Chris Rattue 's Opinion Chris Rattue is a sports columnist for the New Zealand Herald. Polynesian magic in Aussie rugby turns the tables on NZ 5:00 AM Thursday Aug 13, 2015 Add a comment
The Polynesian factor is working its magic in Australian rugby.
The revolution which swept the NRL league ranks is starting to drive Australian rugby, and it's why the All Blacks' dominance will never be the same again. New Zealand rugby has a few long-term shocks coming its way, beyond what happened in the first Bledisloe Cup test.
The five-decade Pacific Islands revolution, which began with the one and only Bryan Williams hopping around befuddled South African defenders in 1970, is why New Zealand rugby has surged ahead of the pack. Allied to the existing population of European and Maori players, New Zealand rugby has had it all in terms of raw material.
VideoThis has given the All Blacks advantages unimaginable to others, because the power-athleticism factor of those Polynesian players not only fuels top sides, but has created a stronger development system.
Without these advantages, the All Blacks would never have ruled the world the way they have.
The cultural mix, which has been brilliantly fostered on the field although not in the boardroom, is the significant edge, although the Richie McCaw factor has also been overwhelming for the past decade.
This is a delicate area, and I would move heaven and earth to avoid racial stereotypes or offence. Put it this way: the try prop Sekope Kepu scored last Saturday, which involved acceleration and a step by a big forward, is more likely to come from a player with Polynesian heritage.
Look at Michael Cheika's Australian team: Kepu, Scott Sio, Tatafu Polata-Nau, Will Skelton, Matt Toomua, Tevita Kuridrani, Joe Tomane, Israel Folau - all of Pacific Islands/Polynesian heritage. Some were born in New Zealand and Scott Sio's father played in a famous Samoan World Cup team. When it comes to these Wallabies, it sure don't look like the 1970s.
VideoProfessionalism, immigration, scouting, a blurring of the lines between league and rugby, changing demographics and allegiances ... it will eventually produce dynamic results for Australian rugby, although Eden Park's mysterious hold over Wallaby teams might still hold sway on Saturday.
And what about the just-out-of-suspension Henry Speight - a potential game changer for the Wallabies - in terms of possible World Cup impact. He's a classic example of the new state of affairs.
The Fiji-born Speight emerged via Waikato (well remembered here - the province put out a press release asking the media not to mention he is related to Fijian coup leader George Speight) yet ended up as a potential Wallabies star. Young men wait for no one and take their opportunities where they may.
This attitude has found its way to test teams in Europe as the true meaning of professional rugby takes hold. For an example of how the draw of money can revolutionise sport, count the number of English football players in the English Premier League. It won't take you long.
VideoTargeting Dan
Some rules are made to be broken. Others are made to be kicked out.
Dan Carter was cleverly targeted by Australia in an unusual way in Sydney, when speedy Wallabies aggressively charged at his sideline conversion attempts. Good on the Aussies for using everything at their disposal - the tactic revealed an admirable desperation and eye for detail, and Carter missed both kicks.
The rugby rules decree chargers can only start to move when the kicker begins the approach to kick. This is open to interpretation, especially as modern-day kickers have an array of unusual pre-kick routines which make it difficult to pinpoint when the run-up starts.
Referees have enough to worry about, without dealing with that unnecessary pressure. And there is no evidence referees, their assistants and TMOs are working together to ensure the charge-down attempts are legal. In other words, there is a rather lax attitude to this part of the game which, as Sydney showed, can have a huge effect on major test matches.
But the major point is this: goalkicking is an incredibly difficult art that has been honed to near perfection by a select few players. Why should their skill be put to the sword by opponents who get a free run at them? Rugby might consider kicking the charge-down out, and concentrate instead on rules and attitudes which get kickers to take less time to complete their routines.
Feeding the fury
Prophets of All Black doom, or at least grave concern, are finally coming out of the closet. About time. A loss in Sydney has made the build-up to Saturday's match far more interesting. All Blacks might not read the press - allegedly - but the general drift will always get through, somehow. A furious response on the field is often the reply.
