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It is a sad time. A solemn time. A day of remembrance to mark the tragic passing of Australian rugby, may they rest in pieces. Many will be hurting. Confused, bitter. Take comfort that like all things, this too will pass… and hopefully this time it won’t be fumbled.
As sure as night follows day, fans will be looking for someone to blame. Someone to say ‘It was me. I got it wrong’. Even better if that someone has some sort of link to Welsh heritage, even if only in name.
Eddie Jones. The second coming, the Messiah. The man who turns water into whine. Poor Eddie, the fighting talk and bold predictions turned out to be just words. He didn’t even hit the post.
Jones’ apologies and acceptance of blame will provide little comfort to Australian rugby fans. Neither will his comment that he was unsure if ‘we have hit rock bottom’. Any lower and he’ll be digging up dinosaur bones.
Samu Kerevi. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
To be fair to Jones, this was always a possible outcome when he took the poisoned schooner of coaching the Wallabies in January, during a world cup year. The most likely outcome. As good as Jones’ record is, it was a lot to ask.
Being kiwi, it is tempting to revel in Rugby Australia’s current disarray and public anguish. ‘Four more years, boys!’ comes to mind. However, I fear that the All Blacks may not be far behind Australia on the plane home. Glass houses and all that.
Like Australia, the All Blacks have been in decline. Many kiwis pin that blame on Ian Foster, a man collecting records faster than a hippy at a junk sale: first loss in pool play at a Rugby World Cup, biggest loss at a Rugby World Cup, biggest losing margin, first loss to Argentina, first series loss to Ireland.
I can’t recall a time when New Zealand’s confidence in the All Blacks or interest in domestic rugby has been lower. The long white cloud stretching across NZ rugby fields has become a fog of ambivalence.
Crowd attendances are down. Player numbers are dropping. Super Rugby is a misnomer. World rugby’s endless rule tinkering has strangled anything resembling running rugby.
Players dive in, enter from the side, hands on the ground and the whistle squeals: A player pinned to the ground is penalised for not rolling away. It’s frustrating.
Matches are decided by endless kicks for territory, mauls, penalties and cards meted out on the whims of referees attempting to decipher a rule book that belongs in the Da Vinci code. Or a house fire.
New Zealand players react after going down to France. (Photo by Xavier Laine/Getty Images)
The result is drawn-out confusing stop-start whistle fests, too often determined by over-zealous officials trying to avoid red marks in the post-match review of missed infringements.
Our northern hemisphere compatriots will cry sour grapes, the antipodeans are just unhappy the rules don’t suit their style. It’s a fair point. Running rugby is in our DNA and I’ve never understood why the English are so enthralled by shots at goal.
The NZRFU and ARU have a symbiotic relationship. We play each other more often than anyone else, whether in Super Rugby or Tests. We both benefit when the Wallabies and All Blacks are strong, the banter and rivalry fierce.
South African rugby are looking after themselves. So should we.
Australasian Rugby’s rich fruits have been withering on the vine for years. The respective rugby unions have failed to act, either through self-interest, arrogance or denial. If they don’t work together, they will haemorrhage more fans to the NRL, AFL and football.
Here’s my suggestion. What was wrong with rugby in the late 90s? There were plenty of tries, decent crowds and it was great to watch. Let the northern hemisphere keep their kicking competitions and we can run our own game, how we like it. Fast and furious.
What do you think, ‘Straya?
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.