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Doubt cast over third Bledisloe Cup test after fresh NZ lockdown
The third Bledisloe Cup test has been thrown into doubt after the Western Australian Government introduced new quarantine measures following New Zealand’s snap Covid-19 lockdown.
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New Zealand entered a Level 4 lockdown on Tuesday after a community case of the Covid-19 Delta variant was detected.
Auckland and the Coromandel will be in lockdown for at least seven days, while the remainder of the country is in lockdown for at least three days.
As a result, the Western Australian Government has introduced fresh quarantine rules which came into effect on Wednesday and requires New Zealanders travelling to Perth to quarantine for two weeks.
Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan told reporters on Wednesday that he is unsure if the All Blacks will be granted an exemption to travel to Perth ahead of next Saturday’s final Bledisloe Cup clash at Optus Stadium.
“Maybe we have to work out some arrangement, or there may be a bubble, or they just have comply with the rules that exist for everybody else,” McGowan said.
“It’s a moving situation and it would be disappointing for rugby fans if we are forced to cancel the game, but that is the nature of the world we live in.”
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The Wallabies were granted an exemption by the New Zealand Government to enter the country to play the first two Bledisloe Cup tests in Auckland over the past fortnight despite the nation’s eight-week travel bubble pause with Australia.
The Bledisloe Cup test doubles as a Rugby Championship fixture, and Perth has been mooted as a possible venue to host the entire competition following the trans-Tasman bubble pause in the wake of the recent virus outbreak in Australia.
Western Australia currently has only three active cases of Covid-19, putting the state on par with Northern Territory for the third lowest number of active cases of any Australian state or territory.
By comparison, New South Wales has, as of Tuesday, more than 7,000 active cases, while there are hundreds of active cases in Queensland and Victoria.
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However, McGowan poured cold water on the idea of staging other Rugby Championship matches featuring the Springboks and Los Pumas in Perth.
Fresh calls for an upheaval of World Rugby’s eligibility laws have been made following plans for Pacific Island involvement in the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour of Australia.https://t.co/RMJ3E1rhDn
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 18, 2021
“I think it would be unlikely, it’s not our No 1 priority.”
The All Blacks are scheduled to fly to Perth on Sunday, but New Zealand’s new lockdown restrictions leaves New Zealand Rugby [NZR] uncertain as to whether those travel plans will still go ahead.
“We will be guided by government travel guidelines and any potential border restrictions in Australia while working closely with SANZAAR and Rugby Australia in coming days to understand what the impact is on our plans,’’ NZR chief executive Mark Robinson said.
Prior to New Zealand’s lockdown announcement, the All Blacks were already facing the prospect of spending up to three-and-a-half months away from home.
New Zealand’s travel bubble pause with Australia means the All Blacks expect to play two tests against Los Pumas, initially scheduled to be held in Wellington and Auckland, in Perth on September 11 and 18.
Those tests will be followed by back-to-back tests against the Springboks, which were scheduled to be played in Dunedin and Auckland on September 25 and October 2 but seem likely to be played in Australia instead.
After that, the All Blacks will embark on their end-of-year tour, where they will play the United States in Washington DC, Wales in Cardiff, Italy in Rome, Ireland in Dublin and France in Paris throughout October and November.
The All Blacks are currently on a break after securing the Bledisloe Cup for the 19th straight year as they dispatched the Wallabies in consecutive tests at Eden Park over the last two weekends.
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Comments on RugbyPass
I like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
8 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
8 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
8 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
8 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
3 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to comments