'I'm really disappointed': Former All Blacks disagree with Anzac Test outcome

Anzac Day, Wallabies against the All Blacks: not many rugby fans from this side of the world would argue against a matchup between two rivals, celebrating an important day for both countries.

Last year, Rugby Australia boldly proposed a Test match between the two teams on Anzac Day as the third Bledisloe match, moving the current two-game series back to the old format of three games.

Former All Blacks Jeff Wilson, Stephen Donald and Justin Marshall have all backed the proposal, saying on The Breakdown that the Anzac Day fixture is everything NZR should be pushing for.

“They spoke with various groups, Super Rugby, the Players Association partners, which I assume are sponsors, and they don’t see it as viable at this stage,” Wilson said on The Breakdown.

“There’s a lot of this commercial discussion here. I think about it and I go, why isn’t the rugby the most important part of this, and what an opportunity this might be and them saying it doesn’t really stack up, hopefully, it’s not the end of the conversation, because I look at this as a huge opportunity.”

Marshall, an 81-Test former All Black, said NZR are beholden to revenue, and an Anzac Day match would, in theory, offer plenty of upside in that respect.

“It’s a 50/50 split for revenue, it’s a no-brainer, it will be in big stadiums in Australia, that’s massive revenue for New Zealand. 

“They’re (NZR) always crying out to get to get more revenue.”

Wilson also says that the new stadium being built in Christchurch would be a perfect place to hold the second or third instalment of the Test series.

“We’ve got a flash new stadium being built in Christchurch, I’m pretty sure they’d love to have a game down there hosting the Test match on Anzac Day. 

“As a player, if you got asked to play an Anzac Day Test against the Aussies on that day, you’d jump at it.” 

Donald believes strongly that it is a commercially strong option, as the Test match calendar is where the most money is made.

“How can it commercially not be a good option? Like, it’s a Test match, isn’t that where we make our big money from?” Donald told The Breakdown.

“As you said, you get 80,000 in Sydney or over in Western Australia. You have like a week to prepare for a Test match.

“I mean, just get the best 23 from the end-of-year tour, and go right, you’ve got a Test match in April against the Wallabies. It’s not the one where you’re looking to pick 40 players.”

Former Wallaby Tim Horan hit back at NZR CEO Mark Robinson, who said the proposal was not ‘viable’ at this stage.

“I think it’s actually really poor form, and it’s a real shame from New Zealand Rugby that they don’t accommodate because they’re supposed to be good, strong partners with us and to have an opportunity for a marquee event on ANZAC Day,” Horan said on the Inside Line podcast on Stan Sport.