Former Wallaby Morgan Turinui says rugby relations with New Zealand are at the lowest point since 2003 in the wake of the unsavoury spat over the fate of Bledisloe 3.
Speaking on Stan Sport’s Rugby Heaven on Tuesday night, Turinui praised the All Blacks players for how they’d handled themselves but was critical of New Zealand Rugby officials.
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“This is as low as relations have been since 2003 when the Wallabies saved the Rugby World Cup by hosting it alone as opposed to hosting it with New Zealand,” Turinui said.
“The great John O’Neill threw a few grenades in his time but the last couple of days have been tough for the relationship.
“What we’ve learned is that Australian rugby did the right thing. When Rugby Australia asked for patience, maybe it would have been good for New Zealand to do it.”
Turinui also claimed NZR held Perth rugby fans hostage.
“I don’t think there’s any reason to think the All Blacks didn’t want to play the Bledisloe but New Zealand Rugby used 60,000 ticket holders for the Perth Test on the weekend as hostages to try and get some of the things in order that they wanted to.
“Some of it’s to do with the private equity deal and they’ve got issues with the players’ union around that.
“It’s been reported that they made moves to some promoters in the UK about hosting TRC and games over there.
“They’re trying to deny it but I know the company, I’ve had dealings with the company that they’re said to have dealt with – and they definitely have.
“We’ve also just heard that Ian Foster has been confirmed as the head coach through to the 2023 World Cup in France.
“The information is at board level and high up in New Zealand Rugby administration, this wasn’t a fait accompli.
“I’ve heard that twice the rugby committee has recommended to the board to confirm and re-contract Ian Foster through to the next World Cup and twice it was rejected by the board.
“There are significant elements within the boardroom that wanted Scott Robertson brought in as All Blacks head coach for the next two years… and they were trying to buy time. There’s been lots of backroom moves and manoeuvres high up at board level.”
Rugby Australia CEO Andy Marinos also appeared on Rugby Heaven and said there were still “open wounds” in the relationship with NZR over the dispute.
SANZAAR announced a new schedule for The Rugby Championship that will see Bledisloe 3 take place in perth and then all remaining games held in Queensland.
“We’ve got to be grown men about it and start focusing and moving forward,” Marinos added.
“The reality is, whether we like it or not, we are geographically linked and it is important that we continue to build that relationship for future generations and for the strength of rugby in the region.
“I’m certainly of a very positive and proactive mindset to keep moving forward and I think that’s what we need to do for rugby.
“And for the rugby public in this country, having these games, hopefully getting the certainty of the third match against New Zealand locked away, will really just be a good springboard for us to build the game in this country.”
piru
Roar Rookie
In fairness though, that's just the PM, it's not like she's an All Black
The Late News
Roar Rookie
totally correct!
Ankle-tapped Waterboy
Roar Rookie
You don't even want to know who is in who's pocket...
Ankle-tapped Waterboy
Roar Rookie
Yes, it's hard to jump the queue for NZ hotel quarantine. NZ being a country where the Prime Minister waited in queue like every other citizen for the COVID jab.
JD Kiwi
Roar Rookie
Certainly lots of rumours and innuendo at the moment!
TJ-Go Force!
Roar Rookie
It was more what they didn’t say or acknowledge… anyway evidently if you believe fox sports NZR delayed the game deliberately to curry favour with Players Union to help get Silverlake over the line. If true that’s appalling.
JD Kiwi
Roar Rookie
That's fine, they have a different opinion to you, doesn't mean that they are any more biased than you...
Micko
Roar Rookie
That's the problem; the dopey aussies have been copying the dopey kiwis for 25+ years...and look where it's got them! :thumbdown:
kgbagent
Roar Rookie
12.5% equity and no board members - some threat
kgbagent
Roar Rookie
Too many 'If's' NZ will find more dollars playing Japan and America than SA in the coming period. I find it amusing that a country with a severely devalued currency, whose best players flee off-shore, is touted as the financial saviour of NZR. Your argument is flawed as one win by Argentina ever, 2 by Ireland in about 100 years, once by England in 20 years does not make a trend. NZ don't play SA week in or out nor wish to. Don't pin your hopes on SA joining the 6N as I can't see them opening up to allow a team that will win more often that not. You think they would countenance the AB being part of the 6N? Not on your nelly.
kgbagent
Roar Rookie
You will be subservient till your model has success. So you forget that OZ are also seeking PE?
docrugby
Roar Rookie
"But then gone over and struggled against more physical teams" LOL They have been beaten by Argentina once...ever and the All Blacks response in the next Test was to pants them. They played Ireland in the 1/4 final of the 2019 WC and destroyed them. Pretty significant match wouldn't you say? They have beaten England 15 out of their previous 17 encounters. The Argentina loss last year and the English loss at the WC in 2019 are statistical anomalies. It happens from time to time but they are rare but that is the nature of, well, anything really. Every now and then there are statistical outliers, they are not trends. For you to say they struggle against more physical teams "Over there" is nonsense.
TJ-Go Force!
Roar Rookie
I said it was weak not them mate.
Republican
Guest
Australian NZ relationships have always been tenuous and require little provocation to reveal this fact. Union and indeed sport is a most poignant metaphor of this enduring farce. We are very different nations, much more so than a long held pretence suggests. To allude ourselves that our nations are somehow joined at the hip has been a liability and pressure on both nations for too long really. Our cultural, social, political, physical, economic et el persuasions bear very little resemblance, while we evolve more polarised with time. Rugby in this country epitomises this farce and is almost exclusively afforded O2 by NZ'ers, together with a shrinking Australian sub culture who still delude themselves that the code holds significant relevance to the sporting fabric of these fatal shores.
JD Kiwi
Roar Rookie
But if they agree with Whitelock they don't think it was a weak decision?
TJ-Go Force!
Roar Rookie
Disagree not once did they mention the impact it has had on RA, people of Perth, wallabies, Rennie and the sponsors. It’s fine agreeing with Whitelock but their failure to acknowledge the greater impact the weak decision NZR made was damning and out of character
The Late News
Roar Rookie
Local knowledge is vital JN. I have never been to Angola or Johannesburg. Beitbridge was as close as I got many many years ago!
Bobby
Roar Rookie
Good on Morgan sharing his views. A lot of NZ Hijackers are giving him "stick" but what can one expect !
JD Kiwi
Roar Rookie
Or, when you consider how unbiased they usually are, maybe it's just that they could see Whitelock's point of view?
TJ-Go Force!
Roar Rookie
I watched the Breakdown, Mils and JK were unusually quite biased towards the Kiwis on this occasion. They’re usually balanced on this occasion they weren’t though.