By CHRIS RATTUE
All Black great Buck Shelford laid into the state of modern rugby after Taranaki beat Counties-Manukau 48-46 in a nail-biter yesterday, shutting his North Harbour side out of the NPC play-offs.
"I don't think that game would have turned too many people on," the coach said.
"There were a lot of points, more than you would have seen a few years ago, but that doesn't make it a better game."
Basic skills such as catching and tackling had fallen by the wayside in the name of flamboyance.
"Sometimes I think the players are just going through the motions. Ten years ago the players really felt it when they lost, but the guys just don't seem to really feel it like that any more. They go, 'We lost, too bad.' They run hot and cold. I don't really know why - maybe it is too easy for them now.
"I think there is actually a lack of professionalism. When I was an All Black we played like professionals, but didn't get paid."
It was a disappointing weekend for northern sides in the national provincial championship.
On Friday, with one round of matches remaining and two of the top four slots still to be decided, Waikato, North Harbour and Northland were all in contention to join Auckland and Canterbury in the playoffs.
Northland went down fighting to Canterbury on Friday night and Waikato fell 48-23 to Wellington in the capital on Saturday.
Auckland preserved northern pride with a 50-9 demolition of Otago at Eden Park. And at Albany, North Harbour dispatched Southland, 41-14, securing five competition points.
But Harbour's place in the semifinals then depended on Counties-Manukau beating Taranaki - or at least denying them a bonus point for four tries - at Pukekohe yesterday.
Taranaki quickly collected the four tries and won a see-sawing match which the Taranaki captain, Andy Slater, admitted would not have pleased the purists.
Shelford, who hopes to return for a fourth season as Harbour coach, said rugby had lost a lot of its core on-field values.
"When a carpenter or builder does a professional job, he is talking about the quality of his work. If he doesn't do a good job, he won't get much work.
"I'm actually disappointed for rugby and the game.
"For what they get paid, some of the players don't actually put a lot into it.
"Ten years ago you would never have seen a score like that [at Pukekohe]. It's not better to watch. It's more frustrating to watch."
North Harbour were left rueing a 3-13 loss to Taranaki in the previous round. Even a bonus point in defeat at New Plymouth would have been enough to get Harbour into the playoffs next weekend.
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