Perofeta's comments may hurt his team's chances but give some much-needed spice to Super Rugby Aotearoa
At first glance, Stephen Perofeta made a bit of a fool of himself this week.
Worse, the Blues fullback likely offended this week’s Super Rugby Aotearoa opponents the Highlanders.
It wasn’t that Perofeta’s comments were outrageous. More that they were a little naive and inclined to antagonise a Highlanders team potentially searching for motivation.
Perofeta talked of wake-up calls and of the Blues being in good stead and having learned from past mistakes. In everyday life that’s pretty mundane stuff, but in the heightened atmosphere of professional sport it sounds cocky. It suggests an infallible environment where everyone knows all the answers and all they have to do to win at Forsyth Barr Stadium on Friday is turn up.
I once had a boss who only wanted to hear from what he called “sexy’’ players. He wanted the big names – in this particular case Conrad Smith, Cory Jane, Piri Weepu and occasionally Julian Savea – to be quoted all the time. He wasn’t interested in any players equivalent to Perofeta.
Don’t come back to the office with a John Schwalger interview or a few observations from Jeremy Thrush. Get Beauden Barrett or get lost.
Only nine times out of 10, the big-name players make very few big calls. They’re so seasoned and so occasionally jaundiced, that they rarely deviate from stating the obvious. It’s the Perofetas of the world – who are still a bit new to it all and eager to make a good impression – who often say the most interesting things.
You have to be grateful for that in this situation.
It would be slightly unfair to call this season of Super Rugby a procession, but it’s not far off. From the time the Crusaders went to Eden Park and did a number on the Blues, the outcome of the competition hasn’t been in huge doubt.
We can get down in the weeds and wonder about whether injuries or referee interpretations might halt the Crusaders’ march to yet another title, but we all acknowledge that they’re better than everyone else.
The Blues have a lot of talent and the Chiefs are becoming quite a handy side and the Highlanders and Hurricanes are doing their best with what they’ve got, but there’s really only one elite team on display here.
Without players such as Perofeta saying something for us to latch onto, there’s not always much reason for we fans to tune in each weekend.
This is where the Super Rugby teams have to help themselves.
It’s not good enough to send out an advisory stating Reed Prinsep and some coach or other will be available to speak on this day at this time. Either this is professional sport or it isn’t.
If it’s not, then teams can continue to dictate the tone of the coverage by deciding who speaks on the couple of days each week when content is available.
But if rugby does want to be professional and it does want to generate headlines and interest and it does want to get fans through the turnstiles, then it pretty much needs to be open slather all week. Media should be entitled to turn up every day and talk to whoever they like, as they do in the American sports that so many of our modern day rugby players revere.
It’s nice that Ardie Savea keeps us all updated and entertained via his social media accounts, but it would be even better if he appeared in front of the television cameras and microphones on a daily basis.
Far from making a fool of himself this week, Perofeta actually did Super Rugby a favour. He took a nothing game and potentially made it something by simply talking with conviction about the quality of his side.
Never give the opposition their team their team talk? Actually, in this instance, the competition needs a bit of that.
It needs a bit of needle and a bit of public back-and-forth between players. It needs something to engage fans and bring out a bit of tribalism and – dare we say it – even a bit of hate.
Sport is better for a bit of rivalry and our Super Rugby teams need to recognise that.
Comments on RugbyPass
“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
16 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to comments