SLACK: ALL BLACKS TOO OLD

THE ALL Blacks have an experienced squad, but one that is too old to win the Rugby World Cup, says former Wallabies skipper Andrew Slack.

Slack, who played 39 tests and won 14 of his 19 tests as skipper, sees parallels between the Graham Henry’s All Blacks and the aging Australian side he led to a semifinal exit at the first World Cup more than 24 years ago.

Of the current All Blacks team, seven players are on the wrong side of 30, with 36-year-old lock Brad Thorn the oldest in the team.

“By anyone’s standards it’s an ageing team. It doesn’t mean it’s a bad team, but they’re going to need a bit of luck,” Slack told Reuters.

Like the Wallabies, who Slack reckons in 1986 following their ground-breaking Bledisloe Cup series victory in New Zealand, he feels the current All Blacks side might be just past its pride.

“Dare I say it, potentially there’s a bit of the ’87 Wallabies in the All Blacks at the moment.”