Forget about the All Blacks v Wallabies – as a sports lover, I want to see the All Blacks v the Kangaroos.
And I want to see it in all its hyped up glory, in an annual three Test home and away series with Ray Warren and Keith Quinn commentating.
Yes, I love the hype and intensity State of Origin.
Yes, I love the history and drama of the All Blacks v Springboks.
But the All Blacks v Kangaroos is the ultimate Trans-Tasman clash and one that the world has been waiting for since 1908.
I enjoy rugby union immensely. I will watch Toulouse v Toulon and marvel at the passion of the crowds, even if the scoreline is divisible by three and the game is full of collapsed scrums.
I’ll watch England v Wales and shudder with excitement as the Six Nations comes to another thrilling climax.
But the Wallabies just don’t cut it with me anymore.
In fact, the thought of rugby union in Australia fills me with apathy and emptiness, much like the under-populated stadium at the Gold Coast Sevens did yesterday.
I probably won’t even watch the upcoming Dunedin Test after the haka and national anthems have finished.
There’s no prestige in the Bledisloe Cup anymore. It’s like the 1950s and 1960s when the All Blacks had it for 30 years, and when “Pinetree” Meads and his ilk saw Tests against the Wallabies as training runs for the serious business of dealing with South Africa and Wales.
There’s a million theories as to how and why rugby union in Australia has declined since 2003.
For mine, it has a lot to do with the fact the game cannot capture the imagination and footballing talent of working class as long as it continues to be run by the Old Boys’ Club, and as long as the ARU controls the professional game below the Wallabies.
There needs to be an NRL-like club competition focused squarely on Sydney. The desire for a national footprint is a pipe-dream that needs to be shelved, because it spreads talent and media focus too thinly across a country that is 31 times the size of the UK but has 45 million less people.
That on top of the fact there is very little public support or media attention for union outside of NSW and Queensland.
For now at least, an All Blacks v Kangaroos series is a pipe-dream too, but this is the clash league, union and general sport fans around the world would want to see.
The superior footballing talent in Australia has always played league, while in New Zealand, they’ve been in union. Both teams have fashioned similar histories, full of legendary players and matches, successes, notoriety and respect.
It is one of the great tragedies of sport that the outstanding players in these two teams have been prevented from meeting on the field through the ages because of the code divide.
I also find it intriguing that a great number of the male population on both sides of the Tasman are seemingly born to play rugby – our great running and tackling game, whether union or league – as opposed to other sports.
This natural affinity of the public and the finest athletes for the rugby game in both countries makes the code divide even more tragic.
Putting aside the issue of what rules would be played, here’s what a clash of these titans would look like on paper in 2013.
I’ve selected teams of 14 players each (dropping one union flanker and calling the remaining one a ‘wing forward’), used rugby league positional numbering, and selected Sonny Bill Williams for the All Blacks.
1. Fullback: Billy Slater v Israel Dagg
2. Wing: Darius Boyd v Julian Savea
3. Wing: Brett Morris v Ben Smith
4. Outside Centre: Greg Inglis v Conrad Smith
5. Inside Centre: Michael Jennings v Sonny Bill Williams
6. Flyhalf: Jonathan Thurston v Dan Carter
7. Halfback: Cooper Cronk v Aaron Smith
8. Prop: Matthew Scott v Tony Woodcock
9. Hooker: Cameron Smith v Dane Coles
10. Prop: James Tamou v Ben Franks
11. Second Row: Greg Bird v Brodie Retallick
12. Second Row: Sam Thaiday v Sam Whitelock
13. Back Row: Paul Gallen v Kieran Read
14: Wing Forward: Robbie Farah v Richie McCaw
A fixture involving an array of talent like this would certainly breathe life back into the Bledisloe Cup.
lachy
Guest
Great idea, you are on to it with making it a 14 man game here are the rules. union scrum rules ,Time off when setting and resetting any scrums so as not to take up playing time. Flankers may unbind early but must then rebind to the other side of the scrum ( tactical to create extra man effectively as play looks to develop). Play the ball league style when player taken to ground in tackle. Mauls may develop where player is not taken to ground as per union rules, no held call available where player not taken to ground,forward momentum from team in possession with maul earns ball back once momentum stops for 5 seconds so long as forward of position where maul began, otherwise scrum set and ball to defending team, player maybe stripped even if more than one tackler. maximum set of tackles 10 then ball must be turned over. line outs, .40/20s as per league rules (scrum instead of lineout).offside line 5 metres back (compromise rule) No marks called.Ball carried back behind tryline and placed or taken out of play 5 metre scrum to attacking team, ball placed and not taken back behind tryline 20 metre restart. 6 substitutions allowed and blood bin temporary sub. try 4points conv 1 point dropgoal 2points penalty 2points. Penalties taken to touch lineout to team with penalty, advantage rules apply
Patrick
Guest
Yeah, I would like to see it as well.
ads2600
Guest
A hybrid game was played between the best school league versus the best school union team in Australia a little while ago, with the union school flogging the league school. Also in Nz this year Rotorua boys high made the semi finals in Union, and then took the exact same team to the league nationals...and won. So in regards to results, I think it's clear to see, that people should play/watch whatever sport they want, and if they dont like one or the other, dont play or watch... ;)
Alvin Purple
Guest
So why didnt a TV channel pay a Billion plus for the rights like the did with the AFL and NRL? Youre argument that a one off game 1o years ago somehow translates into a more popular sport does not make sense. Heck I watch the Australian Open tennis final each year but have no real interest in the game outside of this
DougRedsfan1
Guest
yes this is quite possibly the dumbest article published on the Roar.
russell johnson
Guest
Yes they would struggle with all the aspects that make yawnion so exciting!
russell johnson
Guest
This is too stupid to take up the argument!
Donna
Guest
What a beautiful idea...Dont think it would ever eventuate, but just reading the line up gets your heart racing
In Brief
Guest
Interesting comment Katipo. Way back when rugby was amateur they did a battle of the codes thing in Australia. From memory it definitely included league, union, and possible AFL and soccer. The fittest guy was Simon Poidovin, the flanker who played for Randwick, the Waratahs and the Wallabies.
KCR
Guest
Please name the players in league, AFL, Soccer, Cricket, ping pong or any Australian sport that would save the Wallaby scrum and set piece?
Katipo
Guest
@John Being objective, the union forwards might struggle to run backwards to the league ten meter off-side line quick enough every 6 tackles. Fair enough. But no league players would cover as many kilometers in 80 minutes as the two flankers in union who rove the entire field chasing the ball on attack and defence. The two flankers are the extra positions in a union team and there is no similar role in league where many players walk when they are away from the play the ball area. And that's another reason we see so few league players transition to forward play in union. Loose forwards in union require aerobic stamina not required of a league forward who needs short bursts of explosive power. I;m not saying one is better than the other. They are just different.
John
Guest
Union play only stops when there is an infringement haha, that is the funniest thing I have read for a long time. Not withholding the fact that barely a few seconds goes by without an infringement, the game stops almost every time there is a tackle and certainly does as much as it does in League.
John
Guest
Is that a joke, Powell was wanted by other RU clubs both in England and Wales, never mind France but he wanted to play League after playing it as a teenager. Dai Young was distinctly average, albeit much better than Stuart Evans who was absolutely awful. Then you had the likes of Shem tatupu etc haha. You do also realise that Rugby League was part time back in those days and a much different game than today. In todays game Union fowards just do not have the fitness, speed or agility to keep up and the game simply has no place for plodding Union forwards.
soapit
Guest
thats pretty decent, i'd get sbw out of centre mainly cos they gave him a go there previously in league and he was better in second row. daggs boots a bit wasted in league as well. maybe jane would be better with the high ball. like your halves and hooker though. as with the team below the big question would be how the forwards would go taking and stopping hit ups.
Quakezone
Guest
1. Israel Dagg 2. Julian Savea 3. Ma'a nonu 4. SBW 5. Charles Piutau 6. Dan Carter 7. Aron Cruden 8. Liam Messam 9. Araon Smith 10. Jerome Kaino 11. Keiran Read 12. Richie McCaw 13. Ardie Savea
soapit
Guest
oz rugby players get paid more than their league counterparts? leagues pretty flush with cash at the mo whereas the aru is tightening its belt big time.
soapit
Guest
change provincial to super then. really wasnt a key part of my point i dont know why they would think that. there are several examples of players doing it successfully with one pre season and not too many of those who have failed
soapit
Guest
none of which really makes a case either way. look at the standard overall rather than one or two select nations/matches.
Aucks Warriors
Guest
No, Its the money and playing international test matches in rugby union which stops them from switching.
Aucks Warriors
Guest
You do know super rugby teams/franchises are very much the same as NRL clubs/franchises. The days of provincials in rugby terms are long gone after the sport went professional. Its the thought of been a failure that turns NRL forwards off going to rugby union because its harder to make the transition unlike the backs which is very similar.