The NZ/SA Rivalry, how fierce is it?

[PaarlBok]

The modern rugby game miss the good old tour days. Thats when the players got to the real rugby heart of the country and mixing with the locals. Those days every single person plus the dog and cat of the house would talk rugby and the touring teams. When I was young we had those rugby cards and myself would know every players name, weight, height and province he played for.

money changed rugby for the worse in many ways.

 

[Bon]

For me South Africa are our traditional rivals. I was present at the 1956 test at Carisbrook,Dunedin,[My first test as a spectator] when Ron Jardine scored a famous try. I well remember the atmosphere and the passion of the crowd.Those tests were intent,brutal even,as test matches between SA/NZ traditionally were. No TV back then,the linesmen were there only to raise the flag when the ball went out of play,the ref had complete control,and rucking was part of the game.
Until Australia had their golden years in the nineties the Bledisloe generated very little interest in New Zealand.Since then I think a trans-tasman rivalry has developed aided by TV promotions etc. Perhaps younger people in NZ lean toward the Bledisloe as being the great rivalry because they have had more exposure to that it.

 

[Dan54]

I think in 56 the reserves were almost still running the sideline as touch judges too weren't they Bon??

 

[terry j]

I was present at the 1956 test at Carisbrook,Dunedin,[My first test as a spectator]

well then, may I be the first to say you have kept your youthful looks remarkably well?

 

[Bon]

I think in 56 the reserves were almost still running the sideline as touch judges too weren't they Bon??

Aye,they never got a run unless someone came off with a decent injury. Any man who left the field with less than a compound fracture of the tibia was drummed out of both the All Black and Springbok sides, his name was expunged from the records and he was shipped off to England to play out his rugby career.

 

[Dan54]

This is about how ppl feel isn't it? How do we all feel? For example my first 2 For australia would be All blacks then England. I'm just very passionate about the Bledisloe

Mate, as I said the rivalry with SA takes nothing away from Bledisloe, which is Cup we like to hold more than probably most others, we don't need a cup or anything to make a win over SA very satisfying as they have always been so bloody hard to come by. You know it's funny, I find myself really enjoying reading the posts of posters from SA like Paarl and Blue etc, because whether I agree or not,I tend to recognise in their posts a passion for the game, and style of game, very similar to my own and a lot of older kiwi posters. Once again in absolutely no way is this saying I not enjoying or respecting the thoughts and opinions of all the other bloody good posters on this forum, just think theirs comes from growing up thinking slightly differently about the finest game ever invented!!

 

[FrankLind]

Percy was the man

Perfect hair and perfect tan.

 

[Bullrush]

I don't think there is a big difference between younger fans either.

I think the difference between SA and AUS has a huge amount to do with the style and approach to the game.

So many posters in this thread have alluded to and spoken about the physicality and the brutal nature of the Bok v AB clashes and I think that strikes a chord with so many of us - something I don't think we feel we share with Aussies.

It's almost like we play for the collusion - we love hitting it up, making big tackles, trying to over-power your opposition. That's the foundation of everything else you do in the game. Whther it's tru or not, I don't think we see Aussies as having the same mind-set. They concentrate on technique and set-moves and trying to out-think or out-manouvere you.

Basically, I think SA and NZ just love trying to smash people so we identify with each other more. It's frikken hard to try and explain this.....

 

[boyo]

Percy was the man

Is Steve Walsh the man now?

 

[terry j]

I don't think there is a big difference between younger fans either.

I think the difference between SA and AUS has a huge amount to do with the style and approach to the game.

So many posters in this thread have alluded to and spoken about the physicality and the brutal nature of the Bok v AB clashes and I think that strikes a chord with so many of us - something I don't think we feel we share with Aussies.

It's almost like we play for the collusion - we love hitting it up, making big tackles, trying to over-power your opposition. That's the foundation of everything else you do in the game. Whther it's tru or not, I don't think we see Aussies as having the same mind-set. They concentrate on technique and set-moves and trying to out-think or out-manouvere you.

Basically, I think SA and NZ just love trying to smash people so we identify with each other more. It's frikken hard to try and explain this...

just using this post as a springboard, it *seems* to imply that there might actually be an 'australian way' of playing. In other places, threads and contexts such a suggestion I have seen quickly howled down.

Therefore I found it interesting.

 

[Bullrush]

just using this post as a springboard, it *seems* to imply that there might actually be an 'australian way' of playing. In other places, threads and contexts such a suggestion I have seen quickly howled down.

Therefore I found it interesting.

Really?! I think, as a genralisation, we defiitely expect certain playing styles from different countries. Rightly or wrongly.

SA - Tough hard physical rugby.
AUS - Smart, fast running rugby.
ENG - 10-man rugby.
FRA - Expect the un-expected rugby.
SAM - Brutish, confrontational rugby - for 35 min.

etc etc......

It's not always like this but I reckon that's close to what most punters think when we think of rugby nations.....

 

[Dan54]

Hit it on the head Bull, that is probably it more than age thing.

 

[terry j]

Bullrush, if I come across it again (soon anyway) I might link to it. Prob in the discussion on the roar after articles is where I may have seen it. I spose I should add that (I think) it sorta comes after the discussion article of 'which coach now?'

"We need an aussie coach as they understand the aussie way of playing', then off it goes basically questioning that very premise, 'aussie way'.

Or not link to it, not important really.

 

[Antony]

Bit of a late chime-in from me, but what a great thread.

I can't split them. Sort of depends on whoever has the better team at the time (so turn of the century it was Australia, before that it was the boks... now it's... ???).

Playing the boks is huge, and I probably enjoy watching it more because there's a lot of mutual respect (as opposed to a fair bit of negativity that currently surrounds the bledisloe) but I ask every kiwi who is talking down the importance of the Bledisloe to think back to 2003 when we finally got it back. That was bigger than the world cup in 2011 for me. That was huge.

And then the season ended in August with no further games played that year.

 

[PaarlBok]

Playing the boks is huge, and I probably enjoy watching it more because there's a lot of mutual respect (as opposed to a fair bit of negativity that currently surrounds the bledisloe)

Thats what make a good rivalry. We have the biggest schoolboy interschools in the world in Paarl. Thats where I learned a lot in my old days. Its one town split in two for a week. When we play each other there is this something special between us, respect for each other which you'll never find when playing another opponent.

Regarding the brutality from the old days, go back to 1970 when the likes of Frik du Preez , Chris Laidlaw, Joggie Jansen, Bryan Williams, Wayne Cottrell got stuck into each other.

The full story and some video links
http://springbokrugby.webs.com/firsttest1970.htm


If todays players try to play like this , there wont be any left on the field.

 

[biltong]

From a south African perspective (well mine at least)

The all Blacks will always be the ultimate rivalry, firstly because of the rich history we have with them, the stories I have heard about how each team went about it to beat each other, and the fables tat came from that.

I remember the RWC final of 1995 like it was yesterday, but more importantly the feeling that it generated inside me, no other world cup final can provide the same amount of emotions.

After all, the All Blacks are the epitome of rugby, aren't they?

 

[PaarlBok]

After all, the All Blacks are the epitome of rugby, aren't they?

To put it this way, if I can pick two teams for my dream WC final. Springbokke vs All Blacks by a long shot.

 

[boyo]

From a south African perspective (well mine at least)

The all Blacks will always be the ultimate rivalry, firstly because of the rich history we have with them, the stories I have heard about how each team went about it to beat each other, and the fables tat came from that.

I remember the RWC final of 1995 like it was yesterday, but more importantly the feeling that it generated inside me, no other world cup final can provide the same amount of emotions.

After all, the All Blacks are the epitome of rugby, aren't they?

Do you post by the rule of your signature?

 

[biltong]

I usually do, why?

 

[Bon]

I think that in earlier times the makeup of the NZ and SA teams was similar ie. Farmers,carpenters, blue collar workers made up a good part of the touring party so off field socializing was pretty relaxed. I think it has only been in recent years that the Wallabies have had a beer with the All Blacks in the dressing rooms post game. I note now that the players seem to be on pretty good terms after the final whistle,just as it should be. It's only the supporters who keep slugging it out.