In Test rugby, the margins are fine. Push too hard in training and players break down before the weekend or are too fatigued. Go too light and the team aren’t at the right pitch to perform and in some cases adds injury risk.
In the All Blacks’ case, the process of managing that balance is informed by data, not guesswork.
For Head of Health & Performance Nic Gill, it is essential that this data is 1) Live and 2) 100% Accurate. With metrics immediately available in front of them, coaches can adapt sessions in real time, standing pitchside.
“Having that data live, on the field is massive… if we’re not quite where we need to be, we can adjust on the spot.”
The Foundation: 100% Live Data Accuracy
In elite sport where margins are so fine, accuracy is non-negotiable. Training loads need to be managed in the moment on the pitch, not a few hours later in front of a laptop.
Coaches can adjust intensity on the pitch, knowing the information in front of them is rock solid.
As Gill explains:
“The data that’s available is immense nowadays. We can measure and track pretty much anything we feel like is going to help enhance performance. The key thing is understanding what’s really important out of that data.”
Critically, those important metrics are available with 100% accuracy, live.
This gives the All Blacks confidence to act instantly: topping up players who need extra sprint exposures, holding back those carrying fatigue, and keeping every session aligned with its intended outcome.
For Gill and his staff, it means clearer decision making without the risk of undercooking a player or risking an injury at the hands of inaccurate data – that could cost a player a test cap for the All Blacks.
Position-Specific Focus: Internal vs External Metrics
Different positions demand different measures.
A winger’s performance hinges on their ability to hit top-end speed repeatedly, while a tighthead prop’s workload is dominated by collisions, scrummaging, and short, high-force efforts. Treating those players the same in monitoring terms doesn’t make sense.
That’s why the All Blacks use a dual approach:
- Backs are monitored primarily on external metrics – running velocity, sprint exposures, and high-speed efforts. These measures reflect the game-breaking demands of their role.
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Forwards are tracked through internal load – heart rate responses and physiological stress during heavy contact sessions, where metres covered may look modest but the strain is enormous.
Gill explains;
“Everyone’s got different metrics that are important… running velocity is important for the fast athletes, physiological stress is what’s important for our big boys.”
For coaches, this approach is crucial. It ensures:
- Players aren’t misjudged by metrics irrelevant to their role – every athlete is conditioned for the true demands of their position on match day.
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Training loads are balanced across units, even when the outputs look very different.
Also, by combining external physical metrics with internal physiological metrics live on the pitch, it can give an insight into whether a player is fatigued or not.
It may not be immediately apparent to coaches or even the player, but the HR metric can give a window into whether a player needs to be pulled from a session to prioritise recovery, if HR is unusually elevated during a routine session.
Having these live KPIs visible side by side means every athlete trains at the correct intensity for their role.
Managing Player Load in Real Time
Every week will have planned volumes and intensities, leading to players being primed for gameday. Live data thresholds allow coaches to check whether individual and team outputs are hitting their targets.
“It allows us to work with coaches to ensure that we’re not overcooking people, we’re doing enough, we’re pushing the team hard enough or individuals hard enough.”
As an example – in back to back game weeks coaches will be aware of overcooking players who are coming off an intense test match, therefore will be able to keep an eye on high intensity metrics such as high speed running (HSR), high metabolic load distance (HMLD) live in session via a customisable dashboard.
On the other hand, players who played little to no minutes will need a different level of intensity. Coaches can use the live data thresholds on those same metrics to ensure they get a different dosage to those that played longer.
For example, if a number of those players haven’t hit a certain % of their Max Speed, coaches can ensure this is done before the end of a session to avoid speed drop offs and to mitigate injury risk.
Finding the Right Data
The challenge with modern sports science is the sheer amount of information available. Gill is clear that the real skill is knowing what matters.
“Often there’s a lot of data out there that actually just complicates the issue. It’s a matter of identifying what’s really really important and leaning on that to influence decisions – not necessarily make decisions.”
This approach ensures the All Blacks’ staff act on insights that truly impact performance via Sonra’s customisable metric dashboard.
Cutting out unnecessary complications throughout busy test weeks.
For the All Blacks, live data is about making better decisions, in real time.
By filtering out the noise, tailoring metrics to positions, and monitoring both external and internal loads, Nic Gill and his staff keep New Zealand’s players at the right pitch to perform, whatever stage of the season we’re at.
In elite sport, this accuracy is the difference between overcooking, undercooking, and getting it exactly right.
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