Rugby: Oh, for a Bledisloe playoff

By WYNNE GRAY

Is there a spare Saturday in the rugby calendar?

The Tri-Nations will be decided by the way the Springboks perform in the last two tests of that series in the Republic.

The Bledisloe Cup is another trophy altogether.

In the past 20 years as the Wallabies' temporary hold on the title became more frequent, these transtasman tests have become as compelling as any World Cup final. Proof of that drawing power came with the capacity crowds in Sydney and Wellington.

But like previous seasons when series have been squared 1-1 to allow the holder to keep the cup, Saturday seemed an unsatisfactory conclusion. The rugby was thunderously strong but the series had an empty end.

Australia have been forceful in recent times, asking New Zealand for concessions in the Super 12, expanding that competition, revamping the rugby calendar or joining the NPC.

What about them accepting, when there is a Bledisloe Cup impasse after the regular two tests, that there should be a playoff for the title. Australian Rugby Union chief executive John O'Neill bemoans gaps in his calendar from now on - why doesn't he pencil in a third Bledisloe?

Spend some of the $A4 million ($5.14 million) profit from game one to stage a decider. Somehow winning a trophy by drawing a series does not seem adequate.

The Tri-Nations series has brought scheduling problems, but while one-off Bledisloe Cup tests such as those in the early 90s were not the ultimate, they found a winner.

Those debates might have hit Wellington as the capital digested the Wallabies' 24-23 win which meant they took the Bledisloe Cup home to join the World Cup, Cook Cup, Nelson Mandela Cup and, probably, in three weeks the Tri-Nations Cup.

The only real difference between the teams was their style. On balance, the All Blacks and Wallabies deserved to share Bledisloe Cup victories, though in an odd way the results should have been reversed.

The Wallabies were better at home and lost; on Saturday the All Blacks were better and came second.

Who said the enthralling encounter from Sydney could not be repeated?

It was going to be difficult after that try-fest, but Wellington may have been more absorbing. The script mirrored the teams' start three weeks ago, except this time it was the All Blacks chasing the Wallabies. They caught them and the lead changed a further five times before the dramatic conclusion.

Each time the All Blacks have played this season they have improved. They have rolled their sleeves up and done plenty of graft. Coaching patterns are emerging round the individual eccentricities of the game-breakers - the second try scored by Christian Cullen had to be the try of the season.

After two bad early blemishes, the tackling became so defiant the Wallaby backs were forced across field and ran out of attacking ideas.

Lineouts still trouble the All Blacks, but who doesn't get stung by the Wallabies there? Former greats want more grunt from the scrum. After Wellington, Steve McDowell thought Kees Meeuws had to lead in more at tighthead and adjust his foot positioning.

They need more work, which is one of the reasons nine of the squad have been made available for the opening NPC round this weekend.

Troy Flavell, Byron Kelleher, Doug Howlett, Craig Dowd, Leon MacDonald, Mark Robinson, Reuben Thorne, Greg Somerville and Scott Robertson will play for their NPC sides or B teams and leave for South Africa on Monday rather than with the rest on Friday. Mark Hammett and Tony Brown have slight injuries but will travel on Friday, while coach Wayne Smith talked about getting some match conditioning for the others.

"It's toughness and hardness we have got to keep fostering and we can't do that if we wrap them up in cotton wool," he said yesterday.

The All Blacks will base themselves in Durban before flying up to Johannesburg for their August 20 test. In four tests there since 1992, the results card is shared 2-2.

Springbok rugby may be in some disarray, but it never seems that way at Ellis Park when 62,000 South Africans urge their men into action.

A win initially, then a search for a bonus point for four tries, has to be the All Blacks' target because the Wallabies play the same (battered) Bok side the week after and will know what they need to do to take the Tri-Nations Cup.

The All Blacks and Wallabies now have 10 points apiece. If they finish with the same number of points after their matches in the Republic, the title will be decided on for and against difference. At present, the Wallabies have an advantage of just one.

"We will be going to the lions' den," Todd Blackadder said, "with the whole country on our back. It will be a good test of character to see how much fight there is in this team."