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There is a split in opinion regarding the All Blacks opening match against France tomorrow morning.
It’s either the opportunity to make a statement, or a largely irrelevant hit out.
Gregor Paul, as close as any journalist to the inner workings of Ian Foster’s mind, has declared that the All Blacks are not fixated on this match, largely because the team that wins World Cups is the one that peaks for three knockout matches in three weeks next month.
“I know we all want to present ourselves at the peak of our powers at the start,” [Foster said], “but it’s how we grow through it. You want to be there at the end and to do that you’ve got to get better each day.”
The best way to interpret this is to understand that the All Blacks are not fixating on their opening game against France.
In some respects it makes sense. South Africa showed there is a pathway to glory by losing its opening 2019 match to the All Blacks, but it’s not a perfect comparison. South Africa’s loss opened up the draw for them in a way few could have anticipated. Whereas New Zealand’s pool victory earned them a path through Ireland and England to get to the final, by finishing second the Boks lucked into Japan and Wales. This time around, there are no free passes. It will be either Ireland, South Africa or a Scotland team that has upset the odds to get there.
All those permutations ignore the bigger picture: the biggest chunk of the All Black mythology is built upon its win-loss record. It is written in stone that there is no test they don’t play to win. It is counterintuitive to the All Black way to accept a loss in a dead-rubber Bledisloe Cup test, let alone the opener of a tournament that comes around every four years.
I’m more inclined to think that this is a statement clash for both teams, even if the jeopardy is reduced.
Writes Marc Hinton:
Foster’s All Blacks are coming off their biggest ever test defeat, 35-7 at the hands of the dominant Springboks at Twickenham just a fortnight hitherto. It was a real spanner in the works of an otherwise solid buildup, and they desperately require, not so much a victory, but a performance they can hang their hat on.
Sounds obvious, and fair.
There’s also former France flanker Olivier Magne’s curious stream of consciousness hanging over the clash.
“Now, isn’t this All Blacks team the weakest in history? I’m wondering. Really. I feel like New Zealand’s Rugby Championship wins were a bit of a sham.”
Lot’s a wonderings, questions and feelings in there, though the “sham” championship could, on the basis of his thoughts, be applied to anything not called a World Cup, which would leave international rugby in a dire space.
Without wanting to devolve into petty south v north arguments, the maligned Rugby Championship has a habit of producing world champions; the vaunted Six Nations has produced one, 20 years ago.
You could label all of the above as phoney-war bluster. The real stuff is about to start. Can’t wait.
***
Scotty Stevenson makes some interesting points here about why Foster has chosen the side he has, including the curious tactic of essentially playing with three No7s.
France v NZ, Pool A, Paris, tomorrow 7.15am, SS1 & Stuff
Italy v Namibia, Pool A, Saint-Etienne, tomorrow 11pm, SS1
Ireland v Romania, Pool B, Bordeaux, Sunday 1.30am, SS1
Australia v Georgia, Pool C, Paris, Sunday 4am, SS1
England v Argentina, Pool D, Marseille, Sunday 7am, SS1
Japan v Chile, Pool D, Toulouse, Sunday 11pm, SS1
South Africa v Scotland, Pool B, Marseille, Monday 3.45am, SS1
Wales v Fiji, Pool D, Bordeaux, Monday 7am, SS1
***
Sticking with rugby, and my former colleague Gregor Paul, this was an oddly personal review of his book Black Gold, that appeared on Newsroom.
I haven’t had a chance to read the book about the commercialisation of the All Blacks, subtitled Power, Money, & the Team that Reshaped Rugby (it’s on my ‘to-do’ list) so the broad criticism of it might be fair.
I do find it curious, however, that it was published without a disclaimer that the reviewer, David Cormack, is the brother of Charlotte McLaughlan, who is on New Zealand Rugby’s executive team as chief communications and brand officer.
When you understand that, rightly or wrongly, some of the lines in the review can be seen through a different lens.
Like this:
There is one mightily cringe introduction to Rob Nichol, head of the Player’s Association since conception, and the bête noire of the NZR over the Silver Lake negotiations. “Having grown up on Stewart Island, a small island off the south coast of the South Island, Nichol had a pioneering spirit – a capacity to forge through tough conditions – which was going to be handy in his new role.” Get a room, Gregor.
Okay, Paul might be laying it on a little thick, but introducing somebody by imbuing them with characteristics of place is hardly unique. How many times do we speak of the No8-wire qualities of New Zealanders, as just one example.
Telling him to get a room because he writes in praise of somebody who has butted heads with NZR seems less like a review and more like getting even.
***
Part of the motivation for Paul writing the book, I suspect, was the private equity deal signed with Silver Lake, which takes cents out of every dollar earned by NZR and puts it into someone else’s pockets in perpetuity.
It’s a story explored in considerable depth by ex-sports Herald and Stuff sports boss, and ex-Warriors CEO Trevor McKewen in this newly released podcast from Business Desk.
While we’re in the business of disclaimers, I was interviewed for the project so have an interest in the finished product, which early indications suggest is a formidable piece of sports journalism.
THE WEEK THAT WAS
The last thing the Commonwealth Games Federation needed was for its most recent host city to declare bankruptcy. So of course that’s what Birmingham has gone and done.
A former adviser to Birmingham City Council has said the hosting of the Commonwealth Games was a mistake given its legacy of financial problems.
Max Caller said last summer's event had been a “challenge too far” for a council beset with difficulties.
Birmingham pumped £778 million of public money - central and local - into the event.
While it was far from the only reason Birmingham found itself in a financial hole, the disparity between costs and income of hosting the Games is stark. The Games recouped just £43.2m in ticketing and £54.6m in commercial income.
The Commonwealth Games, much like the empire it once celebrated, is a fading force. This year the Victorian state government reneged on its commitment to host the 2026 event, leaving the federation scrambling for alternative hosts.
Birmingham only picked up the baton after Durban was stripped of its hosting rights by the CGF. In another blow, the Canadian state of Alberta, thus far the only interested party in bidding for 2030, decided it would not follow-up on its idea to bring the Games to its cities of Calgary and Alberta.
Birmingham’s plight stands as a cautionary tale for those municipalities that might be considering bringing in a nice but far from necessary event.
By my reckoning Te Kuiti’s finest Tom Bruce has scored 1998 first-class runs since the start of the 2021-22 Plunket Shield at an average of 80.
That figure includes three campaigns with New Zealand A, the last being the unexpected 2-0 ‘test’ series win over Australia in Australia that was completed last night. The 68-run victory in Mackay was set up by Bruce’s second innings 105 not out, which was a real captain’s knock. It was his fifth first-class century in two years, which includes two doubles.
His first-class average now stands at 49.5. Of those who have played for New Zealand as a specialist batter in a test since 2020, when he played the last of his 17 T20Is, only Kane Williamson (50.92) has a better first-class average. Bruce’s is significantly higher than Will Young (40.12), Daryl Mitchell (40.96), Rachin Ravindra (38.77), Glenn Phillips (41.70) and Henry Nicholls (38.96), who have all had at least one opportunity.
The right-hander is one of those players who fate has not treated well. He’s 32. Give or take a month or two, he, Mitchell, Devon Conway and Nicholls are basically the same age. Wiliamson is slightly older, Latham and Young slightly younger. So he is not going to be part of some youth movement, should Gary Stead ever look for a test re-set. The best Bruce can probably hope for is a one-off test here or there should injury hit and they’re looking to plug in an experienced hand.
While it’s tempting to say, as many of those who live in the central districts are inclined to, that Bruce’s omission is not a case of how you play but where you play (and I’m not averse to occasionally buying into this narrative), in this instance it’s not that simple. Bruce started his first-class career like a runaway train, but it derailed in the middle.
Bruce wasn’t poor between 2017 and 2021, but he was just a bog-standard batter who couldn’t convert starts to big scores. Approaching 30, he learned how to - in a big way. Last season I watched him toy with Auckland on Eden Park’s outer oval. He was playing a different game to anybody else.
It might have come a bit late to forge a decent test career, but there’s nothing wrong with being a first-class brute.
THE (REST OF THE) WEEKEND THAT WILL BE
This is the best league weekend of the season. Four playoffs, two teams putting themselves on the precipice of a grand final; two teams off to Look Sharp to pick up their Mad Monday attire. I fear a little for the Warriors in the hostile terrain of Sydney’s outer west, especially with the news that Shaun Johnson has been scratched. My faithful Warriors correspondent, Peter, is only slightly more upbeat. Here’s his take:
Never in my experience has the fervour for the Warriors been this high, and that includes the Grand Final years of 2002 and 2011. From the lady at Whitcoulls St Lukes, to the cabin crew on my flight to Christchurch, to the Romanian taxi-driver in Tauranga, it seems that this particular team has lit a rugby league fire and most of NZ is furiously fanning it.
You could imagine that many of these cheerleaders are new to the game but somehow keen to be swept up in the bromance between team and country.
And the game day signs! So many placards, designed at home with classic Kiwi humour, hoping to catch the cameras and express their unconditional love for their boys. The Go Media Stadium experience is truly electric.
So this Saturday shapes up to be a titanic clash between the juggernaut that is Penrith and the team that probably didn’t imagine they’d be there.
With all my heart and wearing my Lucky Cap, I’m trying to conjure up a vision of an 80 minutes where the Warriors come up with a plan to throw a spear into the 18-wheeler that is the Panthers machine.
Penrith are ruthless, controlling, disciplined and play the game at such a pace that the opposition is forced to give away set-restarts or penalties. With that possession, they then leave it to Nathan Cleary, who has all the qualities of the Terminator, to utilise his pinpoint kicking to win the territory battle.
The pack, led by the fearsome duo of James Fisher-Harris and Moses Leota, literally hurl themselves at the defensive line and with the best lock in the comp in Isaah Yeoh, they open up gaps in the middle to allow Stephen Crichton and Brian To’o to cross the tryline. Did I mention one of the best kick-return fullbacks, Dylan Edwards?
Mission Impossible? Perhaps. Our chances lie in a brilliant strategy dreamt up by the Coach of the Year (my opinion), Andrew ‘Jesus’ Webster, to overcome this imbalance and somehow disrupt the Panthers’ merciless efficiency. I can’t see us diverting from our style that has got us to top four but that won’t be good enough against the Blue Mountain Boys. Somehow we need every Warrior to play near his best game and for 80 minutes and that’s akin to picking the six Lotto numbers.
The pressure, however, is on the Panthers. As Bill Shakespeare said, there’s many a slip between cup and lip, so myself and most of Aotearoa are praying they have an off-night. What’s left to say but:
UP THE WAHS!
Brisbane v Melbourne, QF 1, Brisbane, tonight 9.50pm
Penrith v NZ Warriors, QF 2, Sydney, tomorrow 6.05pm
Cronulla v Easts, EF 1, Sydney, tomorrow 9.50pm
Newcastle v Canberra, EF 2, Newcastle, Sunday 6.05pm (all SS 4)
Nobody on the BYC picked the Black Caps to come from 0-2 to draw the T20I series with England. Are we giving them a chance in the four-match ODI series starting tonight? Hmmm, maybe.
England v NZ, 1st ODI, Cardiff, tonight 11.30pm, TVNZ+
With some sort of inevitability, we seem to be heading for the next chapter in the Carlos Alcaraz-Novak Djokovic rivalry. Before we get there, though, Alcaraz needs to beat Daniil Medvedez, for the purposes of this event a man of no nation, and Djokovic must overcome surprise American semifinalist Blake Shelton in the early semi.
The women’s final is almost set, with Atlantan Coco Gauff set to meet the winner of the semifinal between Aryna Sabalenka and Madison Keys, which was locked at one set all when “send” was pushed on this.
US Open, men’s semifinals, tomorrow 7am and 11am, TVNZ+
No matter the platform, mixed martial arts does nothing for me, so I won’t be shelling out hard earned to watch Israel Adesanya’s main event fight against Sean Strickland in the UFC 293 main event in Sydney. There is, however, an intriguing background to the event, with the Saudi Public Investment Fund pouring big money into one of UFC’s upstart competitors, PFL. Shares in UFC parent company Endeavor and WWE, the wrestling entertainment company UFC is merging with, took big hits this week. Adesanya is one of the brightest stars in the UFC galaxy - he could name his price to switch should he ever feel undervalued.
Also worth keeping an eye on is the start of the NFL season. The richest sports league in the world began today with the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs upset at home against the hungry Detroit Lions. The Ringer has done a bunch of rankings to prime you for the season. If you’re sick of rugby for a couple of hours, TVNZ+ has an intriguing matchup between the Miami Dolphins and LA Chargers on Monday morning.
Couple of quick cricket comments.
Firstly that was a serious achievement from NZ A. I don’t know how strong Oz A truly was but to go over there and win two red balls games on their turf is outstanding.
On Tom Bruce an anecdote: I happened to be in Hamilton last summer when England were playing the NZ XI captained by Bruce. I was staying at the same hotel as England and stepped into a lift full of their players and asked how their day had gone - they’d had a hard day in the field and one of them (didn’t recognise him) said “Bruce batted well, he’s a proper player”. A few nods suggested this was the consensus among the English boys.
A very well written article by Marc Hinton on the assessment of Ian Foster. A change from the sycophantic BS coming from the Herald's Grigor Paul and the talking heads at Sky. Not sure how welcome he will be with the “senior” AB’s but it is a breath of fresh air to get a bit of honesty for a change.