Yes, the Reds beat the Chiefs – a win is a win – but it was won without the Chiefs’ star player, Damian McKenzie (red-carded in the first half) and with a 15 versus 14 advantage.
The first half scoreline of 33-3 dwindled to 40-34 in the second half after the Chief had the full 15 players but without McKenzie.
The 64 million-dollar question after the game was would the score have turned against the Reds if the Chiefs had a full team of 15 and with Damian McKenzie playing for the full 80 minutes? We will never know.
McKenzie’s absence actually gave a sour taste to the Reds’ win, but that is not to say they did not deserve it.
Despite that, unfortunately, my views on Australian rugby in general have not changed.
The fact remains that Australian rugby truly took a reality check in the last few weeks of the Trans-Tasman competition. The glory days of Australian rugby are now a very distant memory. Why is that?
Each week when I turn on the TV to watch a game, it’s like watching Aussies in rugby jerseys marching into the slaughterhouse. It was so painful to have to think the opening kick sets the stage for determining how many points the Kiwi teams would be planning to win by to embarrass the Aussies.
Nick McArdle and his panel of rugby experts on TV should just call a spade a spade. Just say out loud that we are simply not good enough. Not even close.
(Photo by Jono Searle/Getty Images)
All the provincial Kiwi teams are head and shoulders above the Aussie teams in almost every aspect of the game, especially the fact they can grind through for the full 80. Aussie teams are 40-minute teams and if they lasted the first 40, they will melt like butter towards the end of the second 40 minutes. It happened to the Reds against the Chiefs.
To be honest, there is nothing wrong with the quality of the Aussie players, they are as good, and many of them are even better than some of the Kiwi players with All Blacks experience. The fault lies with how they were coached and strategy and tactics to be used to confront each of these Kiwi teams.
As I said before, Australian rugby is one-dimensional, unimaginative and full of predictable tactics being used in every game when they have the ball in hand. Rarely will you see a sense of awareness for creativity and for individual brilliance.
Kiwi rugby is best exemplified by Damian McKenzie, Richie Mo’unga and Aaron Smith. They exhibit creativity and are always engaged in scenario-building with the ball in hand and are not hamstrung by having to play to script. They and other Kiwi players, especially the forwards, will force you to tackle them to the ground before they actually decide to fall with the ball. And you can see they would try to snake around and away from their opponents.
Whereas Aussie forwards, when they have the ball in hand, will invariably put their heads down and charge like a drunken bull into the opponent’s body. And our backs will purposefully run straight into the face of the opponent without making a real effort to find ways to avoid getting tackled.
As they say, insanity is defined as doing the same thing every weekend and expecting a different result on the rugby field.
The Bledisloe Cup? At this rate, the opening bet will be guessing how many tries the All Blacks will pile up on the Wallabies unless coach Dave Rennie can make the Aussie players think outside the box for the full 80 minutes when they have the ball in hand.
adam smith
Roar Rookie
Hahaha why would I be angry?! I enjoy calling out your fallacy’s & hypocrisy :laughing:…you expect me to respond to your so called “points”, but still haven’t produced a coherent argument. Also, you STILL haven’t answered how & when you asked every Kiwi on earth about the Trans-Tasman comp etc?!?! Hypocrite much?!?! :laughing:
Micko
Roar Rookie
That's because the NRL is an open comp that doesn't discriminate based on nationality or ethnic heritage. The NRL has a billion dollar plus product, but a shortage of quality players, as half of Australia prefers Australian football, and soccer has a big grassroots following in all the capital cities.
Micko
Roar Rookie
And what you did is ad hominem. You can’t argue against my points Adam. You’re just another thin skinned kiwi. I’ve got under your skin here, and all you can do is get angry. :silly:
Micko
Roar Rookie
Righto mate, great rebuttal of my points! :stoked: :thumbup:
adam smith
Roar Rookie
Doesn’t matter how many times you repeat the same statement ad-nauseam…doesn’t mean it’s true. In modern psychology, it’s call “Illusory Truth”…or the “Validity Effect” :laughing:
adam smith
Roar Rookie
But you keep repeating the same statement…& yet you don’t care?!?! I’ll leave you to your delusions then… :thumbup:
stillmissit
Roar Guru
Very true adam but I am a pommie and far more hated than any descendant from a criminal. In fact, my mates are quite proud to recognise their, 'stole a hanky' crims. Adam, I never expected freeborn kiwi's to come to this country and enter our jails so readily.
Reddy
Roar Rookie
The silver lake deal is necessary to keep a certain number of top talent in New Zealand. It is very hard to compete financially with the UK, France and japan. The deal was struck to keep the all blacks juggernaut strong.
Waxhead
Roar Rookie
@Adam as previously stated - I don't care :laughing:
Unders
Roar Pro
5 franchises is all fun until 2 of them become greatly incompetent. Rebels are dire, given they have some decent players like To'omua, Hodge, Koroibete etc. As a Brit, I understand that Melbourne is a heavily AFL and League dominated area with the recent success of Melbourne Storm. Similarly I view that Aussies prioritise the Baggy Green, AFL, League than the Wallaby Gold in sporting aspiration. It's safe to say that there are not many people in Melbourne who care about ruggers, yet the RA happily disband Western Force- Force have a genuine local, grassroots feel and is bolstered by their overseas signings and high British, Irish and Saffer expat. NSW is a dire mess too; how can Aussie's leading state only have youngsters as their best to offer? In my view the Rebels should be removed without a doubt but it'll never happen due to the supposed 'market' in Australia's second biggest economic hub. The likes of the Rebels core assimilating into the Force and Tahs and a few elsewhere would mean 4 strong, competitive Australian teams that may not win everything, but surely won't get a beating week in week out.
JRVJ
Roar Rookie
Still viable, though.
Micko
Roar Rookie
It was only viable because South Africa provided the majority of the broadcast revenue.
JRVJ
Roar Rookie
There's only so many elite Rugby Union sides in the world, so there's only so many permutations you can aim for. Japan may eventually be good enough to beat Oz (and maybe even NZ) regularly, but its not exactly close to you guys. And I really don't see any up and coming side in the world that could possibly enter into the Tier 1 ranks (or even the top-tier 2 sides).
JRVJ
Roar Rookie
We'll see if Australia benefits or doesn't benefit from the current set-up. And SR was viable for over 20 years, and was only taken down by the pandemic. Yes, I know some fans in Australia griped constantly about it, but it was very much a one-country view.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Well, there'll be that PI franchise run out of Auckland. But NZ can't afford a new one (that they have to pay for) it as they're already looking to sell themselves to private equity just to help fund their current system.
adam smith
Roar Rookie
The irony of mocking Kiwi’s for being criminals yet being born in a country “founded” by them (criminals)…& more then likely, descended from one :laughing:
adam smith
Roar Rookie
This tired old trope…have you not seen how many Kiwis play in the NRL?
TJ-Go Force!
Roar Rookie
Anytime big man, happy to help you guys out. :silly:
Paulo
Roar Rookie
If JOC and Tait were Kiwis, they would be playing Cricket. Sorry mate, see TJs comment, he said we could use all the excuses for a loss... so... I took him up on it.
Paulo
Roar Rookie
“Kiwis can use all the excuses in the world when they lose.” We can?!? Woohoo!! Hear that guys? TJ said ‘yes’!