It is rare that any Bledisloe Cup clash with Australia feels a mere sideshow in the broader narrative of a year in New Zealand and, yet, as the trans-Tasman rivals prepare to meet in the first of back-to-back Tests this weekend, it feels somewhat lower key. For New Zealand Rugby (NZR), this has been a challenging year navigating an itinerary that, even by the standards of rugby’s crowded calendar, has barely relented for months. Following on from the Super Rugby Pacific season came home Nations Championship games against France, Italy and Ireland, with little chance to draw breath before the gruelling Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour.
There is still a four-Test European sojourn to come; sprinkle in a smattering of Black Ferns Tests, the NPC and the long-term planning required to address increasing financial pressures and one would forgive a few feeling in need of respite. This, clearly, is no time for that; underlined by a senior figure recently was the excitement that would accompany these two games against the Wallabies – and a nagging fear that their 24-year monopoly on the Bledisloe Cup might come under genuine threat.
