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Geoff is a Melbourne based sports fanatic and writer, who started contributing to The Roar in 2012, originally under the pen name Allanthus. His first book, A World in Conflict; the Global Battle For Rugby Supremacy was released in Dec 2017 to critical acclaim. For details on the book visit www.geoffparkes.com Meanwhile, his twin goals of achieving a single figure golf handicap and owning a fast racehorse remain tantalisingly out of reach.
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On Saturday, All Black captain Sam Cane made his debut appearance for King Country, in the lower depths of New Zealand Rugby’s Heartland Championship, playing 57 minutes in their 13-48 loss to Whanganui.
It was a near run thing, but we got there in the end. Defying delta, trans-Tasman spats, a captain’s photoshoot missing 25 per cent of the captains, a team tagged as the most boring in the history of rugby, pommy referees and an ill-advised sojourn to a Byron Bay day spa, the 2021 Rugby Championship […]
Last year’s international season had a huge, South African-sized asterisk attached to it. This year, despite another bunch of Covid generated asterisks, the four SANZAAR nations, against overwhelming odds, somehow managed to cobble together a meaningful tournament, with a great conclusion.
Saturday’s long awaited centenary Test between rugby’s two world heavyweights may have been full of imperfections, but such is the joy of rugby. It was also a match full of gripping tension, borne of character and a classic contrast of styles.
It all began on the 13th August 1921. New Zealand versus South Africa may not be rugby’s oldest rivalry, but incorporating the two nations who take rugby more seriously than anyone else, it is indisputably the game’s greatest.
Older readers will recall the 1960s science fiction series Lost in Space, in which the Robinson family, at the hand of the evil Dr Zachary Smith, found themselves careering off course into the depths of space.
In the way that television broadcasters like to construct a narrative, anyone watching the lead-up to Stan Sport’s coverage of last night’s Rugby Championship Test between the Wallabies and Springboks would have been excused for thinking that this match was all about Quade Cooper.
For all of the All Blacks’ nineteen-year long dominance over Australia, it is worth pointing out that a clean sweep of matches has only been achieved three times in the last decade.
No rugby was played this weekend, but with the remnants of several recent unsavoury events still lingering in the air like a Faf de Klerk box kick, it felt like a good time to take stock of where the game of rugby currently sits.
COVID is doing strange things to people. Originally thought to be a respiratory virus, the delta variant has since been shown to attack common sense and rational thought and turn people – who more than ever should be supporting each other – against each other.
It says a lot that the record 57-22 loss to the All Blacks in Auckland on Saturday, was not the worst thing to happen to Australian rugby over the last few days.
Magic Round, held in Brisbane on May 14-16, was the moment rugby league changed direction and finally got serious about concussion.
Since their last win at Eden Park in 1986, the Wallabies have endured what is now 21 straight losses at New Zealand’s home of rugby, many by margins in excess of 20 and 30 points.
When all of the nonsense associated with this Lions versus South Africa series is stripped away – and that will take some doing – what will be left is a measure of both sides against rugby’s base elements.
A week on from Australia’s thrilling 33-30 third Test victory against France in Brisbane, it felt like a good time to ask Rugby Australia’s Director of Rugby, Scott Johnson, about the importance of the series win for the Wallabies.
The “red cards ruin matches” brigade were out early in Brisbane on Saturday night; in the fifth minute to be precise, with match officials conspiring to dismiss Marika Koroibete, and seemingly hand the three-match series to France on a platter.
This time a week ago, anticipating the first Test match of the season, one simple objective was identified. After only one win in Dave Rennie’s first year, the Wallabies needed to beat France by whatever means, by whatever margin, and get their season started on a positive track.
Last week, in part-one, we looked at the wide-ranging responsibilities of a captain, how these have historically been ill-defined, and how informal and formal leadership groups have become en-vogue, so as to spread the load, and to better prepare future captains.
In ten days the 2021 international season kicks off in Brisbane when Australia takes on France in a fixture rescheduled to Suncorp Stadium.
Having met your good wife Carlos, I’m sure she’d never use such a word against you!
The Wrap: Why Sam Cane and Kieran Read are poles apart and why it matters
Cheers KP.
ABJ is otherwise occupied at the moment, on his crusade to have Kurtley Beale recalled for the Wallabies. So far, no luck.
The Wrap: Why Sam Cane and Kieran Read are poles apart and why it matters
Very good question, Chook. We don’t need it.
The Wrap: Why Sam Cane and Kieran Read are poles apart and why it matters
“Pity this sort of thing does not happen more often.”
Absolutely mz, but such is the way of the world these days.
Mangakino sits in the very north of the King Country – as soon as you cross the Waikato river and head towards Tokoroa (Quade Cooper country) then you’re in the Waikato province. As you’d imagine, it’s quite a sparsely populated area all through there. Just farms and forests.
As you would have seen from the map, Sam Cane’s town of Reperoa is quite close to there, but because it is further east and north, it links more to Rotorua, and thus falls into the Bay of Plenty province.
The Wrap: Why Sam Cane and Kieran Read are poles apart and why it matters
I hope she really is saying Porteno and not Pajero, Carlos!
The Wrap: Why Sam Cane and Kieran Read are poles apart and why it matters
I’ll own up to being lippy, Don. Kind of went with the territory…
The Wrap: Why Sam Cane and Kieran Read are poles apart and why it matters
Cheers Sheek, nice post. And yes, nothing worse than a nagging navigator in the passenger’s seat!
The Wrap: Why Sam Cane and Kieran Read are poles apart and why it matters
Cheers robbo, yes the English Prem has been delivering for a while now.
Funny you should say that about Twitter. The reason I resisted for so long was because I didn’t trust myself not to knee-jerk react to certain posts, but I trialled just reading and watching for a bit and – despite all of the polarisation, shouting matches and outrageous abuse – never once felt the urge to jump in… hence the change of heart.
The other reason – which Brett kindly points out – is with the old 140 character limit, I never would have been able to post anything anyway…
The Wrap: Why Sam Cane and Kieran Read are poles apart and why it matters
Hi WB,
We played for different clubs but yes, I played with Kurt for King Country before I came to Australia and he followed his old man to Ireland – where he was later capped a handful of times, before coaching at Leinster.
He’s now back home, CEO of King Country, and was a big part of making it happen last week with Sam Cane.
The Wrap: Why Sam Cane and Kieran Read are poles apart and why it matters
Strong point about the growth of the women’s game, jcm, none of which seems high up in the list of priorities for this venture.
Let’s hope we get a Covid free World Cup next year – women’s rugby has suffered disproportionately to mens over the last 18 months, and the game really deserves a break.
The Wrap: Why Sam Cane and Kieran Read are poles apart and why it matters
😂 Yes… nice comparison made, TLN.
The Wrap: Why Sam Cane and Kieran Read are poles apart and why it matters
That’s it Dean, there just isn’t any compelling rugby reason to introduce such a format – unless it was to supplant XV’s, and there’s a snowflake’s chance in hell of that happening.
The Wrap: Why Sam Cane and Kieran Read are poles apart and why it matters
Even without details your story just screams the truth, scrum… 😂
The Wrap: Why Sam Cane and Kieran Read are poles apart and why it matters
“While the game is professional now, it only really succeeds because of the richness of its amateur past that brings identity and meaning.”
Terrific post, Otago Man. Contrived events like IPL, Skins golf, tennis exhibitions and so on might work on one level – for the participants, owners and sponsors – but they are ultimately hollow and unsatisfying. That’s exactly what would happen with this proposal.
The late David Hookes used to say that he couldn’t abide skins golf, no matter how much money a particular hole or shot was worth, because it was fake, manufactured tension.
But imagine if the players weren’t playing with someone else’s money, but they each put up $50k or $100k of their own money per hole…? Now that would be real tension and something worth watching.
The Wrap: Why Sam Cane and Kieran Read are poles apart and why it matters
And fair enough too, Buk.
But not to the extent of running you blokes out of the game altogether – that’s a step too far.
The Wrap: Why Sam Cane and Kieran Read are poles apart and why it matters
People today don’t really understand the pain we suffered.
Between us we could have put together a video that would make Rassie’s look like a failed primary school project. Oh, hang on…
The Wrap: Why Sam Cane and Kieran Read are poles apart and why it matters
Your point is well made, mjs.
None of this is about Rugby 12’s being a superior game to traditional XV’s. It could be anything, including your Mickey Mouse idea. As long as it’s able to be differentiated, packaged, sold and squeezed into the calendar.
The Wrap: Why Sam Cane and Kieran Read are poles apart and why it matters
As long as those players aren’t props HFunk….
The Wrap: Why Sam Cane and Kieran Read are poles apart and why it matters
The reason there is no soccer 8’s Biltong is because the game is already awash with money in the leading professional leagues. Anyone wishing to upset the equilibrium by introducing another league or form of football, would need a ridiculous amount of money.
Rugby remains underdveloped by comparison. Private ownership is a thing, but nowhere near on the same scale. National unions are short on money (remember that they are responsible for all aspects of the game, unlike say club owners, who have a much narrower, self-entered interest)
Which is why we are increasingly seeing private equity investment and this floating of a new IPL style competition. The commercial potential for rugby is, by comparison to other global sports, largely untapped.
The Wrap: Why Sam Cane and Kieran Read are poles apart and why it matters
I’ve met Sam a couple of times Raghead, including once after a press conference where he hung around for a bit afterwards, unprompted, to have a chat. Not sure how that aligns with your take.
The Wrap: Why Sam Cane and Kieran Read are poles apart and why it matters
Unlikely, Ken.
Bit more guitar, singalong based, I believe. 😂
The Thursday rugby two-up: One bio-bubble too many for the ‘Boks and Pumas?
Nice post ATW.
Music has been a big part of what the Wallabies have been doing internally. Dave Rennie is classic old school on this, and I understand the players have responded very well to it and been drawn closer together as a result.
The Thursday rugby two-up: One bio-bubble too many for the ‘Boks and Pumas?
Fair enough, DA.
But let me check in and see how you’re feeling after the Wallabies lose to England, and Eddie and the soap dodgers are out in force! 😂
The Thursday rugby two-up: One bio-bubble too many for the ‘Boks and Pumas?
No mate, but I’m sure it’s only a matter of time! 😂
The Wrap: Why Sam Cane and Kieran Read are poles apart and why it matters