- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
All Blacks legends Jeff Wilson and John Kirwan launched an attack on the Australian Super Rugby franchises for lacking superstars, calling on Rugby Australia to cut a team, and predicting one way traffic later in the competition when the two countries’ franchises meet.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ The Breakdown, the pair said the number of Australian players based overseas had severely impacted the ability of those left behind to compete.
But while those two focussed on the issues with the Australian teams, it seems not everything is rosy across the ditch, with some scathing reviews of the level of play from the six NZ-based teams last weekend, notably from writer Jamie Wall for RNZ.
Wilson was asked by presenter Kirstie Stanway: “While we’ve got plenty of star power in New Zealand, the Aussies are struggling. Jeff, where the bloody hell are they?”
Wilson replied: “Where are they? They’re overseas and that’s a real challenge for me, that we’re doing a great job here in New Zealand at securing the majority of our talent but these guys the number of quality players they don’t have in Australia at the moment is definitely weakening their Super Rugby sides.
“Michael Hooper is not playing at the moment, Andrew Kellaway is not playing, who was outstanding last year. Because they’ve got five teams and then you remove this level of talent from across those sides, I think it’s damaging their Super Rugby chance but also some of their confidence as players, because they’re not here to make these connections with some of these guys.
“We need superstars in the game. We’ve got Ardie Savea on the top of his game, he’s a superstar, Will Jordan playing fantastic rugby. At the moment, I’m looking across Tasman and I’m going, ‘Where are they’? Where are the game-changers that we want to come and watch so it’s going to be a more even competition.”
Of course there is nothing new in Wilson’s comments – and RA recently decided against removing all eligibility restrictions to Wallabies jerseys.
“We’ve had this discussion before about Australia dropping a franchise and they don’t want to do it,” said Kirwan. “It’s going to kill their own rugby.
“We tried to get rid of the Force – we did get rid of the Force – and they blew up, and they started playing in a different competition backed by the mining millionaire [Andrew Forrest].
“They cannot afford to keep their pros. They have made a decision and I think it’s the wrong decision. They’re letting their players play overseas, but it’s damaging their rugby. And they’re not going to have the courage to drop a franchise.
Ardie Savea. (Dianne Manson/Getty Images)
“What’s going to happen? They’re going to get pumped again in Super Rugby. Their choice. Their strategic choice. Right thing for the game? [No]. Right thing for their fans? [No].”
Wilson criticised Australia’s new rules to change the threshold of 60 Tests to 30 – arguing it would make the domestic game even weaker.
“The Bledisloe Cup comes around really quickly. There’s a quick turnaround after those Tests in the middle of the year (and) they usually compete well,” Wilson said.
“By the time they get to us, most of their guys have hit a wall. They’ve been playing in every single game, and the bottom line is they just haven’t played together enough to be able to be competitive. Then they’re rolling guys back in from overseas.”
While the Kiwis were laying into the Australian teams, some of their number were also far from impressed by what has been served up across the ditch.
“Finally, after a long wait, all New Zealand-based Super Rugby teams were in action over the weekend. The problem was they all combined to completely stink up the joint in three forgettable games that should cause alarm for anyone involved in trying to sell this competition as a product,” wrote Wall in his weekly column.
“To call it bottom of the barrel is doing barrels a grave disservice, because even the one game with an admittedly exciting finish had it contrived partly through sheer stupidity.”
Wall said the competition was also suffering because of the nature of the draw, adjusted because of Covid to front end local derbies
“Annoyingly, the split between the New Zealand and Australian teams is very much making it feel like two separate competitions right now. It’s a shame, because the real highlight of the weekend, which was the Fijian Drua scoring a win over the Melbourne Rebels, was more than a decent watch. Let’s just hope the Kiwi teams can put this round behind them and get back to playing the way we know they can.”
Mark Hinton, meanwhile, says All Blacks coach Ian Foster may be concerned by the form of some of his regulars.
“It pays not to draw big-picture conclusions from early rounds as teams inevitably take time to come together as they assimilate late-arriving All Blacks and figure out latest law variations. Add Covid to the mix, and maybe even more so this year,” wrote Hinton on stuff.co.nz.
“But it’s unlikely All Blacks coach Ian Foster is doing flips of joy with what he’s seen thus far. Ardie Savea has been the exception, but, really, do we expect anything else from New Zealand’s best player of his generation? There have also been snippets from Sam Cane and Brodie Retallick at the Chiefs, and both Will Jordan and Jordie Barrett have played well at fullback.
“However if you’re thinking areas where Foster really needs to see progress, like at prop, the second row, No 8 and midfield, he is probably still waiting for the good news to roll in.
“Kiwi props, especially, have to start upping the ante around the park. Their French and Irish equivalents have showcased the skill levels needed in modern bookends. So far that challenge has yet to be met in this part of the world.”
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.