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All Blacks rethink four Bledisloe Tests
- Wayne Smith
- From: The Australian
- November 01, 2010 12:00AM
The All Blacks have realised that four Bledisloe Cup Tests against the Wallabies in one year does not work entirely to their advantage.
Until now, there has been nothing but upside for New Zealand in tagging an extra Test in Asia on to the traditional annual three-Test series.
Any opportunity the All Blacks have to dent the Wallabies' confidence is an opportunity worth seizing. And then, of course, there has been the much-needed injection of around $1 million each year into the coffers of the NZRU.
But in the aftermath of Saturday's 26-24 loss to Australia, the penny has finally dropped that the world number one-ranked All Blacks have given their most dangerous rival too many looks at them.
"We've definitely identified that playing so many times against quality opposition like that, teams are going to analyse you," admitted All Blacks playmaker Dan Carter.
"I definitely think going back to our first match of the year (in Melbourne, where the All Blacks prevailed 49-28) to where they are now, they've improved immensely. They have analysed the way we like to play and closed the gap and played some fantastic footy in the Tri-Nations and again tonight."
The Hong Kong contest was the 140th Test between the two countries -- 13 more than the oldest rivalry in world rugby, England-Scotland -- and although Australia has won only 40 of them, All Blacks centre Conrad Smith believes there can be too much of a good thing.
"I'd enjoy it if it was only two or three times a year, not four," said Smith.
Although also concerned that the Wallabies have been handed too many chances to figure out what works against the All Blacks -- "I think that's one way of looking at it" -- Smith nonetheless dismissed the suggestion that with the Bledisloe series already in their keeping, the New Zealanders went into Saturday's Test at less than full intensity.
"We were determined to make a statement," he said.
"We felt we had got pretty lucky in Sydney and we wanted to sort that game out and with 20 minutes to go I thought we were going to do that."
All Blacks captain Richie McCaw also had no doubt his players were up for the contest. "There was definitely desperation there," he said.
Coach Graham Henry conceded, however, that his side had squandered a crucial opportunity to put a serious and potentially fatal dent in the Wallabies' confidence just 10 months out from the World Cup.
"Yeah, I think that's correct," Henry acknowledged. "You always want to keep your foot on the throat and we haven't done that and all credit to them.
"But I don't think it's going to affect what's going to happen next year."
The fact that there is a World Cup scheduled for next year means that only two Bledisloe Tests will be played in 2011 as part of a scaled-down Tri Nations series.
But regardless of that, the whole money-making exercise of staging a fourth trans-Tasman Test in Asia would have needed a rethink after Saturday's Test attracted only 26,210 spectators.
Indeed, so disappointing was the crowd compared to the massive turnout for the annual Hong Kong Sevens that Irish match referee Alain Rolland even commented on it while Carter was lining up his conversion attempt following Ma'a Nonu's second-half try.
"It's only 90 minutes of footy instead of three days," Rolland was heard to say to a drinks runner.
"At $130 a ticket, is it any wonder?"
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news...-1225945855573
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