Money offered falls short for England test

RFU unlikely to agree to 50:50 split and clubs could also be spoilers

Adeal for the All Blacks to play England this year has several hurdles to clear and is still largely seen as a long shot. New Zealand playing the Barbarians at Twickenham on November 4 this year is considerably more likely than the All Blacks taking on England at the same ground on the same day.

The biggest hurdle not yet cleared in paving the way for the dream clash between England and the All Blacks is money. The Rugby Football Union have made the All Blacks a good offer but it is not the offer New Zealand Rugby wants.

NZR have made it clear they want half the revenue generated and so far haven’t been offered that much. They will hold out, only agreeing if England offer that magic figure.

But they will hold out without much confidence they will get what they want. The price is high and the RFU will be reluctant to set a precedent, even though they have agreed revenue sharing games in the past.

In 2012, the All Blacks and Black Ferns played in a double header at Twickenham — an arrangement that netted NZR $4 million. At the time, that was the best terms New Zealand had struck for a revenue sharing test anywhere in the world.

When they played England at Twickenham in 2008 outside the test window, they took home $1m. A year later, they played the Barbarians at the same venue and earned $2m.

The Bledisloe Cup tests of 2008 and 2010 in Hong Kong and 2009 in Tokyo, were high risk ventures that didn’t deliver as much cash as expected.

That led to a change of attitude in 2012 from NZR. They decided to ramp up their price. The All Blacks were in demand around the world and if people wanted them, they would have to pay.

The RFU agreed to the increased demands in 2012, knowing they would still make more than $5m given Twickenham’s capacity and ticket prices. But the deal in 2012 was the maximum the RFU were prepared to pay. They are wary now of agreeing to a 50:50 split as it will set a precedent, and longer term, Northern Hemisphere hosts don’t want to be giving up half their income in these one-off games.

From a New Zealand perspective, money is the swing factor in whether the game goes ahead.

They have ample tough games lined up this season. They don’t crave another brutal fixture, particularly at that time of year, when they have to play seven tests in nine weeks.

But if the money is compelling, they will accept the challenge, knowing that while they aren’t desperate for another tough test, they would get plenty out of the challenge and it would be a way of taking a relatively young group of players out of their comfort zone.

Without the financial incentive, there would be more for the All Blacks to be gained in playing the Barbarians. That would be an opportunity to field emerging players while resting some of the heavy artillery in the midst of that brutal nine-week period.

The added complications are that England’s premier clubs are already making noises about not releasing international players if the November 4 test goes ahead. They are under no compulsion to do so because the game sits outside the official test window.

Their agreement will no doubt have to be bought with compensation packages, making it even less likely England will agree to giving the All Blacks half the revenue.

As a final aside, the NZR have signed a contract to play the Barbarians and while the famous old club would most likely let them out of it, breaking it because a better offer comes along is not a good way to do business.

There’s no deadline regarding when talks have to conclude, but given the various associated commercial elements beyond ticket revenue that need to be sorted, the situation won’t be allowed to drag on. It’s a rotten old business that the Blues, no matter how many different people they try at first-five, can’t find the player they want or need.

It’s reached the point where it’s not ridiculous to wonder whether Carlos Spencer cursed the No 10 jersey when he vacated it, much against his will, in 2005.

For 12 years the Blues have been left aghast at how little control, poise and class they have had from their chief playmaker. It’s a riddle they can’t solve.

Every other franchise has managed it. Good 10s seem to be everywhere except at the Blues. What’s particularly strange is that a couple of players with genuine class and ability have come to the Blues, stuck on the No 10 shirt and crumbled.

Nick Evans came to Auckland in 2008, just months after he had been one of the few All Blacks to shine at the 2007 World Cup, and looked to be half the player he was. By the middle of the season, the Blues shifted him to fullback.

Luke McAlister, having lit up the English Premiership, came back to the Blues in 2010 tipped to make the World Cup squad as back-up to Daniel Carter. He, like Evans, faded so badly after a few games in the Blues No 10 shirt that he was also shifted to fullback.

The list of those who have tried and failed to ignite the Blues from first receiver is spectacularly long and unfortunately for coach Tana Umaga, may soon have the name Ihaia West added to it. West was given first dibs on the jersey this season, but three games in, has had to make way for Piers Francis. And the reason?

“Performance,” says Umaga. “Ihaia realises that and when Piers [Francis] came on he made a difference. It is a tough one. We believe Ihaia has the skills but it comes back to performance.

We recognise and realise the pressures that go on a No 10, especially at this club, because of what has gone before. What can you do about that? That is just the life we live here in this city, at this club.”

Just three weeks in and it seems as if West may have bitten the dust as a realistic prospect to blossom into the player the Blues hoped he could be.

The door is now open for Francis to see if he can break the curse. The Englishman has been a minor revelation since he joined the squad last year — delivering steady performances at No 12 that have shown him to be a calming presence with the right sort of temperament to thrive at this level.

He’ll need that temperament in Christchurch tonight because an away fixture against the Crusaders is about as tough as it gets for the Blues.

They have not only lost their last two games, they have played poorly. They have struggled at set-piece, failed to retain what ball they have won and been inaccurate and erratic on attack.

Obviously the first problem is not really one Francis can fix, but Umaga Jimmy Gopperth AMI Stadium, 7.35, tonight Reserves Tasesa a has a firm view on what he is looking for from his No 10.

“I think just running our game, driving us into the right places, being able