Revealed: All Blacks set to host 'lightweight' nations in 2021 after being snubbed by tier two minnows
The All Blacks are set to face Fiji and Italy in a lightweight test series next July – after being turned down by several smaller nations to clash before the end of this year.
The Herald understands next year’s series would see the All Blacks host Italy (two tests) and Vern Cotter’s Fiji (one) at the same time as the British and Irish Lions’ scheduled blockbuster tour of South Africa.
The schedule remains in doubt, however, due to New Zealand’s border restrictions in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic that has wreaked havoc with the international calendar – with the All Blacks’ tests against Wales and Scotland, scheduled for July this year, postponed indefinitely and the Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship in serious doubt.
The All Blacks last played Fiji nine years ago in Dunedin, winning 60-14, while it’s been 11 years since Italy lost 27-6 in their last appearance on New Zealand soil.
At the weekend, All Blacks coach Ian Foster revealed the North-South match had been scheduled for the first time since 2012 after multiple second-tier teams turned down invitations to take on the All Blacks between the end of Super Rugby Aotearoa and the start of the Mitre 10 Cup.
“We had a window of time between Super Rugby Aotearoa and Mitre 10 Cup. Normally we would try to play a test match – potentially against a Tier 2 country. There was no Tier 2 country that wanted to play us,” Foster told Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB.
“We put an invite out to a few but clearly a lot of countries aren’t in a situation or prepared to come over here and play at the moment, and we fully understand that.”
Foster says the North-South match – which NZ Rugby are hoping can be played in front of a crowd to bring in $1 million in revenue – isn’t vital for the All Blacks, but is important from an economic perspective.
“We lost three test matches, with that we lose a lot of revenue that helps fuel the game.”
Wellington is in the box seat to host the match – already postponed by a week to September 5 – without crowds after the Government denied exemptions for Auckland-based players and staff to travel this week, due to the city’s level 3 lockdown after a community outbreak of Covid-19. Dunedin is another option to host the match.
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The lockdown will remain in effect until 11.59pm on Sunday, before level 2 will be phased in. Gatherings for Aucklanders will be restricted to 10 people at level 2, while a 50-person limit would be in place for funerals and tangi. Gatherings of no more than 100 people will be permitted everywhere else in the country, which means Sky Stadium in Wellington appears a more realistic option of hosting the match – even if no fans are allowed.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday said Cabinet would only review the country’s alert settings on Sunday, September 6.
Foster said he wouldn’t want the game to go ahead if the 14 Auckland-based players and staff cannot be involved, but said that the match could be played without fans if that was deemed necessary.
“It can, and I’m sure we probably will try to make it go ahead without fans [if needed].
“The fact that they’ve filled up stadiums has created an awesome environment for players to play in and I know it will be a very different spectacle if we can’t have the fans there, so here’s hoping.”
NZR yesterday said an announcement on the North-South clash will be made today.
The All Blacks’ first match of the year, against a Moana Pacific side at Mt Smart Stadium on October 3, is also expected to be confirmed soon.
Comments on RugbyPass
Ben 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.
19 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.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
86 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to comments