Why do visiting teams come to Dunedin so late?
IS it the weather? No — they play under a roof.
Beer not good enough? Hardly — the stuff with the three stars tastes all right for most of us.
Is it the airport? It’s an award winner, isn’t it?
Motel perhaps? But we’ve got beds and serve up some decent tucker down this way.
So the question has to be asked — why do visiting national rugby teams come to Dunedin so late in the week?
France is the latest in a long parade of international sides which will turn up to the city less than 48 hours before kickoff.
Les Tricolores will land in Dunedin late on Thursday night and will have just the one training run in the city — at the stadium on Friday — before the test at Forsyth Barr Stadium next Saturday night.
France’s late arrival and brief time in the city just continues a theme of international teams which have arrived at the city late and not hung around.
The All Blacks arrive tomorrow and will be in the city for the week.
In the old days, both teams came to the city at the start of the week and were here for days on end. It was good in building up atmosphere and mingling with the locals.
But since international rugby came back to Dunedin in 2008 — after a threeyear break — the only visiting team which has been here for any length of time was the British and Irish Lions last year.
Their touring party of 84 — yes, that is right, 84 — all came to the city but part of the reason they all journeyed south was a hangover from the previous Lions tour — which was a disaster — where the side was ensconced in Auckland for all the tour.
Since 2008 when South Africa came here, a parade of teams have come south: France, Wales, Fiji, South Africa, Australia, England, Wales again, Australia and now France again — and they have all not arrived until about 48 hours — if not later — before kickoff.
Various reasons have been suggested — lack of training facilities, the need to train in familiar surroundings, the weather, logistical difficulties, making a change for players. The list is long. Perhaps in reality it should include control freak coaches.
It does not stop at national sides. Most Super Rugby teams from outside New Zealand prepare for a game in Dunedin by spending a week in Queenstown.
And it is not limited to just rugby. Some England cricketers headed to play golf in Queenstown this year a day before a oneday international in Dunedin in March this year. Who knows what is wrong with Chisholm Links and St Clair?