever dealt with stubborn corporate bureaucracy, 00:08:52.870 --> 00:08:55.529 You'll recognize exactly what the SRU did next. 00:08:55.710 --> 00:08:57.990 Oh, it's classic. They did everything they could 00:08:57.990 --> 00:09:00.230 to make the All Blacks feel unwelcome. Yeah. 00:09:00.330 --> 00:09:04.230 The pitch in Edinburgh was icy, and the SRU hadn't 00:09:04.230 --> 00:09:06.070 even bothered to lay down protected straw the 00:09:06.070 --> 00:09:08.470 night before, which was standard practice at 00:09:08.470 --> 00:09:10.509 the time to keep the ground soft. The game was 00:09:10.509 --> 00:09:12.970 almost canceled over it. But my favorite petty 00:09:12.970 --> 00:09:15.429 detail from the sources is the post -match dinner. 00:09:16.009 --> 00:09:18.649 The All Blacks had sent a politely worded letter 00:09:18.649 --> 00:09:20.909 implying they didn't want a huge fuss made over 00:09:20.909 --> 00:09:24.490 them. Just trying to be humble. Right. The SRU 00:09:24.490 --> 00:09:27.590 interpreted that letter entirely literally and 00:09:27.590 --> 00:09:30.710 used it as an excuse to simply not invite the 00:09:30.710 --> 00:09:32.710 New Zealand team to the official post -match 00:09:32.710 --> 00:09:37.090 dinner at all. So petty. There was also a significant 00:09:37.090 --> 00:09:39.690 financial dispute bubbling under the surface. 00:09:39.990 --> 00:09:43.169 Always about money. Always. The New Zealand Rugby 00:09:43.169 --> 00:09:46.070 Football Union had originally asked the SRU for 00:09:46.070 --> 00:09:49.840 a 500 -pound guarantee to play the match. The 00:09:49.840 --> 00:09:53.360 SRU, claiming poor finances, offered the entire 00:09:53.360 --> 00:09:56.419 gate receipt instead, minus their expenses. Which 00:09:56.419 --> 00:09:59.000 totally backfired on them. Exactly, because the 00:09:59.000 --> 00:10:01.419 public demand to see the All Blacks was so incredibly 00:10:01.419 --> 00:10:04.840 high, the gate ended up being over 1 ,700 pounds. 00:10:05.120 --> 00:10:07.600 A fortune at the time. A massive amount. While 00:10:07.600 --> 00:10:09.740 the SRU was fine with this arrangement initially, 00:10:10.080 --> 00:10:12.139 they threw a fit when they found out the All 00:10:12.139 --> 00:10:14.139 Black players were receiving a daily allowance 00:10:14.139 --> 00:10:16.740 of three shillings from their own union for incidental 00:10:16.740 --> 00:10:19.419 expenses. Three shillings a day. The SRU viewed 00:10:19.419 --> 00:10:22.100 this allowance as a direct breach of amateurism. 00:10:22.200 --> 00:10:24.299 Despite the icy pitch and all that boardroom 00:10:24.299 --> 00:10:27.340 drama, the match itself was a nail -biter. Scotland 00:10:27.340 --> 00:10:30.379 actually led 7 -6 near the end of the game. It 00:10:30.379 --> 00:10:33.299 was the very first time on the entire tour that 00:10:33.299 --> 00:10:36.519 the All Blacks found themselves trailing. But 00:10:36.519 --> 00:10:39.740 in true All Black fashion, they scored a try 00:10:39.740 --> 00:10:42.240 with four minutes left and another with seconds 00:10:42.240 --> 00:10:45.820 remaining to pull off a 12 -7 win. Now contrast 00:10:45.820 --> 00:10:48.750 that. icy bureaucratic reception in Scotland 00:10:48.750 --> 00:10:50.690 to what happened when they crossed the Irish 00:10:50.690 --> 00:10:53.889 Sea. It's night and day. Totally. The Irish Rugby 00:10:53.889 --> 00:10:55.769 Football Union couldn't have been more welcoming. 00:10:56.250 --> 00:10:59.250 When the team arrived in Belfast, Irish officials 00:10:59.250 --> 00:11:01.210 were waiting right at the train station to take 00:11:01.210 --> 00:11:03.649 them out for a warm breakfast. Proper hospitality. 00:11:04.070 --> 00:11:06.509 Later, when they traveled to Dublin, thousands 00:11:06.509 --> 00:11:08.669 of people crowded the station to cheer their 00:11:08.669 --> 00:11:11.350 arrival. The Thursday before the test match, 00:11:11.850 --> 00:11:14.230 The two teams actually went to the theater together. 00:11:14.470 --> 00:11:17.470 I love that detail. They sat alternately, one 00:11:17.470 --> 00:11:19.850 Irish player, one New Zealand player, one Irish 00:11:19.850 --> 00:11:22.370 player, just so they could mix and get to know 00:11:22.370 --> 00:11:25.289 each other on a human level. It was also a deeply 00:11:25.289 --> 00:11:27.909 personal leg of the tour for the All Blacks captain 00:11:27.909 --> 00:11:30.629 Dave Gallagher. Oh, right. Gallagher was actually 00:11:30.629 --> 00:11:33.710 born in County Donegal in Ireland and had moved 00:11:33.710 --> 00:11:35.450 to New Zealand with his family when he was four 00:11:35.450 --> 00:11:38.100 years old. Wow. So this was a true homecoming 00:11:38.100 --> 00:11:40.460 for him, though an injury unfortunately kept 00:11:40.460 --> 00:11:42.399 him from playing in the actual test match against 00:11:42.399 --> 00:11:45.019 Ireland. Even without their captain on the pitch, 00:11:45.220 --> 00:11:48.700 the All Blacks dominated, winning 15 to 0. Easily. 00:11:48.779 --> 00:11:51.779 Which brings us to England. And if you want to 00:11:51.779 --> 00:11:54.460 talk about scale, the England test is where this 00:11:54.460 --> 00:11:56.840 tour turns from a sporting event into a full 00:11:56.840 --> 00:11:59.460 -blown cultural phenomenon. The match was held 00:11:59.460 --> 00:12:02.139 at Crystal Palace in London. The official capacity 00:12:02.139 --> 00:12:05.220 of the venue was 50 ,000. Okay. But the interest 00:12:05.220 --> 00:12:07.940 was so overwhelming that an estimated 100 ,000 00:12:07.940 --> 00:12:10.320 people attended. A bubble of a capacity. A bubble. 00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:13.500 That crowd included the Prince of Wales, who 00:12:13.500 --> 00:12:16.779 would later become King George V. This was an 00:12:16.779 --> 00:12:19.779 unprecedented record for any rugby or football 00:12:19.779 --> 00:12:22.639 match in London at the time. Wait, 100 ,000 people? 00:12:23.159 --> 00:12:28.120 In 1905? Yes. Imagine you're standing on a pitch 00:12:28.120 --> 00:12:30.860 far from home and the population of a small city 00:12:30.860 --> 00:12:33.299 is staring down at you. It's terrifying. The 00:12:33.299 --> 00:12:35.679 logistics of cramming double the capacity into 00:12:35.679 --> 00:12:38.399 that venue must have been wild. Yeah. But the 00:12:38.399 --> 00:12:40.360 All Blacks didn't fold under the pressure they 00:12:40.360 --> 00:12:43.100 put on a show. They certainly did. The star of 00:12:43.100 --> 00:12:46.480 the day was an All Black winger named Duncan 00:12:46.480 --> 00:12:50.440 McGregor. He scored four tries in that test match. 00:12:50.580 --> 00:12:53.820 Four tries. To put that in perspective, that 00:12:53.820 --> 00:12:56.399 record of four tries by an all -black in a single 00:12:56.399 --> 00:13:00.820 test wasn't equaled until 1987. That is amazing. 00:13:00.919 --> 00:13:04.259 That is 82 years of rugby history. where nobody 00:13:04.259 --> 00:13:06.539 could touch duncan mcgregor's performance at 00:13:06.539 --> 00:13:10.559 crystal palace the final score was 15 to 0 for 00:13:10.559 --> 00:13:13.360 the all blacks yeah and it was after this match 00:13:13.360 --> 00:13:17.379 that cb fry a very prominent english sportsman 00:13:17.379 --> 00:13:20.019 of the era summed up the tour perfectly what 00:13:20.019 --> 00:13:22.600 did he say He wrote, the notion that these men 00:13:22.600 --> 00:13:24.620 beat us because of our physical degeneracy is 00:13:24.620 --> 00:13:27.179 nonsense. They beat us by organization and by 00:13:27.179 --> 00:13:29.580 tactics. I love that quote. That's so awesome. 00:13:29.600 --> 00:13:31.860 He completely strips away the excuses. They weren't 00:13:31.860 --> 00:13:33.879 beaten by magical giants. They were beaten by 00:13:33.879 --> 00:13:36.379 a smarter system. And there's an incredible relic 00:13:36.379 --> 00:13:38.940 from this match that still exists today. The 00:13:38.940 --> 00:13:41.379 referee for that England game was a man named 00:13:41.379 --> 00:13:45.120 Gil Evans. His whistle from that day is now housed 00:13:45.120 --> 00:13:48.539 at the New Zealand Rugby Museum. But it doesn't 00:13:48.539 --> 00:13:51.759 just sit in a glass case gathering dust. That 00:13:51.759 --> 00:13:54.440 exact same whistle is used to start the opening 00:13:54.440 --> 00:13:57.000 match of every single rugby World Cup tournament 00:13:57.000 --> 00:13:59.840 today. That is just a wonderful physical connection 00:13:59.840 --> 00:14:03.019 to a tour that fundamentally changed the sport. 00:14:03.220 --> 00:14:05.759 It really is. But for all their tactual brilliance 00:14:05.759 --> 00:14:08.259 and dominance, the original All Blacks were not 00:14:08.259 --> 00:14:10.580 invincible. No, they weren't. Which brings us 00:14:10.580 --> 00:14:15.279 to December 16th, 1905, Hardiff Arms Park. The 00:14:15.279 --> 00:14:18.039 match against Wales. Game of the century. The 00:14:18.039 --> 00:14:21.029 lone loss of the entire tour. Let's set the scene. 00:14:21.090 --> 00:14:25.090 47 ,000 rabid fans packed into Cardiff. And the 00:14:25.090 --> 00:14:27.629 atmosphere before the game even starts is highly 00:14:27.629 --> 00:14:30.169 historic. It truly was. The All Blacks took the 00:14:30.169 --> 00:14:32.330 field and performed their traditional haka, as 00:14:32.330 --> 00:14:34.669 they always did. The crowd watched in respectful 00:14:34.669 --> 00:14:37.169 silence, but the moment the New Zealanders finished, 00:14:37.450 --> 00:14:40.090 the Welsh crowd, led by one of the Welsh players, 00:14:40.330 --> 00:14:42.529 erupted into their national anthem, Land of My 00:14:42.529 --> 00:14:44.570 Fathers. Think about every time you go to a ball 00:14:44.570 --> 00:14:47.669 game today, or tune into the Olympics, you expect 00:14:47.669 --> 00:14:49.889 to hear a national anthem. It's standard now. 00:14:49.990 --> 00:14:52.690 But according to the historical record, this 00:14:52.690 --> 00:14:56.330 moment in Cardiff was the very first time a national 00:14:56.330 --> 00:14:58.850 anthem was ever sung before a sporting fixture. 00:14:59.049 --> 00:15:01.370 It started right there. As a spontaneous emotional 00:15:01.370 --> 00:15:04.590 response to the haka. The tension was incredibly 00:15:04.590 --> 00:15:07.129 high, partly because there had been a profound 00:15:07.129 --> 00:15:09.509 dispute over the referee leading up to the match. 00:15:09.649 --> 00:15:12.250 Right. The All Blacks manager, George Dixon, 00:15:12.389 --> 00:15:16.389 and the Welsh rugby union could not agree. Dixon 00:15:16.389 --> 00:15:19.389 rejected all the Welsh options. The Welsh rejected 00:15:19.389 --> 00:15:21.970 all of Dixon's options. A complete stalemate. 00:15:22.090 --> 00:15:24.090 Eventually, the rules dictated that the Scottish 00:15:24.090 --> 00:15:26.289 Rugby Union had to appoint a neutral referee, 00:15:26.549 --> 00:15:29.610 and they sent a Scotsman named John Dallas. And 00:15:29.610 --> 00:15:32.330 once the game actually started, it became very 00:15:32.330 --> 00:15:35.350 clear that Wales had done their homework. Remember 00:15:35.350 --> 00:15:37.809 that highly efficient 2 -3 -2 scrum we talked 00:15:37.809 --> 00:15:40.129 about? The assembly line. The assembly line that 00:15:40.129 --> 00:15:42.889 had been destroying English teams. Well, Wales 00:15:42.889 --> 00:15:45.299 figured out how to counter it. They did. The 00:15:45.299 --> 00:15:47.279 Walsh team used a traditional three -man front 00:15:47.279 --> 00:15:49.899 row, but they completely changed their timing. 00:15:50.039 --> 00:15:52.679 They deliberately waited to set their front row 00:15:52.679 --> 00:15:55.340 until after the All Blacks had set theirs. Oh, 00:15:55.340 --> 00:15:58.500 wow. By doing this, they prevented the All Blacks 00:15:58.500 --> 00:16:00.440 from gaining the loose head. And what does that 00:16:00.440 --> 00:16:03.299 mean exactly? That basically means the advantageous 00:16:03.299 --> 00:16:06.019 position to strike or hook the ball backward 00:16:06.019 --> 00:16:08.220 with their feet when it's thrown into the middle 00:16:08.220 --> 00:16:10.799 of the scrum. Got it. Every time the All Blacks 00:16:10.799 --> 00:16:12.919 tried to hook the ball, they were penalized by 00:16:12.919 --> 00:16:16.649 the referee. It got so bad that the all -black 00:16:16.649 --> 00:16:19.870 captain, Dave Gallagher, actually ordered his 00:16:19.870 --> 00:16:22.730 team to stop contesting the scrums entirely and 00:16:22.730 --> 00:16:25.409 just let Wales win the ball. It was a tactical 00:16:25.409 --> 00:16:27.769 masterstroke by Wales. Yeah. They used the all 00:16:27.769 --> 00:16:30.470 -black's rigid system against them. Wales scored 00:16:30.470 --> 00:16:33.970 a try to go up 3 -0. Yeah. But the real drama, 00:16:34.049 --> 00:16:36.470 the moment that people are still arguing about 00:16:36.470 --> 00:16:38.830 over a century later. Happened in the second 00:16:38.830 --> 00:16:41.029 half. The famous try. The All Blacks break through 00:16:41.029 --> 00:16:43.309 the line. Yeah. The ball gets passed to Bob Deans. 00:16:43.429 --> 00:16:46.990 He is tackled right on or right next to the Welsh 00:16:46.990 --> 00:16:50.129 try line. And this is the great controversy of 00:16:50.129 --> 00:16:52.929 the tour. Bob Deans went to his grave claiming 00:16:52.929 --> 00:16:55.129 that he had grounded the ball over the line for 00:16:55.129 --> 00:16:58.110 a try and that he was dragged back out of the 00:16:58.110 --> 00:17:00.830 end goal area by the Welsh defenders before the 00:17:00.830 --> 00:17:03.169 referee arrived. Of course, the Welsh players 00:17:03.169 --> 00:17:05.390 claimed they tackled him short of the line. Naturally. 00:17:05.470 --> 00:17:09.099 And the referee, John Dallas. awarded a scrum 00:17:09.099 --> 00:17:11.880 to Wales instead of a try to New Zealand. The 00:17:11.880 --> 00:17:16.019 3 -0 score stood. It was their only loss in 35 00:17:16.019 --> 00:17:18.599 matches. Heartbreaking for them? Very. After 00:17:18.599 --> 00:17:21.039 the emotional toll of the Welsh leg of the tour, 00:17:21.220 --> 00:17:24.039 they crossed the English Channel for a New Year's 00:17:24.039 --> 00:17:26.920 Day match on January 1st against France in Paris. 00:17:27.200 --> 00:17:29.539 This was another historic milestone for the sport. 00:17:30.029 --> 00:17:32.910 It was France's first ever official test match. 00:17:33.089 --> 00:17:35.190 The huge deal for France. The All Blacks won 00:17:35.190 --> 00:17:38.049 comfortably 38 -8, though France scoring eight 00:17:38.049 --> 00:17:40.710 points was actually a major point of pride as 00:17:40.710 --> 00:17:42.730 it matched the highest score any British team 00:17:42.730 --> 00:17:45.150 had managed against the tourists. After the France 00:17:45.150 --> 00:17:47.789 game, the team was understandably exhausted. 00:17:48.250 --> 00:17:51.089 I mean, yeah. They had played over 30 grueling 00:17:51.089 --> 00:17:53.509 matches in just a few months. They just wanted 00:17:53.509 --> 00:17:56.569 to go home. I would, too. But New Zealand's prime 00:17:56.569 --> 00:17:59.690 minister, Richard Seddon, realized what incredible 00:17:59.690 --> 00:18:02.769 global ambassadors he had on his hands. So what 00:18:02.769 --> 00:18:05.160 did he do? He essentially forced the team to 00:18:05.160 --> 00:18:07.920 take a massive detour on their way back. Instead 00:18:07.920 --> 00:18:10.400 of sailing straight home, they went through North 00:18:10.400 --> 00:18:13.200 America, playing exhibition matches in New York 00:18:13.200 --> 00:18:15.940 and California, winning easily and spreading 00:18:15.940 --> 00:18:18.819 the gospel of rugby to a completely new continent. 00:18:19.119 --> 00:18:21.579 It cemented their legacy not just as a great 00:18:21.579 --> 00:18:25.059 rugby team, but as a global sporting phenomenon 00:18:25.059 --> 00:18:27.799 that could draw crowds. Anywhere in the world. 00:18:27.880 --> 00:18:29.819 Absolutely. So what does this all mean for you? 00:18:29.859 --> 00:18:32.000 Why are we sitting here talking about a rugby 00:18:32.000 --> 00:18:34.859 tour from 19 to 5? It's a great question. Because 00:18:34.859 --> 00:18:37.980 this story is the ultimate masterclass in challenging 00:18:37.980 --> 00:18:40.779 the established order. Think about the last time 00:18:40.779 --> 00:18:43.119 you tried to change a process at work. It's hard. 00:18:43.599 --> 00:18:46.660 The British teams had the first up, first down 00:18:46.660 --> 00:18:49.420 mentality. They did things the way they had always 00:18:49.420 --> 00:18:52.140 been done, relying on tradition and individual 00:18:52.140 --> 00:18:54.940 talent. The All Blacks looked at the exact same 00:18:54.940 --> 00:18:58.680 game and applied meticulous organization, predetermined 00:18:58.680 --> 00:19:02.079 roles and superior physical conditioning. They 00:19:02.079 --> 00:19:04.400 didn't just try harder. They designed a better 00:19:04.400 --> 00:19:06.859 system. Exactly right. Whether you are leading 00:19:06.859 --> 00:19:09.680 a team, building a business, or just trying to 00:19:09.680 --> 00:19:12.680 improve a routine in your own life, the original 00:19:12.680 --> 00:19:15.920 All Blacks prove that systemic organization and 00:19:15.920 --> 00:19:18.859 innovative thinking will almost always defeat 00:19:18.859 --> 00:19:22.099 unorganized tradition. That is a brilliant takeaway, 00:19:22.240 --> 00:19:23.920 and it actually raises an important question, 00:19:23.960 --> 00:19:25.799 something for you to mull over after we wrap 00:19:25.799 --> 00:19:28.140 up today. What's that? Remember that intense 00:19:28.140 --> 00:19:31.019 drama in Scotland over the players receiving 00:19:31.019 --> 00:19:33.740 three shillings a day? Yeah, the SRU throwing 00:19:33.740 --> 00:19:35.799 a fit? Right. The conservative officials were 00:19:35.799 --> 00:19:37.640 terrified of the sport becoming professional. 00:19:38.019 --> 00:19:41.059 Well, just a couple of years after this triumphant 00:19:41.059 --> 00:19:43.900 tour, several of these exact same all -black 00:19:43.900 --> 00:19:46.920 players defected. Really? Yes. They joined a 00:19:46.920 --> 00:19:50.779 fully professional tour in 1907 and 1908, playing 00:19:50.779 --> 00:19:53.339 what would become rugby league, where they were 00:19:53.339 --> 00:19:55.920 actually paid for their skills. Oh, wow. I didn't 00:19:55.920 --> 00:19:58.779 realize the time. It was immediate. So the question 00:19:58.779 --> 00:20:01.799 for you to consider is, did the undeniable excellence 00:20:01.799 --> 00:20:04.519 of the original All Blacks actually break the 00:20:04.519 --> 00:20:06.900 amateur model? That's fascinating. Did they prove 00:20:06.900 --> 00:20:09.640 through their immense crowd appeal and strategic 00:20:09.640 --> 00:20:12.299 brilliance that they were simply too valuable 00:20:12.299 --> 00:20:15.200 to be expected to play for free? It's entirely 00:20:15.200 --> 00:20:17.779 possible that the birth of professionalized rugby 00:20:17.779 --> 00:20:20.680 was the inevitable consequence of this supposedly 00:20:20.680 --> 00:20:23.319 amateur team being so incredibly good at what 00:20:23.319 --> 00:20:25.980 they did. Excellence demands its worth. What 00:20:25.980 --> 00:20:28.279 a fascinating way to look at it. Thank you so 00:20:28.279 --> 00:20:30.359 much for joining us on this journey today. We 00:20:30.359 --> 00:20:32.319 hope you are walking away with a new appreciation 00:20:32.319 --> 00:20:35.240 for the power of strategy, meticulous preparation, 00:20:35.500 --> 00:20:37.779 and a willingness to question how things have 00:20:37.779 --> 00:20:40.299 always been done. Keep questioning the status 00:20:40.299 --> 00:20:43.019 quo, keep learning, and we will catch you on 00:20:43.019 --> 00:20:43.859 the next deep dive.