Putting on a show
26 Oct 2010
RYAN VREDE, writing in SA Rugby magazine, says the Bledisloe Cup provides a very different spectator experience to that of a Tri-Nations match involving the Springboks.
The All Blacks’ animated celebrations at the end of their come-from-behind victory against Australia in Sydney in September was telling. Certainly it cemented their position as the pre-eminent team in world rugby at present. It also spoke of the character of the collective, an utter refusal to be beaten, which is a quality that was missing in 2009 and one that amplifies their threat. But mostly it said that there is no such thing as a meaningless Bledisloe Cup Test.
It was a Thursday afternoon before the Test in a swanky bar on Circular Quay in the Sydney city centre. Legendary Wallabies scrumhalf Nick Farr-Jones was rampant in his efforts to school me in the significance of the Test and indeed the cup, which New Zealand had already secured.
‘As Australians we appreciate that the Springboks have a massive rivalry with the All Blacks,’ he said. ‘But there’s something special about a Bledisloe Cup Test that that rivalry will never have. It’s more than a battle for bragging rights in this region. I can’t define what it is. It’s special.’
I can’t accept his view. As South Africans we’re conditioned to consider Tests against New Zealand as the pinnacle of sporting contests. There is no greater foe, and after an informal chat on the topic with New Zealand’s 1987 World Cup-winning captain David Kirk, it becomes apparent that that sentiment is shared by most New Zealanders and certainly the All Blacks. ‘There’s nothing the boys love more than to down a Saffa,’ Kirk offered bluntly.
The appeal, I gather from discussions with Kirk and other Kiwi journalists, is rooted in perceptions of the Springboks. Where the Wallabies play nice, the Boks are the playground bullies – hateful, unsophisticated creatures who are despised for their stubborn reluctance to follow the script of what a rugby game should be: a celebration of athleticism, intelligence and skill over brawn. Victories are therefore celebrated with more gusto, while defeats wrench to the very soul.
No more starkly is the folly in Farr-Jones’ assertion exposed than at the collisions at the ANZ Stadium on game day. If the depth of desire can be measured in the ferocity of a tackle, then he and those who share his view are deluded if they think a Bledisloe Cup Test can be compared to one involving the Springboks and All Blacks.
However, that alone would be a sterile measurement of the rivalry. South Africans would struggle to comprehend the relatively low intensity levels of the crowd in Sydney. It’s as if they’ve come to watch a Cirque du Soleil production, whereas in Tests involving South Africa and New Zealand there is the undeniable sense that you’re in a colosseum watching gladiators duel to the death.
It’s in this context that one must understand and appreciate a clash between the trans-Tasman rivals. It’s a spectacle, where pizzazz and panache usually take precedence over blood and thunder. There are no decapitations, brutal lobotomies or severed limbs. Nobody brings nail-studded bludgeons to this battle, and neither are they expected to. The rapier is the weapon of choice, and the quality of the match is measured by the combatants’ dexterity with that weapon.
And there are few better settings for a stand-off of this nature than the ANZ Stadium. Magnificent in its scale and breathtaking in structure, it was first used to host the track and field events during the Olympics in 2000.
Matches of any code at the venue tend to reflect the pacey and entertaining nature of the city, and the Test didn’t disappoint in that regard, with both teams displaying a willingness to ‘play’ and a healthy disregard for the conservative conventions of the game.
Sydney is by no means a rugby union heartland. It is the domain of those in tight pants and vests, the Australian rules mob, and is also the stomping ground of rugby league’s superstars. The NRL’s Sydney Roosters and AFL’s Sydney Swans bossed coverage in the media in the lead-up to their respective semi-finals, with the Bledisloe Cup tie routinely relegated to the fifth page of the sports section, after news about soccer’s Sydney FC. It is the men from these codes who command the most attention at the bars and nightclubs around the city in the post-match revelry, with the union lads suffering from relative anonymity or pure indifference.
But the locals are deeply in love with sport, and are determined to see as much of it as humanly possible. This was evident when a 3pm kick-off was purposefully scheduled for the NRL semi-final between the Roosters and West Tigers, in order to give fans an opportunity to make the trip across the city for the 8pm Test kick-off. That it attracted 70 000 was a notable achievement considering the Swans’ play-off had commenced at the same time.
Most of those had made their way to the stadium carried by a slick train service, arriving well before kick-off to enjoy the numerous beer gardens and entertainment options around the Olympic village.
Like in South Africa, the demographic mix is not representative of the city’s population, with whites dominating the numbers, although, understandably given South Africa’s history, this is not nearly as contentious an issue in Australia.
To hear Piri Weepu’s call to war and the response of his team-mates during the haka was an exhilarating experience that South African crowds have robbed themselves of thanks to their idiotic insistence on jeering. The home crowd cheered the rendition, something that is unheard of in South Africa due to portions of the attendees wearing their boorishness like a badge of honour.
But not at any stage did the atmosphere reach a level of intensity that can rival that of a Springbok Test, especially one involving the All Blacks, not even when the Aussies burnt white-hot out of the gates and looked like snapping a nine-match losing streak against their neighbours.
Perhaps that has much to do with the low expectations of this Wallabies unit, given their distinct mediocrity over the past two-and-a-half years. Perhaps it is that the crowd is nowhere near as emotionally invested in the outcome, as would be the case in South Africa or New Zealand.
The Australians seem to have a sense of perspective that most in the rugby fraternities of these two nations just don’t have. Victory is certainly the hoped-for outcome, but defeat, which the Wallabies suffered when they capitulated spectacularly under pressure, isn’t met with scorn or castigation. There is no vitriol in the press either. It is a climate condusive to complacency and excellence in equal measure.
In reflecting on Farr-Jones’ assertion about the magnitude and meaning of a Bledisloe Cup Test, I tend to think that he may be blinded by nationalism. Perhaps in his career the magic and mystique he speaks of was more prevalent. It was, of course, a time when the Springboks were just re-entering international competition and their rivalry with the All Blacks, eroded through years of isolation, had not yet been rekindled. But it certainly has been now, and while a Bledisloe Test provides a bout of escapism, it will never capture the imagination in the manner a Springboks–All Blacks Test does.
– This article first appeared in the October issue of SA Rugby magazine.
17 Comments
26 Oct 2010, 08:51 am
whoopass!
26 Oct 2010, 08:59 am
Sheesh mar ek sukkel Whoopass DRAGON asseblief!
26 Oct 2010, 09:02 am
Expired whoopass.
26 Oct 2010, 09:04 am
#3 Well definately unused whoopass…
Are you still up North by the way?
26 Oct 2010, 09:10 am
“The home crowd cheered the rendition, something that is unheard of in South Africa due to portions of the attendees wearing their boorishness like a badge of honour.”.
Well, atleast you wont find that behaviour on a rugby blog.
26 Oct 2010, 09:41 am
To hear Piri Weepu’s call to war and the response of his team-mates during the haka was an exhilarating experience that South African crowds have robbed themselves of thanks to their idiotic insistence on jeering.
If ever there was some form of wisdom uttered it was this line.
26 Oct 2010, 09:44 am
decent article…some truths and some flasehoods though. aussie rules is nowwhere near as big in sydney than melbourne. the only reason ryan might have gotten this false perception was because the swans had made the play-offs….so with the choice between a dead-runner bledisloe and your local aussie rules semi-final it’s easy to see why the swans got more coverage. sydney is generally rugby union and rugby league heartland. obviously because of rugby leagues numerous local teams compared to union’s one (waratahs) league has more coverage.
26 Oct 2010, 09:45 am
line 4-dead rubber*
26 Oct 2010, 09:47 am
i do agree that australians are able to tolerate losses better though…something that sadly we as south africans fail to do due to a ridiculous complex that makes us think we have a god given right to win every game, and if we do lose it’s never because the opposition was simply too good
26 Oct 2010, 10:22 am
It’s understandable why the All Blacks are so revered. They can successfully play the “circus” style game against Aus and also the “gladiatorial” game against us. We’ll still take them both at the World Cup though
26 Oct 2010, 10:22 am
Flanka @ 9
why limit that just to Australians ?
26 Oct 2010, 10:57 am
Congradulations Ryan
A beautifully written piece – cant agree more.
Accelerating the topic:
Is that Australian style of playing against us more likely to beat us than the physical nature of your game? The Boks were out on their feet in the last 10 mins of games, I think the Aussies are closer than you to beating us – we’ll see this weekend.
26 Oct 2010, 11:24 am
this article as nice sounding as it is omits the fact that the all blacks has been klapping the Bokke senseless to a point where their clashes had lost all the zeal… Only since pdv took over that the Bokke have had a semblance of success against NZ and that, judging by this year’s results, looks like it was a flash in the pan.
26 Oct 2010, 11:54 am
The Bledisloe is the cup the Kiwis want far more than the 3N cup. No doubt about it.
26 Oct 2010, 12:00 pm
14. how do they want something they already have and are likely to keep until a decent Aussie pack arrives some time in the next century. The Bledisloe Cup is a procession and it’s unsurprising ticket sales for this exhibition test have dropped hugely this year.
26 Oct 2010, 12:13 pm
In the Televised build-up to a Bok/AB Test in Wellington, a couple of years ago.
The Reporter asked about 25 Patrons rolling up to see the Match this question.
Who is NZ’s greatest Test Rival?
All those over 50 said SA.
All those under 50 said Australia.
The Times They Are A Changin.
27 Oct 2010, 03:54 am
And the world rankings read: NZ 1 Oz 2 SA 3.
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