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There’s growing optimism across the ditch that New Zealand can win both the cricket and rugby World Cups this year.
That’s a major culture change for the Kiwis, where cricket has always been the poor relation to rugby in the Shaky Isles.
Not any more.
New Zealand have been in great form leading into the Cricket World Cup, and on Saturday they gave Sri Lanka a 98-run workout in Christchurch to further advance their claims, and enhance their new culture.
The double feat in the same calendar year has only been achieved once, when Australia won both Cups in 1999, beating Pakistan by eight wickets at Lords, and giving France a 39-12 rugby lesson at the Millennium Stadium World Cup final.
The Australians went close to repeating the dose four years later by winning the Cricket World Cup over India by 125 runs at the Wanderers in Johannesburg, but the Wallabies were beaten 20-17 in extra time by England in the final of the rugby version at Telstra Stadium in Sydney.
It would be fair to say Australia and New Zealand are the two top selections for Cricket World Cup honours, with South Africa the smoky, providing the Proteas have left their choking pills at home.
Since they were readmitted in 1996 after years of sporting isolation over apartheid, their results have been very poor for a very good side.
The South Africans have never reached a Cricket World Cup final in six attempts, despite qualifying for three semis in 1992, 1999, and 2007 and reaching two quarters in 1996 and 2011. They have only failed to get out of the pool stage once – in 2003.
The South Africans open their campaign today against Zimbabwe at Hamilton in New Zealand, hoping to emulate the Kiwis’ 98-run win over Sri Lanka, and the Australian’s 111-run thumping of England in front of 84,336 at the MCG.
As for the Rugby World Cup, the All Blacks are not only the defending champions, but they too must leave their choking pills at home.
There have been seven Rugby World Cups, and the All Blacks have won the first (1987) and the last (2011) – both at their fortress Eden Park, and both against France 29-9 and 8-7 respectively.
Yet the men in black have been either the best, or second best team in all seven Rugby World Cups, but have only won two, and were beaten 15-12 by the Boks in extra time in 1995 at Ellis Park.
In their other four appearances, the All Blacks were beaten in the semis three times in 1991, 1999 and 2003, and beaten in the quarters in 2007 – far better results than the South African cricketers, but well below the lofty standards expected of the All Blacks.
But it’s the Cricket World Cup that holds the immediate attention, with the February 28 clash between New Zealand and Australia at Eden Park likely to decide the pool winner, and the bragging rights for the pointy end of the six-week tournament.