With Super Rugby Australia kicking off tonight with a match between the fiercest of Aussie rivals the Reds and Waratahs in Brisbane, the not insignificant matter of the Bledisloe Cup series could become an even
Patrick McKendry: The common sense answer to Bledisloe Cup riddle
It's not simply a financial imperative, there's also the matter of player and public safety. And yes, time is important, because Super Rugby Australia, which also features the Western Force, Melbourne Rebels and Brumbies, is a 12-week competition which will finish on the weekend of September 26-27. That is two weeks from October 10, the date that new Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has suggested will be the first test between the nations.
Two weeks is also the minimum quarantine time for new arrivals here, a state of affairs that unfortunately is our new reality. The other questions currently being considered behind the scenes are: Could the Wallabies serve their two-week quarantine in Australia? (Probably doubtful). And could they train while quarantining here in New Zealand? (Probably a non-negotiable).
A four-test tour of New Zealand, while potentially great news for All Blacks supporters (at the expense of their Wallabies counterparts, although more on that shortly), could come with other issues and in particular how to deal with injury replacements.
Given the 14-day quarantine stand-down, bringing a player in from Australia will obviously be highly problematic, so Rennie might have to bring in a big squad and probably hope for the best, factors which may or may not count against possible mid-week games against Mitre 10 Cup teams.
It's a difficult equation. A bloated squad plus a lack of game time equals possible discord. Give everyone game time via matches against Northland or Waikato (the latter a particularly tasty prospect given Rennie's close links with the area and two titles with the Chiefs), and risk more injuries.
And yet, let's look on the bright side. The coronavirus punted the unloved and unwieldy Super Rugby competition featuring five disparate nations into touch while giving Kiwi punters what they want: intense derbies only – a bit like the old days when the national provincial competition was in the ascendant.
The same may apply for Australian fans as they prepare to watch their new competition, and while it could be a wrench for many of them to miss seeing their beloved Wallabies play live, how good would it be to see a proper, long, international tour again? It would be just like the old days.