The lesson the Six Nations can teach New Zealand Rugby when it comes to All Blacks tests
Sunday’s Bledisloe Cup encounter at Eden Park answered several questions and raised a few others.
Such as, for example, how did one media outlet rate Patrick Tuipulotu’s display as just a 5/10 when he was the best tight forward on the field?
But here’s one question that was answered with an emphatic YES: should we have more afternoon test footy in New Zealand?
Yours Truly had the pleasure of attending as a punter. In the NZ Barbarians clubrooms high in the North Stand, you have a superb vista of the ground. You can soak up the atmosphere, even if it’s difficult to see who is cheating in the scrums without binoculars.
Kickoff at 4pm came in bright sunlight and, with daylight savings, the game finished before 6pm in bright sunlight. Rugby people – and that is only a portion of the 46,000 on hand – loved it.
There is nothing better than an open, high stakes test match at Eden Park in warm conditions under a cloudless sky. Ask any photographer. The doyen Peter Bush always lamented the fact that night tests were not optimal for shooting prime sports photography. Eden Park’s lights are strong, but that is not always the case elsewhere.
And yet, if memory serves, this was the first afternoon All Blacks test match at the venerable ground since 1997, when they and the Springboks served up a 90-point champagne rugby bonanza.
Since then, SKY TV has favoured evening telecasts, as it claims that returns the best viewing figures. Maybe so.
There was also the claim that no one wanted to disrupt Saturday afternoon club rugby. That’s laughable. Club rugby has been sadly marginalised since well before 1995. You can easily move kickoff times in winter if you truly wanted to make afternoon international rugby happen.
But if Super Rugby Aotearoa showed us anything, other than that the usual playbooks should be thrown out the window after Covid-19, it was that the public love afternoon footy. The only caveat for Sunday test matches is that the punters cannot take full advantage of the weekend and still make it back to work on Monday with a clear head, if a little fatigued. It didn’t seem to be stop many kicking on last Sunday night and then opting to “work from home.”
The man of the hour made a major error in the build up to his test debut. #AllBlackshttps://t.co/Va1Wo4lhzP
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 21, 2020
The Six Nations invariably has afternoon kickoffs. Friday night Tests, often in Paris, are not that popular with travelling punters, who have to take a day off work. But you can always build a day (and night) around 3pm Saturday kickoffs. It’s an occasion, not just 80 minutes of code. You cannot do that when the kids don’t hit the sack until midnight after a test match, still wired from what they’ve seen go down.
In 2001, the Wallabies defeated the All Blacks at Carisbrook. That was the last time Australia won against the All Blacks in New Zealand. It was also an afternoon test. Full house, everyone happy, other than with the 23-15 scoreline.
Incredibly, we had to wait another decade before the All Blacks played afternoon rugby at home, and that kickoff time, against Canada in Wellington for Rugby World Cup, was set by World Rugby.
Last year, the All Blacks, because it suited them, hosted Tonga in Hamilton at 2.35pm on a Saturday. Fine weather, time to cut some capers. No dew on the ball, no fatigued punters who had started too early. Pity that the Ikale Tahi acted as roadkill.
There will be a balancing act for SKY when it sets the schedule for the 2021 home international season. But, in tandem with New Zealand Rugby, due consideration must be given to having one or two afternoon tests.
The players love it, the media love it, the photographers love it, and just as importantly, the fans love it.
Make it happen.
Comments on RugbyPass
Over rated for a long time…exposed at scrum time too.
3 Go to comments“Firing me” should have been Gatland’s answer.
2 Go to commentsFinn Russell logic: “World” = 4 countries. Ireland may be at or near the top. FR’s bigger concern should be he and his fellow Scots (incl. the Bloemfontein ones) sliding back down to below top 10
42 Go to commentsMind games have begun. Ireland learned their lesson after saying they could beat England with 13 players or whatever. Still, if they win at Loftus, that would be impressive - final frontier etc.
58 Go to comments$950k for a Prop that isn’t fit enough to play 10 mins of rugby? Surely there is someone better to replace Big Mike with
3 Go to commentsFour Kiwis in that backline. A solid statement on the lack of invention, risk-taking and joy in the NH game; game of attrition and head- banging tedium. Longterm medical problems aplenty in the future!
1 Go to commentsGood article, I learnt quite a lot. A big sliding door moment was in the mid 00s when they rejected Steve Anderson's long term transformation and he wrote Ireland's strategy instead.
2 Go to commentsHi Dr Nick! I'm worried that I've started to enjoy watching England and have actually wanted them to win their last two games. What would you prescribe? On a more serious note, I've noticed that the standard of play in March is often better than early February. Do you think this is because of the weather or because the players have been together for longer?
10 Go to commentsMy question in all this brett is who is going to wear the consequences of these actions? Surely just getting the sack isn’t sufficient? A teenager working the till at woolies would probably get taken to court if they took $20 out of the till. You mean to tell me that someone can spend $2.6 million and get away with it? Where was it spent? What companies/people were the beneficiaries etc? How is it just being talked about as an ‘oopsie’ and we all just move on and not a matter of the court for gross negligence, fraud, take your pick…
18 Go to commentslove Manu too but England have relied on him coming back from injury for far too long and not sorted the position with someone else long term . It will be a blessing he has gone . Huge shame he was so injury prone . God speed Manu .
3 Go to commentsI agree with Ben Smith about Brett Cameron. The No. 6 position has to be a monster and a genuine lineout option, like Ollivon, Lawes (now Chessum), Du Toit, etc. The only player who fits that bill right now is Scott Barrett. A fit and fizzing Tuipolotu together with one of the young towers, Sam Darry or Josh Lord, would give Razor the freedom to play Barret at 6.
16 Go to commentsOutstanding article, Graham. Agree with all of it. And enjoy the style of writing too (particularly Grand Slap!).
3 Go to commentsI wouldn't pay a cent for that loafer. He just stands around, waiting for play to come his way. He won't make the Wallabies.
3 Go to commentsGood bit of te reo maori Nic. Or is that Niko or Nikora? On the theme of trees the Oaks v Totara. Game plan would be key. I have one but it would cost you.
10 Go to comments> Shaun Edwards’ You should not have to score 30 points to win a game, as exciting as it is. This statement was surprising to me. It is nonsensical .I guess it is a defence coach speaking. But head coach, defence and attacking coaches all work together. They are inseparable. You score more than the opposition to win. It only needs to be one score. You score whatever the game demands, whatever the opposition demand. You defend whatever it takes. The attack coach needs to be able to clock up 30pts if need be.
10 Go to commentsWho’d have thought, not having Farrell & Youngs kicking the ball at every possible opportunity and playing flat and allowing your centres to run and pass would pay off? No one could possibly have seen this coming. FML. It took a LONG time coming but at least that time has finally come. England need to find a backup to Lawrence. Freeman is the best candidate for me, I see no reason why he can't play 12. He's big, strong, fast and has great hands.
10 Go to commentsLove Manu but he's not the player he was and I imagine Bayonne have paid too much money for him.
3 Go to commentsNew Zealand have not beaten England since 2018 and even that was a pretty close shave.
1 Go to comments“a renewed focus on Scottish-qualified players” Scottish-qualified is another way of saying English. England has development more players for the Scotland national Rugby team in the last 4 years, than Scotland has.
2 Go to commentsThis sounds a lot like the old Welsh rugby proverb “Wales never lose. Other teams just score more points.”
5 Go to comments