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Everything you need to know about the 81st North vs South clash
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the North versus South rugby match.
Had it been mooted at the start of the year, a North v South clash could have been missable for New Zealand rugby fans, but now it could turn into the gem of the country’s 2020 sporting calendar.
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One of domestic rugby’s oldest rivalries will be renewed on Saturday night with the North versus South derby match. It will be only the third time in 33 years the match has taken place. The match was first played in 1897, and was more or less an annual event from 1902 until 1986.
In 2012 a one-off match was played to help fundraise for the struggling Otago Rugby Football Union.
It is a unique occasion for the players to embrace, playing against teammates they never have before.
“You do get the opportunity to catch up and get to know people pretty well,” South captain Sam Whitelock says. “It’s also really cool to get to know other boys that you don’t play with all the time to work out how they want to do things.”
North skipper Patrick Tuipulotu says the lead-up so far has been “unique”.
“The challenging thing is how we’re going to gel together in the space of a week, but to say that I’m pretty impressed with how we’ve been training,” he adds.
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“Having that off-field connection builds trust on field.”
Originally slated for Auckland last weekend, the match had to be postponed due to the second outbreak of Covid-19 in New Zealand. As a result Wellington is the new host which, if location was ever a problem, is a better travel destination sitting as the base of the North Island.
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All Blacks assistants John Plumtree and Scott McLeod will coach the North against colleagues Brad Mooar and Greg Feek, who will lead the South. It will be a good chance for their mentor Ian Foster to not only get a look at the talent on offer for potential All Blacks tests this year, but also how his assistants do with the ball in their own courts.
Hope still remains the All Blacks will get on field this year. Talks around a Bledisloe series and Rugby Championship have taken place with both New Zealand and Australia suggested as hosts for up to four countries (including South Africa and Argentina). However the virus’ ongoing influence on global travel, and both Tasman countries grappling with outbreaks paints a sombre picture for international rugby fans.
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That could mean the North v South derby might be the biggest match for our All Blacks as well as their coaches. The match succeeds a fruitful Super Rugby Aotearoa campaign that delivered exciting rugby and attracted plenty of fandom. Based on that, fans can expect another enticing on-field product this weekend.
Whitelock notices they are not the betting favourites, but is not worried.
“We’ll take the underdog tag and let Patty [Patrick Tuipulotu] and his team take the favourites tag, and put all the pressure on them,” he says.
Match details:
Saturday, September 5 at 7:10pm, Sky Stadium in Wellington
Squads:
North: 1. Karl Tu’inukuafe 2. Asafo Aumua, 3. Ofa Tuungafasi, 4. Patrick Tuipulotu (captain), 5. Tupou Vaa’i, 6. Akira Ioane, 7. Ardie Savea, 8. Hoskins Sotutu, 9. TJ Perenara, 10. Beauden Barrett, 11. Caleb Clarke, 12. Anton Lienert-Brown, 13. Rieko Ioane, 14. Sevu Reece, 15. Damian McKenzie. Replacements: 16. Ash Dixon, 17. Ayden Johnstone, 18. Angus Ta’avao, 19. Scott Scrafton, 20. Dalton Papalii, 21. Aaron Smith, 22. Peter Umaga-Jensen, 23. Mitchell Hunt.
South: 1. Joe Moody, 2. Codie Taylor, 3. Nepo Laulala, 4. Samuel Whitelock (captain), 5. Mitchell Dunshea, 6. Shannon Frizell, 7. Tom Christie, 8. Tom Sanders, 9. Brad Weber, 10. Richie Mo’unga, 11. George Bridge, 12. Jack Goodhue, 13. Braydon Ennor, 14. Will Jordan, 15. Jordie Barrett. Replacements: 16. Liam Coltman, 17. George Bower, 18. Tyrel Lomax, 19. Manaaki Selby-Rickit, 20. Dillon Hunt, 21. Finlay Christie, 22. Josh Ioane, 23. Leicester Faingaanuku.
Historical record:
Played 80, North have won 50, South have won 27, three draws.
Last five encounters:
2012 – South defeated North 32-24
1995 – North defeated South 63-22
1986 – North defeated South 22-10
1985 – North defeated South 29-12
1984 – North defeated South 39-3
Comments on RugbyPass
To me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
30 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
30 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
30 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
30 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
30 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
30 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
30 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to commentsI think he is right, SBW is respected in RSA. The guy who never stood up is a worm. Sseems lots of NZ SBW hate, you do the crime do the time.
17 Go to comments