Where was the outrage?!

PLUS: The Week That Was and the Weekend That Will Be

There is usually nothing quite like an All Black loss to mobilise the nation’s armchair sporting experts for battle, but there has been an absence of sound and fury in the week that followed the Gold Coast misadventure. The muted response to the loss, which capped two poor performances against the Boks in succession, was understandable on a few levels, and a little worrying on another.

Understandable reason #1: The All Blacks had already wrapped up the Rugby Championship with something to spare, and had locked the Bledisloe Cup away (the Wallabies have not won a pivotal Bledisloe Cup match since Austin Powers in Goldmember was No 1 at the box office), so it was a case of primary mission accomplished.

Understandable reason #2: The country’s biggest city has been in a restrictive lockdown for two months and, quite honestly, the hard graft of the nation’s flagship sporting franchise is not comparable to the struggles of many of our friends and neighbours at this point in history.

Understandable reason #3: For more than 20 years, the main vehicle for the airing of All Black grievances was Radio Sport, but that was “de-platformed” last year. In its place we now have SENZ, but the station is still in the gaining-traction phase and, I suspect, hasn’t got the agitators behind the microphone to turn molehills into mountains. Put it this way, Deaks wouldn’t have let Ian Foster off the hook.

Ian Foster walks carefree in a world of rugby indifference. Photo / Getty Images

Dubious reason #1: “It’s not a bad time to get a reality check”, aka “the loss will do the All Blacks a world of good”. This is the modern refrain and when your sense of worth revolves around a tournament that happens every four years, there might be logic to it. In the main, however, it’s a form of rationalisation that has no place in the All Black lexicon: the very reason they have compiled a ludicrous winning percentage is because every test is treated as a World Cup final. The sudden switch to a “the odd loss won’t hurt” sensibility feels like the thin edge of the wedge.

Dubious reason #2: We’re all grown up now. (I would have happily bought this argument until I started reading about 100 Covid “reckons” too many.)

Worrying reason #1: We just don’t care as much as we used to. 

I feel guilty about saying this, but I kind of miss the bubbling pot of misplaced anger. Not so much the trenchant criticism, which was invariably over the top and irrational, but I miss the comfort of the cycle: the All Blacks lose → outrage on the airwaves → feigned outrage at the outrage on the airwaves → a few deep breaths → debate who needs to be dropped → further outrage if your selection wishes aren’t met → the All Blacks win next test → the world makes sense again (apart from that thing that happened in the test that wouldn’t have happened if they’d picked the right team). Rinse-repeat.

Anyway, even if the king tide of opprobrium never hit, there was still…

THE WEEK THAT WAS

We are living in interesting times, so everything needs to come with a caveat but the increasingly unloved NPC has been shafted by circumstance and indifference. The big news was that the three Super City unions - Counties Manukau, North Harbour and Auckland - were forced to withdraw from the Bunnings Cup, potentially losing millions in the process, as detailed here in the Herald. That could have reverberations down the line, with the potential for promotion-relegation between the Premiership and Championship to be scrapped.

The integrity of the Farah Palmer Cup has also been damaged, possibly even more so than the Bunnings Cup. While Waikato managed to get out of town before that region was put into lockdown, no Black Ferns are available as they are in camp before the tour to Europe. Radio NZ asked, “Has the gloss been taken off the FPC?” The answer, sadly, is abso-bloody-lutely. 

Speaking of integrity, one of the most unintentionally funny stories of the week was the non-release of the Taranaki Rugby Football Union’s investigation into the alcohol-fuelled brawl involving players and staff after their NPC opener against Hawke’s Bay in August. TRFU chairman Andrew Thompson said the findings of the report would remain confidential, including the identities of the one playing member and two members of coaching staff involved in the altercation. This is the epitome of futility. I haven’t lived on the Costa del Naki since the early ’90s but knew everything that happened and everyone involved within hours of the swedge. If you want to start Fight Club, don’t do it in New Plymouth unless you want to change the mantra to: “The only rule of Fight Club is you have to tell everybody about Fight Club.”

Manu Vatuvei’s fall is nearly complete. No words, just a link to the story and genuine sadness (not to be mistaken for sympathy).

Photo / Getty Images

The purest cricket venue outside of St John’s Wood has got a naming rights sponsor. It is now the Cello Basin Reserve and will be followed by Viola Hagley Oval, Violin Bay Oval and Bass Seddon Park to make up the best string section in international cricket. Expect Wagner to feature. (Hey, I never promised to steer clear of lame jokes!)

Saudi Arabia bought a Premier League team. It’s time for Barney Ronay to get all Guardian on the world, so strap in for lines like this: “While we’re telling it like it is, there is also something wretched, hypocritical and deeply depressing in English football’s willingness to welcome into its elite members’ club the blood-soaked, repressive, deeply discriminatory Saudi state.” Go get 'em Barney!

Look who’s got himself a football team. Photo / Getty Images

THE WEEKEND THAT WILL BE

Fresh from Oleksandr Usyk tilting the heavyweight world off its axis by beating Anthony Joshua, we have another potential blockbuster with Tyson Fury meeting Deontay Wilder in their trilogy fight. Fury leads 1-0 after a controversial draw in their first fight. Fury will win again, says Fury’s dad.

Fury v Wilder III, Las Vegas, Sunday 2pm, Sky Sport Arena $39.95

The Farah Palmer Cup final isn’t everything it should be (see above), but it’s still on.

Canterbury v Waikato, Christchurch, tomorrow 2pm, Sky Sport 1

It could be time to start getting to know the name Liam Lawson a bit more. 

DTM Round 8 Race 1, Norisring, Sunday 12.15am, Spark Sport

Meanwhile, the drama-filled F1circuit moves to Turkey and it is possible championship leader Lewis Hamilton will be starting from the back of the grid.

Turkish GP, Istanbul, Monday 1am, Spark Sport

The MLB playoffs are underway and there’s a few more sneaky-quiet baseball fanatics in this country than you might imagine, including the last of the bogan polymaths Matt Heath. He’s a devotee of the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers who are now based out of Los Angeles and had to sit through the agony of a sudden death wildcard game against the St Louis Cardinals just to make it into the National League Division Series against hated rivals the San Francisco Giants. The only reason I mention this is because we shared this NSFW text exchange during the wildcard match and I was a soothsayer.

Yes Matt, you are.

Giants v Dodgers, San Francisco, tomorrow, 2.37pm, ESPN

Thanks from The Bounce!

Thanks to all who have signed up in the first month of The Bounce. It means a lot to see that there is an appetite and audience for this newsletter. There is a real community building here and I especially want to thank those who have contributed hard-earned dollars to my cause. My mission is to promote quality, independent sports writing and to hold truth to power. Your contributions have enabled me to make the first tentative steps towards that goal.

Nga mihi,

Dylan