Tony Veitch: Northern rugby finally moves with the times

Ireland's Joey Carbery, right, celebrates with Josh van der Flier, left, after a rugby match against New Zealand, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski)

Mark this week down as the one when the North made a philosophical change in their approach to rugby.

We've heard their disparaging slurs about the supposedly fluffy nature of Super Rugby and how we obsess over tries, when their rugby seemed based on guts and defence.

Yet now we have the Six Nations rule makers taking the divisive step of introducing bonus points. Yes, you can take the 'if it ain't broke, why change it' attitude, but for me, there is far more to this.

In the past month, we've seen a significant shift away from the North's traditional three-point game, where sides clawed their way to victory via penalties. That has been the way of the Six Nations since the day dot.

We saw Ireland go for the line rather than kicking for points against the All Blacks in Chicago last month and the net result was they crossed for five tries and won. We saw France revert to old-school French rugby, built around the unpredictable.

You need only look at the stats to see why the North made the bonus point change. You cannot beat the All Blacks on penalties alone. Look at their points tally this year - 562 across 14 tests, averaging 40 per test.

Pat Lam, now coaching in Ireland, made the point on my NewstalkZB show a month ago that the Irish mindsets across all levels were in transition. They want to play a more attacking style.

So the fact the North have made this change is huge. The Six Nations is a financial beast - they sell out grounds, no matter the scoreline or style of rugby.

But this is a clear statement that the time for change has come. The fact they are prepared to reward sides for scoring tries says it all - the North are finally moving with the times.

How to watch Joe Parker

Next Saturday will be all about Kiwi fighter Joe Parker.

I know there has been a huge amount of angst around the lack of Government and ratepayer support for his world heavyweight title fight, the pay per view pricesand Duco's ongoing threats to go after illegal streamers.

But, come next weekend, I get the feeling all that will be forgotten. This is a genuine big-time event. Parker is a hugely popular star of New Zealand sport, which is why next Saturday is all about him.

The question for all sports fans is how do you watch his historic occasion? This week, I was up at my work local, the Empire, an old-school pub. On the wall was an advertisement for the Parker fight, complete with a $10 cover charge.

Are Kiwis, I asked, prepared to pay to watch a fight in public? The answer appears to be an overwhelming yes. The Empire has sold 350 tickets already and, speaking with other bar owners around Auckland, they are prepared to take a hit buying the fight just to be part of the action. This is one of those 'not to be missed' occasions.

So do we split the $59.95 pay per view cost with mates and watch at home, or is this one of those sporting events where sharing it with a hundreds of strangers is the way to go?

For me, it's the latter. I still remember watching the Lennox Lewis-David Tua title fight in 2000 with mates at our local. It was gold until Tua forgot to fight. I just hope Parker lives up to the occasion and his journey to the top continues.
What's that old saying? Nice guys come last - but please not next Saturday night.

Cheats really prosper

Last week, I was chatting about cricket's loss of innocence. Former players en masse came out and admitted to ball tampering because, in their words, everyone else was doing it.

Well, this week the win-at-all-costs attitude was again to the fore, this time with one of sport's most divisive figures, Lewis Hamilton.

For those who aren't petrolheads, this is what played out. Hamilton, seeking a fourth F1 title, was leading the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with championship leader and Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg second. To win the title, Hamilton needed Rosberg to finish the race fourth or worse.

So Hamilton deliberately drove slowly in the hope Rosberg would be overtaken, repeatedly defying team orders to speed up.

Hamilton's tactics have caused huge debate in motorsport circles, with F1 legend Jackie Stewart labelling him a "ballerina".

But let's consider what we would do in the same situation. History shows us that it's human instinct to cheat and win.

Drugs, ball tampering, manufacturing results, footballers diving for penalties - we've seen it all.

So is what Hamilton did any different? Could you categorically say you would've done the right thing as opposed to attempting to shaft a team-mate if a world title was on the line.

This is not backyard stuff, this is the cream of professional sport, moments that define careers. There's no doubt Hamilton is a prat but he is symbolic of where sport has got to - win at all costs and throw any morals out the window.

Questions
- Will tomorrow be the first time you've ever cheered on the Wallabies?
- Can we all just ignore the Aussie press calling the Chapell-Hadlee Series irrelevant and poorly timed? We fought our backsides off to get the Aussies to take us seriously again, so let's just lap it up.
- Is anyone else really wanting Tiger Woods to do well this weekend in his first return to golf in 15 months?
- Given the incredible fields he's assembled for next month's summer of tennis in Auckland, has Karl Budge become one of the country's leading sports administrators? Plenty of opportunities could be coming his way.