Bledisloe bad blood
Relationship between NZ and Aussie rugby unions hits all-time low and Spygate may make it worse
Whatever way Spygate twists and turns, there isn’t much hope it will magically fix an irreparably-damaged relationship between the New Zealand and Australia rugby unions.
Since 2008, when former Crusaders coach Robbie Deans took over as Wallabies coach, the relationship has been tense, edgy, fractious and occasionally spiteful. Perhaps that was inevitable given he washed up in Australia only hours after unsuccessfully bidding for the All Blacks job.
In the past 18 months it has been worse — openly hostile and unpleasant. The dislike is now institutionalised to the point young players come into the respective national teams and are conditioned to accept it is their duty to continue the disharmony.
The Spygate incident has created so much ill-feeling in both camps that it is hard, nearly impossible, to see how the Bledisloe series this year is going to be played in anything other than an acerbic and nasty atmosphere.
Ill-feeling will now pervade all aspects of the two rugby fraternities. All respect has gone. The rivalry is now based on nothing but animosity and a lack of trust.
The last straw was the decision by the New South Wales police to
The dislike is now institutionalised. Illfeeling pervades all aspects of the two rugby fraternities. Respect has gone. The rivalry is now based on nothing but animosity and a lack of trust.
arrest the All Blacks’ top security contractor Adrian Gard after a bug was found in the team’s Sydney hotel ahead of August’s Bledisloe Cup match. That has left New Zealand’s top brass perplexed. All Blacks coach Steve Hansen released a statement, branding the arrest as “bizarre”.
He wasn’t able to say what he thought about the decision by Australian Rugby Union boss Bill Pulver to use the arrest as an opportunity to again whine about the timing of the original story breaking.
Hansen didn’t need to say anything, though, because it’s plain Pulver has not only earned himself a PhD in missing the point throughout Spygate, he has also become a sort of buzzing fridge — an object of near irrelevance making a noise that no one wants to hear but sadly can’t block out. And the thing with a buzzing fridge, is that it becomes hugely irritating.
Pulver has not once grasped the seriousness of Spygate. He has been fixated on the idea it was all a big ruse by the All Blacks to gain some kind of competitive advantage and never has he expressed empathy for the breach of integrity or a desire to work with New Zealand Rugby and the NSW police to find the perpetrator.
The Australians appear to have been more intent to defend allegations — that were never made — that they did it. There has been no sense that anyone in Australia has realised that Spygate was the catalyst for both unions to deal collaboratively with an issue that has potential to destroy the credibility of the sport.
But the opportunity to unite has been lost and instead there will be a court case next month where New Zealand and Australia will be hoping for different outcomes.