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Wallabies players Harry Wilson and Tate McDermott have revealed the players’ disappointment with the Bledisloe 3 postponement, while Rugby Australia CEO Andy Marinos says the game could be played in Perth on September 4.
Marinos, speaking on Sports Sunday on Channel Nine, reaffirmed Rugby Australia’s disappointment at how New Zealand postponed the trip making a game next weekend impossible.
“We are working hard with the Western Australian government and the stadium to see if we can’t move it to September 4. There is a lot of work that has been done in the last 24-48 hours,” Marinos said.
Tate McDermott passes during a Wallabies training session. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
With speculation that the game and the remainder of The Rugby Championship could be moved to South Africa or Europe, Marinos made it clear WA remained the first choice.
“We remain optimistic and confident we can get the game away eventually in Perth,” he said.
He was asked to go over the timeline again from Friday in the latest media-led exchange between he and New Zealand Rugby CEO Mark Robinson.
“The context around that is we had an emergency call on the Thursday morning to get clarity around the future structure,” Marinos said.
“South Africa had given us a very clear indication that they could host the Tri-Nations. So we had certainty that if we couldn’t deliver it in Australia we could go to South Africa as a fall back.
“Mark and the NZ guys put a pretty unrealistic deadline on us of 12 oclock Friday. I was on a call with them on Friday to ask them to give us some time until 3 o’clock when we had a final SANZAAR call to make a final decision.
“They weren’t prepared to do that.
“They were pretty admant in their decision, but at no stage in that time did he make any mention of the fact he was going to be making a public statement about this.
“That’s what’s completely blindsided us – they unilaterally just went and made a public statement before we had an opportunity to engage as a SANZAAR group and for us to understand to understand the enormity of the decision they’d taken.
“It was pretty clear to me they never had ny intention of fulfilling that game on the 28th.”
Marinos was asked where the situation left the relationship with New Zealand.
“It’s challenging,” Marinos said. “Obviously you are the biggest competitors on the field. I think everyone is just trying to maximise and get the best possible outcomes given we’re operating in a COVID-induced environment.
“The challenge for us is we feel as an organisation, as players, there’s been a significant amount of compromise and sacrifice on our side in order to manage this COVID outbreak and get things underway and we don’t feel that’s being reciprocated at the moment.
“They forever seem to be putting up roadblocks. When you consider what our team has been through, getting over to New Zealand at the drop of a hat and sitting there with no certainty over the future, and having been on the road since June 12 away from family we expect more of a compromise and more of a partnership approach.
“It is challenging but for the good of the game we will continue to work though and continue to live the values of this game.”
Wallabies forward Harry Wilson, speaking at a club engagement in Perth, said the players were struggling with the decision.
“The boys are shattered with the news,” said Wilson.
“We’ve been preparing, learning the rights and wrongs from the last Test against them.
“It’s a few days now to get over it, a few relaxing days before we get back to rip in to hopefully verse them sometimes soon.
Tate McDermott added: “From the players’ point of view it’s incredibly disappointing and frustrating.
“Given our past two results against the Kiwis we had a perfect chance to put on a good show for the Perth community and rectify our wrongs in those first two games.
“Hopefully we do get that game on the fourth.”