Northerners rate chances
It’s rugby’s annual battle of the hemispheres and the north are getting cocky about their chances over their southern rivals for the November tests in Europe.
Both ends of Britain’s extensive array of media see rays of hope for the northern sides, The
Times suggesting the All Blacks are ‘‘running on empty’’ as they finish off a long, draining season and the Daily Mail declaring, ‘‘the north has the upper hand in autumn warmup international as rugby’s balance of power shifts’’.
These are bold statements and are based around rankings as much as current form with Ireland, Wales and England now sitting immediately behind world No 1 New Zealand.
But don’t expect any lack of motivation from the All Blacks as The Times noted about the overdue clash with England at Twickenham on November 10, their first meeting since late 2014 when New Zealand squeaked by 24-21 in London.
Superstar Beauden Barrett will head an advance party to London this week to prepare while the backups take care of Japan in Tokyo, noting: ‘‘Those guys who are going over will be pretty excited. It’s been a long time coming.’’
And while the All Blacks are indeed ‘‘flagging’’, The Times conceded that while their tank might be running low after their Rugby Championship dominance, it is never empty. As concerns are made about lock Sam Whitelock’s endurance levels after playing all 10 tests this year, Brodie Retallick is back in the fray in timely fashion.
The All Blacks face a tough double assignment on a tour they believe will replicate the pressures of the business end of next year’s World Cup – after playing England they back up against Six Nations champions Ireland in Dublin.
The Daily Mail went back to the flimsy theory that New Zealand’s ridiculously long tenure at No 1 on the rankings could be under threat to Ireland. There are several connotations to make that happen and the stronger arguments for a shift in the balance of power come via the mixed fortunes of fellow southern tourists the Springboks and Wallabies.
‘‘November is meant to be all about north v south – one-off tests with exotic appeal. For so
long, the matches served as a reminder of Sanzar superiority over their Six Nations rivals, but not now,’’ Chris Foy wrote in the Daily Mail.
‘‘If Ireland can overtake the All Blacks in the rankings, it will cap an emphatic transformation, with England and Wales also standing above South Africa and Australia in the current chart.’’