Former All Blacks call on current crop to 'get on with it and adapt' to potential Christmas isolation
All Black great Sir John Kirwan has called on the current test rugby stars to follow the lead set by the Warriors during the virus crisis.
The rocky transtasman rugby relationship has descended into Santa-gate, with the quarantine period meaning All Blacks will be forced to miss Christmas at home under the latest Rugby Championship schedule.
Stars like Beauden Barrett have already indicated they are uncertain about their availability but Kirwan pointed to the way the Warriors camped in Australia throughout the NRL season, because of the Covid-19 travel restrictions.
Kirwan, on Sky TV’s The Breakdown, called for a re-think out of rugby circles, and was backed by fellow test legend Justin Marshall.
Kirwan started by indicating he was upset that rugby divisions were becoming public.
“The ABs have always lived like that – you agree to disagree and then commit,” said Kirwan, who also played for the Warriors.
“Bringing your dirty washing out into the public…I don’t know where that’s coming from, I won’t make a comment.
“It’s not doing anyone any good…the transtasman relationship has never been worse.
“The Warriors stayed away five and a half months. This is Covid people, people around the world are sacrificing.
“I’m sure if you said to Aaron Smith, or you said to Beauden Barrett…can you make Christmas up two days later with your family? It doesn’t really matter does it?”
Marshall, who played for French and British clubs, said: “I’m with you…I played, trained on Christmas Day, I played on Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day which is a challenge.
“You get on with it and adapt and make our way through this period and that’s going to take a lot from everybody.”
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Also on The Breakdown, Rugby Australia CEO Hamish McLennan said the six-week schedule had been ‘locked in’ for the Rugby Championship but “there are some other options being put on the table so we need to reconcile those and have a look at it”.
“I think a six-week competition is the most commercially viable,” McLennan added after saying Rugby Australia voted with New Zealand Rugby for a five-week tournament.
“We should note that more money will be made in Australia with the six-week competition and that will mean more money will go back into the pockets of the kiwis, so we’re really conscious of driving that in that regard. It was always a six-week competition…We were the ones that voted with New Zealand for a five-week competition. And we were originally defeated at the very beginning around this so it’s a Sanzaar issue. South Africa and Argentina want a six-week competition and we can’t change that.”
McLennan said he was worried about talks of the All Blacks boycotting the final game saying things could change in terms of Covid restrictions.
“I’m really concerned about a boycott. It would be a tragedy for the TRC and the game. It’s 10 weeks away so we’ve seen the restrictions unwinding a little bit here. I think the New South Wales government has done a great job of contact tracing and managing the disease. We’ve had two days in a row where we’ve had no new Covid cases.
“So I think we need to just take a deep breath and stand back a little bit. Hope and plan that it works out well. At the moment we’re feeling confident that all will be fine. But we are 10 weeks away from that happening.”
Comments on RugbyPass
The Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
3 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
3 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
3 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to comments