Nick Bendel
The Pumas are galloping to the Tri-Nations’ rescue
September 16th 2009 11:44
The Tri-Nations is amongst the leading events on Australia’s sporting calendar, yet one that could do with some tweaking. But to understand what is wrong with it- and to understand how the presence of the Pumas would be beneficial- we first need to understand what is right with the Tri-Nations.
The first point that needs to be noted is the evenness of the three teams, which ensures that matches are generally competitive and dramatic. Thrashings are rare; instead, spectators are more often than not treated to fierce battles that ebb and flow for the full 80 minutes, something that is promoted by the commendable bonus point rule.
And this process is further encouraged by the brevity of the competition. The Tri-Nations is not a marathon of the sort we see in the AFL and NRL, where losses can be accepted because there will always be more matches in the weeks ahead. No, it is such an intense sprint to the line that even one bad performance can mean the difference between winning the trophy and having nothing to show for months of sacrifice.
There is also pleasure to be derived from the diversity of the competitors’ approaches. The Wallabies play one way, the All Blacks another and the Springboks an altogether different way still. To watch these differing styles clash, and to see how their contrasting strengths and weaknesses come together, is fascinating.
Just as fascinating is the chance to observe the manner in which national teams emerge from the provincial sides each season. As the Super 14 season progresses, and as new stars and combinations blossom, debates about selections begin. Will that exciting youngster be blooded? Will that fading veteran be dumped? Will the balance of the team be affected by this or that decision? Although some of the questions are answered during the warm-up fixtures against the Europeans, nobody is ever certain how a XV is going to perform in the crunch matches until those crunch matches come around. The Tri-Nations acts as an unforgiving testing ground, clearly exposing the strengths and weaknesses of all who dare to take part. In such a highly pressured and combative environment, the true character of individuals and teams cannot help but be revealed.
For all these reasons, the annual tournament makes for compelling viewing. And, ironically, proof is provided not by decisive clashes of the sort that unfolded in Hamilton last weekend between the Blacks and Boks, but by dead rubbers like that involving Australia and South Africa in Brisbane the weekend before. Despite the fact that the home side had nothing to play for, the passion of the Wallabies and their supporters was immense. Nor was this anomalous- it happens every time there’s a dead rubber. Any competition that can generate such emotion over something apparently meaningless is obviously highly regarded by both competitors and spectators.
So if it ain’t broke, why fix it? Well, while nobody would suggest that the tournament is in danger of falling apart, it could certainly do with a fresh coat of paint. Sadly, there is a certain sameness about proceedings- which is unsurprising, given that only three countries are involved. For all the aforementioned virtues, they are rather predictable virtues. The players are generally familiar, the styles are generally familiar, the draw is generally familiar. In that respect, the Tri-Nations is not unlike a romantic comedy. However brilliant the script and the acting may be, it is obvious that boy is going to meet girl, boy is going to lose girl, and boy is ultimately going to win girl.
However, that will change with the admission of Argentina. Four competitors must inevitability provide more variety than three. Getting to know the new boys and their stadiums will be intriguing. Studying their European tactics will be intriguing. Examining the intricacies of the new scheduling will be intriguing. After so many years, the plot of future tournaments will be different.
Nonetheless, it should be acknowledged that not everything will immediately be for the better. While the Pumas are expected to be competitive at home, they will initially struggle on the road. And that struggle will be exacerbated if the Union Argentina de Rugby fails to secure access to its stars, all of whom are contracted to northern hemisphere clubs. Consequently- at least to begin with- there will be more blowouts and less drama.
But the odds are that this short term pain will be outweighed by the long term gains. For all the triumphalism of the International Rugby Board, there aren’t many non-traditional countries that are receptive to its message. Argentina is one of the few, which means that it is in the interests of the IRB to provide it with all possible assistance. If the Pumas are playing top quality rugby year after year after year, local interest and standards can only grow. And when the World Cup bronze medallists eventually raise themselves to the level of their three new friends, the southern hemisphere tournament will become a more open, and thus appealling, event. Concurrently, with the addition of one more member to the very exclusive group of teams capable of lifting the World Cup, that tournament will become more appealling too. The result will be a more appealling sport.
Of course, a more appealling sport is a more profitable sport. Increased interest in an expanded Four Nations will lead to increased revenues. Television companies will also be willing to pay extra for the new market being opened to them- namely, Argentina’s 40 million inhabitants. Hopefully, that will mean that the ARU no longer feels the need to embrace cheap stunts like the fourth Bledisloe.
Welcoming Argentina into its ranks seems such an obvious move for SANZAR to make that the only thing worth discussing is why it was not done sooner. Unfortunately, it seems to be another example of the group’s bizarre politicking, of the sort that has been occurring for some time over the new Super 15 franchise. Still, better late than never. And when, at some time in the years ahead, the Pumas celebrate their first Four Nations championship, the current SANZAR powerbrokers will be entitled to congratulate themselves on a decision that served the interests of southern hemisphere and world rugby.
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