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'Most entertaining game I've seen': Genia on Bledisloe 1

By Ned Lester
Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images

Despite the night being marred by controversy, ex Wallaby half back Will Genia has declared the years first Bledisloe test the ‘most entertaining game’ in recent memory.

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A penalty in the 79th minute has had the world’s rugby community in an uproar, an unfortunate distraction from a test that was another classic addition to one of rugby’s oldest rivalries according to Genia.

Aotearoa Rugby Pod host Ross Karl looked to take a break from the test’s controversies to discuss what the other 79 minutes were like for spectators.

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He asked the podcast’s special guest Genia for his thoughts on the match:

“I honestly think it’s the most entertaining game I’ve seen,” Genia said. “2000 obviously is the classic, that’s the benchmark but I was 12 years old then so I would say since then it’s absolutely the most (entertaining).

“Because 31-13 down, the All Blacks had played some really good rugby up until that point and then for us to not only stay in the fight but go up levels and actually play some really good rugby, some really, really good attacking football, it was just such a great contest.

“Even with all the controversy around the refereeing decision and things like that, just the way it finished, as a spectator, as someone who was watching the game, my heart was like, coming through my chest.

“It was just such an amazing and enthralling battle and such great entertainment.”

Ex Blues hooker James Parsons is a panelist on the podcast and agreed with Genia.

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“I was the same,” Parsons said. “I couldn’t even sleep afterwards, I was so hyped from what was happening and sort of in disbelief that the adrenaline was pumping so much that I just couldn’t settle down, took me until about two o’clock to just cool the jets and get to sleep.

“I agree, It’s the best test match, best game of rugby I’ve watched in a long time.”

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The panelists had previously discussed the time-wasting call, specifically noting how the first half of the game took 58 minutes to be played.

Parsons was adamant that the excitement of the match overwhelmed any awareness of the prolonged non-playing time.

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“I know we mentioned the 58 minutes but it didn’t feel like 58 minutes.

“That first half to me, there was just so much going on, there was yellow cards, there was TMO’s, there was quality footy being played, from go to whoa it was a special test match.”

Ex Crusader Bryn Hall is Parsons’ co-panelist on the podcast, he also shared his thoughts on the contest.

“To be honest, when it was 31-13 when Will Jordan scores that try, I thought the game was done and dusted,” Hall admitted.

“I thought the All Blacks would power on after that but to their credit, they played some really good attacking rugby, the Australians.

“Bernard Foley taking it to the line, being able to set Kellaway up for his first try, and then obviously Pete Samu, man, what a performance that he had. I thought Pete Samu was one of the best on the paddock on the weekend.”

“You’d just have to feel gutted for the Australians because they did so well to get back into that game.

“It was a great display of heat and a bit of care in that Australian jersey, you’d probably say in the past, past Bledisloe campaigns they (the All Blacks) would have just ran away with that game.”

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Jon 7 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 10 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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A
Adrian 12 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

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