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It’s one of the largest trophy cups in any sport and certainly the largest, physically, in rugby. New Zealand and Australia, the titans of the rugby world, trade tackles, scrums and hits every year to compete for the Bledisloe.
It’s one of the oldest rivals and traditions in the rugby world stretching back to 1931 or 1932 – depending on who you talk to.
Lord Bledisloe, a former governor-general of New Zealand, wanted to present a trophy to the winner of a recurring rugby match between the two nations. So the competition and rivalry was truly born.
For the past 80 years or so New Zealand have dominated the competition between the two nations and it’s fair to say that their dominance is felt throughout the rugby world. This leads me to the point of the ‘fairness’ of the Bledisloe. I use the term ‘fairness’ as I cannot think of another word that could describe the imbalance of the competition.
Australia play rugby as well as any other nation and have won two Rugby World Cups. Their ability to win big competitions isn’t in doubt. They play the same game as New Zealand and follow the same rules. Neither team is given a special advantage over the other and each start on the same footing at the beginning of the season. So why the imbalance?
New Zealand have now held the cup for the past eleven seasons, one short of the record twelve times. The Bledisloe wasn’t always played annually so New Zealand managed to keep the cup between 1951 and 1978 and only played for the Bledisloe twelve times.
Over the course of the Bledisloe, New Zealand have a huge win-loss record over Australia and, as it stands, New Zealand have won it forty-one times and Australia, twelve. Those numbers are massively skewed, so it’s fair to say that the imbalance of the Bledisloe is legitimate.
I am in no way trying to take away the legitimacy of the Bledisloe competition, but there has to be something said about the gulf between the two nations. Since the International Rugby Board introduced rankings in 2003, Australia has never been number one. There have been one or two teams other than New Zealand at the top, but Australia isn’t one of them.
The Bledisloe is akin to an underdog continually getting into a fight knowing that the opposition is bigger, better and faster. The underdog may get a few good punches in and may win a round or two, but the fight is way beyond reach. It seems that Australia will always have the underdog tag, so long as New Zealanders keep pulling on the black jersey and throw a rugby ball around.
This leads to the eternal question on how to ‘fix’ Australian rugby. There have been endless debates and proposals to make Australia a feared rugby team and there have been times when The Wallabies have reached the summit. But to sustain the dominance a la All Blacks, is a problem that commentators and bloggers have wrestled with for years.
Are the coaches to blame?
The coaches are appointed by the board of administrators and do hold some responsibility. In fact, some coaches have a cult following during and after their services. Some that come to mind are Bob Dwyer, Rod Macqueen and Alan Jones. Under these coaches, Australia had between a 63 per cent and 79 per cent win record.
Rod Macqueen was the most successful coach of the modern era and took Australia to a World Cup victory and five years of Bledisloe victory. These numbers do say something about the importance of a coach, but it can’t all be placed on the coaches’ shoulders.
The administrators control the game behind closed doors and should take some of the responsibility, as their appointments have a trickle-down effect to the field and the performance of the players. From the coaches to the support staff, that we never really see, the administrators control it all and if the right person isn’t found for the right job, a team can suffer.
The players have to perform on the field. It’s as simple as that. For performance to shine, a good team chemistry needs to exist. The trust that players have in each other is crucial to the overall team performance. This includes the captain and the leadership core.
It will be a long time before anyone forgets John Eales and Andrew Slack. These men and many others like them are the heartbeat on the field and are able to rally their troops in desperate and pressure situations.
Another factor in the success of the team is the fans and spectators. The force that surrounds a home field is most definitely felt by the players and home games become something special. But it is up to us to make the players feel as though the fifteen men on the field have an army behind them. We have to spread far and wide to show our support and educate others in the sport that we love.
Fixing a team that systematically gets beaten by rivals is no easy task, but it can be done.
Australia are building themselves into a competitive team. A new coach is at the helm, sitting on a 50 per cent win-loss ratio, and star players are making a name for themselves. New and exciting players are coming through and with correct mentoring and coaching, some may become legends. But it requires all the factors mentioned above to click as one.
New Zealand seem to solve this issue early on, school boys who play the game have rugby bred into their blood and the natural talent needs just a little coaxing.
I cannot speak on why New Zealand is so good at this game, but I can say that their dominance hasn’t been matched in a long time and it’s about time Australia rip the Bledisloe back.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.