Kiwis are leading us again
OPINION: Through the week I caught some of the action from the Mitre 10 Cup, the revamped National Provincial Championship from New Zealand. To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect. I know they have a plethora of rugby that keeps the masses entertained over there, but what I found was some really good footy.
It was fast, it was energetic, it was precise and I can see why there is a direct correlation between this competition and the national team: that’s where it all starts. To be fair, it actually starts in the younger age groups where everybody wants to represent their country; it’s drilled into their psyche.
But it’s this hard-edge competition where they learn to play upbeat, up-tempo rugby. The Mitre 10 Cup has been running for years (under a few different guises) and has history on its side. I understand that rugby is the national game in New Zealand, yet the standard doesn’t diminish across the teams. It’s right up there. There is a pride to play the best they can. The structure doesn’t deviate too much from the big boys and I’m sure All Blacks coach Steve Hansen could easily pluck out a player, if needed, to make the jump to international football.
By contrast, our second-tier competition, the National Rugby Championship, needs some serious tweaking. Why? Because we are playing a game that has no relevance to what we want to achieve on the international stage.
I understand the law changes for the NRC are supposed to encourage running rugby. The NRC has certainly ticked that box. But you can’t just run it from everywhere in a test match. It just doesn’t work. I still think that is the Wallabies’ limitation at the moment. They have been getting better in the past two games, but against the top teams you need more than just a running game.
So the question is: Are we just looking for entertainment with the NRC or is there an end goal?
I remember reading, when the new laws were introduced for the NRC, comments to the effect that PHOTOSPORT if most Aussies had their way they would make this new game the norm because it encouraged high-tempo rugby and reduced the time-wasting associated with kicking penalty goals.
Yet kicking goals is an integral part of applying pressure. We can’t just lose a part of the game that influences outcomes and provides strategic management on the park. And I’m not just saying that because I was a goal kicker. So there is a lesson to be learnt here, and it’s as easy as trying to replicate what those blokes do across the Tasman.