Wallabies could make mad dash to New Zealand
The Wallabies will be forced to make a mad dash to New Zealand in the coming days after the closure of the trans-Tasman bubble threw the Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship fixtures into a spin.
The spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19 in Australia has spooked NZ, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announcing the quarantine-free bubble closure with Australia on Friday for a period of at least eight weeks.
The move comes at a bad time for Rugby Australia ahead of a lucrative Bledisloe Cup series against NZ and the four-nation Rugby Championship.
The Wallabies were due to face off against NZ at Eden Park on August 7 in the Bledisloe Cup opener – a fixture that remains a strong chance to still go ahead.
The series was then set to move to Perth, where a crowd of about 60,000 was expected to watch the arch-rivals face off on August 21 in a match that also doubles as the start of their Rugby Championship.
The final match between the teams was set to take place in Wellington on August 28.
The Wallabies were initially set for a week-long camp on the Gold Coast starting this Sunday before flying to NZ.
But the team will have to head to NZ within days in order to ensure the series can go ahead.
The Ardern government is granting Kiwis seven days to return to NZ, and the Prime Minister indicated the Wallabies could use that window to head there under an economic impact exemption.
Wallabies players and staff would need to provide a negative pre-departure COVID test before being granted permission to fly to NZ.
“The Wallabies team have been in a secure bubble since the conclusion of the France series, with the squad assembled on the Gold Coast,” Rugby Australia chief executive Andy Marinos said.
“The players are regularly PCR tested and have maintained strict bio-security protocols as recommended by the return to play committee and the relevant health authorities.”
Tickets for the Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship series went on sale on Friday morning, but just hours later the trans-Tasman bubble was paused.
Although it was initially speculated that all three matches between the Wallabies and All Blacks might have to be played in NZ, Rugby Australia is quietly optimistic the Perth fixture can still go ahead given the bubble is only closed on NZ’s end.
If the Perth match goes ahead, the big problem would be the third fixture in NZ.
Under that scenario, Wallabies and All Blacks players would need to receive exemptions to re-enter NZ.
If that doesn’t occur, the match would have to be postponed or played elsewhere.
SANZAAR is confident a solution can be found to ensure the 12-match Rugby Championship – which features Australia, NZ, Argentina, and South Africa – proceeds.
Meanwhile, Super Netball will go on hold this weekend to allow teams to regroup following the relocation of the entire competition to Queensland.
There are three more rounds before finals, with competition to resume in the middle of next week.
“The teams have experienced a highly disrupted week, having relocated to Queensland at very short notice,” Netball Australia chief executive Kelly Ryan said.
“We have a number of challenges to work through with our stakeholders, including venues and broadcast, before we can lock in the fixture for the remaining three rounds.”
The upcoming Bledisloe Cup tests between the All Blacks and Wallabies have been thrown into serious doubt following the quarantine-free travel pause between New Zealand and Australia. #AllBlacks #Wallabies #BledisloeCup https://t.co/5efVSMcu9I
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 23, 2021
WALLABIES FIXTURES BEFORE CLOSURE OF THE BUBBLE WAS ANNOUNCED:-
New Zealand v Wallabies, Saturday August 7 at Eden Park, Auckland *Bledisloe Cup only
Wallabies v New Zealand, Saturday August 21 at Optus Stadium, Perth *Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship
New Zealand v Wallabies, Saturday August 28 at Sky Stadium, Wellington *Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship
South Africa v Wallabies, Sunday September 12 at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Wallabies v South Africa, Saturday September 18 at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Wallabies v Argentina, Saturday September 25 at McDon ald Jones Stadium in Newcastle
Argentina v Wall abies, Saturday October 2 at GIO Stadium in Canberra.
Comments on RugbyPass
Crusaders reached their heights through recruitment of North Island players, often leaving those NI teams bereft of key players. Example: Scott Barrett and Sam Whitelock robbed the Canes of their lineout and AB locks. For years the Canes have struggled at lock. This rabid recruitment was iniated by rule changes by a Crusader dominated NZR Head Office. Now this aggressive recruitment has back-fired, going after young inside back Hamilton Boys stars. They now have 4 Chiefs region 10s and not one with the requisite experience at Super level. Problems of their own making!
1 Go to commentsOver 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!
2 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?
11 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.
11 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.
11 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.
11 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 comments