An annual three-test series to decide the Bledisloe Cup has the approval of senior All Blacks, provided it doesn’t drag out the international rugby calendar.
The All Blacks gathered at the Millennium Institute in Albany today to begin preparation for their most important test of the year so far, Saturday night’s Bledisloe Cup decider here.
By winning the first test, 50-21 at Sydney two weeks ago, New Zealand need only to draw at Eden Park to hold the trophy for the first time in six years.
Since losing the symbol of trans-Tasman supremacy in 1998, three of the four subsequent series have been drawn 1-1, with the Wallabies retaining the silverware as holders.
The Australian and New Zealand rugby unions today confirmed they were to meet here later this week to discuss expanding the series.
Lock Chris Jack was in favour.
”It’s frustrating playing for the Bledisloe Cup, winning one test and losing one and not having a chance to win it,” Jack said, before adding that administrators would need to make subsequent changes to a congested test season.
”There’s a lot of international football at the moment. Whether we need another game or not is a different story,” Jack said.
New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) chief executive Chris Moller said while the News Ltd Sanzar agreement stipulated two tests must be played, there was nothing to prevent a third being added, as was the case in 1997 and 1998.
All Blacks centre Tana Umaga repeated his call to change the existing Tri-Nations once the 10-year News Ltd deal ends in 2005 as it was becoming stale. A third Bledisloe Cup test would add interest.
”I think it would be good to go back to that series,” Umaga said.
”Maybe they need a new look at how this Tri-Nations is going to be and how it works. I’m sure it’s been said before — we play these same guys every year at Super 12 and Tri-Nations level.”
Umaga agreed the number of tests played by the All Blacks each year would need to be kept in check but he endorsed a return to tours.
”I think that would be a better way to blood new players. You build good team values and culture on these tours.”
A cynic might suggest the Australian Rugby Union are chasing a change to the series because they fear the Bledisloe Cup will be in New Zealand come this Saturday night. A three-test series would then give them a better chance to win it back.
However, Jack said it was dangerous to simply expect the All Blacks to win at Eden Park.
He believed the Wallabies would have taken heart from the pressure South Africa were able to apply while going down 11-19 to New Zealand in Dunedin on Saturday and will have also spent much time reviewing what went wrong in Sydney.
”They would have learned from the way we played and what we’re trying to do. They’ll look to shut that down and probably find ways to attack us,” Jack said.
One of the world’s premier lineout forwards, Jack admitted that area had been ”up and down” so far this year. He described Australia as the lineout ”benchmark” in world rugby.
”Just their confidence and the control they’ve got,” he said.
”We always seem to have problems against them so we’ll be working very hard this week.”
Jack came off the reserve bench at Carisbrook but is sure to be restored in the starting lineup when coach John Mitchell names his team tomorrow afternoon.
It would be a surprise if the starting 15 was not the same as that which won in Sydney. That would mean the other rested players — flanker Richie McCaw, prop Greg Somerville and hooker Keven Mealamu — should return.
Halfback Steve Devine is likely to come back on the reserve bench after missing out altogether on the playing 22 on Saturday.
His place on the bench went to Otago’s Byron Kelleher, who was not required to play. – Sapa-NZPA