Rugby: Tri-series not good for tours over here

By WYNNE GRAY

Since rugby went professional, New Zealand's domestic test programme has been dominated by the Tri-Nations.

There will not be any change until the 2005 season closes and the series contract with News Ltd ends.

There is room for a mini-trip from some other country, but none of those visits have been satisfactory. Samoa, Scotland, Fiji, Argentina, England C, Samoa again and France have played in New Zealand since 1996 without any great lustre.

The smallest winning margin for the All Blacks in those 10 tests was the 36-12 win against the Scots in 1996. Scarcely riveting stuff and it looks like more of the same this year.

Tonga and Scotland are due here. Tonga will jar a few bones and coach Dave Waterston will likely throw his toys out of the cot about something, while Scotland will at least play in Nelson, Gisborne, New Plymouth and Napier outside the two internationals.

The Scots should have been reasonable opponents but they have staggered from champs to chumps in the opening year of the Six Nations and have their lowest world ranking in a decade. The last decent tours to New Zealand were in 1994, when the All Blacks hosted France and the Springboks.

Had the Tri-Nations been scheduled for every second season it would have left room for some significant visit in the alternate years, the chance for international sides to tour a number of provinces as well as play a couple of tests.

Of course there would be no guarantee those tours would come from any nation more successful than Scotland have been this season.

In looking at that Six Nations tournament where he coaches Italy, former All Black Brad Johnstone said the standard could not match the Super 12, though the atmosphere delivered by the passionate crowds was well in excess of the Southern Hemisphere series.

You do have to groan at some of the attempts to generate atmosphere at New Zealand matches. Officials in Hamilton chose to downgrade their music interruptions and alter a pre-match package after unsatisfactory feedback early this season.

They could do the same at Eden Park. Playing canned laughter after Matt Burke missed goalkicks for the Waratahs last week was out of order, as were the attempted funnies from the ground announcer during the game.

Music is fine before and after matches or during halftime but some of the cacophony during matches can be a bit much. Match organisers try to cater for all ages and tastes but they should remember that the match, rather than a rock concert, is the reason most spectators attend.

Sponsors like adidas should also remember that the All Blacks have a long tradition and have been part of the national sporting landscape for much longer than any benefactors. No All Black team ever went out to lose.

To read a report that adidas warned the NZRFU they would pull their sponsorship if the All Blacks did not improve their results does not impress. The sponsors chose to get in on the All Blacks' slipstream, they tried to buy into that excellence. They should learn to be better sports.