New Zealand Rugby Standards
You can tell you are flying into a country that likes its rugby when you look at the screen on the back of the seat in front of you when you are about to take off in any Air New Zealand jet.You will find that Richie McCaw,the All Blacks ' skipper, wing Joe Rockoko, and stand off Dan Carter are the ones who explain all the safety procedures needed to be observed on any flight. And in a humorous vein too! But what a Jekyll and Hyde of a game is rugby union in New Zealand.
At the weekend, as well as commentating for BBC TV on the New Zealand v Papua New Guinea RL match here in Rotorua, I had the pleasure of watching the All Blacks play Australia in the final match of the Bledisloe RU Cup in Hong Kong, while also seeing two of the inter-provincial rugby union national cup semi finals. What a contrast, though all three matches were only settled in the final minute.
The defeat of the All Blacks by the Wallabies in the dying seconds of a pulsating game provided for great entertainment and thrilling rugby union. The battle up front in the packs was fierce and there was some superb direct running and handling by all of the backrowers, while behind we were treated to some excellent sidestepping and swerving and a handful of tries scored from deep inside the scorer's own half. Backs attacked with real pace and crisp handling and the two packs hurled themselves at each other without regard to injury. The game was, for me, an exhibition of how modern rugby union should be played. But, oh dear, what of the quality of the top rung of New Zealand rugby union at provincial level? Dire!
I never have any wish to 'knock' any sport, especially one as skilful and as physically demanding as Basketball, but the rate and ease of scoring makes me rather blasé. When ever I watch it. I always feel I can leave a game, have a bite to eat and a drink, and yet, when I return to the game the teams will still be within two points of each other at a score of 110pts to 112pts. It is so easy to score that it even fails to become exciting by the closeness of the scores.
It is the same with rugby union here in New Zealand where the teams attempt to play a bastardized version of rugby league but, sadly, they play under different rules and they don't know how to play league.The two matches watched - Canterbury (57) v Wellington (41); and Auckland (37) v Waikato(38) - garnered 173 pts at a point a minute in a frantic, frenetic display of aimless running and pathetic defensive systems. The forwards hardly commit themselves to the rucks and mauls and merely fan out wide across the pitch while the attacking side in an endless series of sideways handling movements score tries at will down the flanks. In effect, as in Basketball, whichever side has the ball scores a try or a penalty goal. If you are watching the game and dare to dash to the toilet you could miss ten points on the scoreboard There is more excitement watching LSH 3rds and Birchfield in a 10-9 thriller!
Yes, the Wallabies and the All Blacks really can play rugby union as it should be played and England could well be in for some harsh treatment from the tourists over the next couple of weeks. But if, like me, you find yourself in Rotorua on a warm sunny weekend my advice is to give the local match a miss, and instead, take a stroll around the town's famous lake or have a dip in one of the warm geyser pools. You'll find more excitement.
Ray French
At the weekend, as well as commentating for BBC TV on the New Zealand v Papua New Guinea RL match here in Rotorua, I had the pleasure of watching the All Blacks play Australia in the final match of the Bledisloe RU Cup in Hong Kong, while also seeing two of the inter-
The defeat of the All Blacks by the Wallabies in the dying seconds of a pulsating game provided for great entertainment and thrilling rugby union. The battle up front in the packs was fierce and there was some superb direct running and handling by all of the backrowers, while behind we were treated to some excellent sidestepping and swerving and a handful of tries scored from deep inside the scorer's own half. Backs attacked with real pace and crisp handling and the two packs hurled themselves at each other without regard to injury. The game was, for me, an exhibition of how modern rugby union should be played. But, oh dear, what of the quality of the top rung of New Zealand rugby union at provincial level? Dire!
I never have any wish to 'knock' any sport, especially one as skilful and as physically demanding as Basketball, but the rate and ease of scoring makes me rather blasé. When ever I watch it. I always feel I can leave a game, have a bite to eat and a drink, and yet, when I return to the game the teams will still be within two points of each other at a score of 110pts to 112pts. It is so easy to score that it even fails to become exciting by the closeness of the scores.
It is the same with rugby union here in New Zealand where the teams attempt to play a bastardized version of rugby league but, sadly, they play under different rules and they don't know how to play league.The two matches watched -
Yes, the Wallabies and the All Blacks really can play rugby union as it should be played and England could well be in for some harsh treatment from the tourists over the next couple of weeks. But if, like me, you find yourself in Rotorua on a warm sunny weekend my advice is to give the local match a miss, and instead, take a stroll around the town's famous lake or have a dip in one of the warm geyser pools. You'll find more excitement.
Ray French