Aisle Be Back: All Blacks v Wallabies

I’ve been struggling to care much about the Olympics. I think it’s way too big, with too many sports that shouldn’t be there. Golf, tennis, Pokemon Go (slated for 2024 I am pretty sure). Oh, and I guess rugby 7s – although at least rugby was part of the early modern Olympiad.

But a bit like Super Rugby – current holders the Hurricanes – I can’t see any way anyone is going to reduce the bloat. So what does rugby do after the failure at Rio, by the men’s squad?

Do we treat 7s like its own universe, a bit like we do now, but pour more money and a bit more raw talent into the mix?

Or do we just take it seriously once every four years, mandating some more stars into the squad and treating it as a must-win, as we would a world cup. It is after all, the Olympics and the world cares about Olympics, whereas the Rugby Championship, not so much.

The trouble is, you can’t really switch on players for a small window of time into 7s and expect success to come. So are we happy to depower the All Blacks over a couple of seasons. Yet that’s not going to happen, because World Cup year precedes the Olympics.

Or put it another way, would you as Hurricanes fans have been happy to see Ardie and Beaudy disappear about the time of the Super Rugby quarter-finals.  It would have been terrific watching the Lions’ victory parade.

So it’s not simple and it will be interesting to see what is done. But things will be done, now that these are the All Black Sevens. We don’t have to be the best all the time – and who would begrudge Fiji – but no team bearing the silver fern can aim for anything less.

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Look I know they’re trying to make the pre-Bled niggle into a battle of the coaches, but this is dull stuff.

Both Hansen and Cheika have the sideways mumble down to a tee. Could we not have Eddie Jones dropped in to get everyone riled up and firing.

With the Olympics still going by then (how many days do they need!!?) it is obviously a hard sell to the Aussie public, but I can’t see the Conflict of the Coaches putting many bums on seats.

So is it Beaudy and Ardie to start? I’m picking the former, but not the latter, if all players are fit.
Obviously this will be the Wallabies best chance in the championship to topple us.

But you wouldn’t bet the house or even the outhouse on it happening.

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So I trust you got out there on Wednesday and cheered on the Hurricanes parade. Of course if you didn’t, there’s always next year to book in your diary.

That’s not arrogance, that’s expectancy. Which is where the (insert current sponsor here) NPC Lions come into the picture.

The Hurricanes have set the bar high, and I’m sure fans expect the Lions to get themselves out of the cellars of the NPC and back into the premiership half of the comp. There’s a decent spine from the Hurricanes to draw on and some exciting new talent, as you’ll have read elsewhere on Club Rugby.

The campaign opens this weekend, and it’s a while before the Lions actually play at home. On the plus side, the schedule is not the helter skelter, compressed version of recent years.
So, no pressure, boys!

Lifelong All Blacks supporter Kev has followed the Hurricanes since they began. He has a season pass. Every year he predicts the Canes will win Super Rugby and this year he was proved right.