Aisle be Back: All Blacks at Loftus and NPC Round 8

I most definitely am biased, but it feels to me that this weekend’s test at Loftus Versfeld is the first of the Big Three matches this year – the others being in Ireland and England.

Pretty much any game at Loftus rates for me, but this one especially so. This game won’t be definitive, but it should answer some important questions: whether the Boks are seriously on the rise, and whether they are genuine contenders for the World Cup.

One loss in the season to South Africa is unfortunate, a second would set alarms ringing. I’d never go so far as to wish for it to happen, but test rugby does need the Old Foe to be competitive again.

Definitely most of my best memories of watching the All Blacks revolve around the Boks – right back to the 1976 tour and the seething sense that we were being dudded by the home referees.

Those were long tours, and very strange to see – rock hard grounds, huge and fast collisions, and intense atmosphere. In a way, pretty scary.

Five years later there was the craziness and brutality of the 81’ tour here, then the epic 1995 final (don’t mention the catering) and a year later, the equally epic final realisation of the dream of a series win in South Africa. Go back and rewatch the decider, it’s still a classic.

The last 20 years have seen a steady erosion in the mystique, and the All Blacks have been increasingly dominant, but it’s only three years ago that I was sitting at halftime, at 4am or something, pondering how we were going to lose the world cup semi final to the Boks.

It was a game we should have won comfortably, but were making a hash of, while the Boks were crucifying us with a string of penalties.

Essentially that was where the Cup was won for the All Blacks, in those last minutes when we stole a lineout and denied a last Bok surge. A two point win.

So I don’t ever write them off when the crunch games come around. I don’t know if the Erasmus coached side is actually going to beat us this weekend, or in a year’s time

or whether they are on a true rise. I do know that they will have saved plenty in the tank for Loftus. The Rugby Championship may be won for another year.

But honestly, if we lose on Sunday, who will care about that.

+++++++

Talking about big matches, there’s a certain game tonight at the stadium that you should get along to, despite Thursday Night Football sounding a very odd fish.

It is of course Wellington v Auckland. And no ordinary Auckland, but an Auckland that’s actually winning.

Plenty of course on the game; for the visitors, it will put them back on top. For the Lions, it’s even bigger. They’re loitering at the bottom of the top four, and unlikely to move out from there – unless it’s because they drop out of the playoffs completely. North Harbour are still a threat from fifth place, although they do face Auckland in the final round. So plenty to get along and cheer for.