BENOIT TESSIER
The All Blacks could play England at Twickenham on November 4.
OPINION:
"Show us the money" is likely to be the message in a bottle delivered across the oceans to England rugby's hierarchy about the potential of a tantalising November test against the All Blacks.
Right now England need New Zealand more than the All Blacks need Eddie Jones. It's that position of negotiating strength that allows NZ Rugby boss Steve Tew to sit back and demand what he has always craved from the English RFU - a cash cow revenue-sharing test at Twickenham.
Tew declined to comment on Wednesday but appears to have counterpart Ian Ritchie over a barrel when it comes to staging a heavyweight showdown between the All Blacks and England one year earlier than scheduled.
Eddie Jones at Twickenham, where the England Rugby Union hopes to lure the All Blacks.
In a British and Irish Lions year, the All Blacks don't need another difficult test added to a schedule that already includes a full scale Rugby Championship followed by matches against France, Scotland and Wales on the end of season tour.
The All Blacks, No 1 team in the world, hold the mantle Jones so desperately desires. It now comes down to how much England, the world's richest union, are willing to pay for the chance to knock the All Blacks off their perch and give credence to their transformation. Stealing the No 1 ranking otherwise is but a fanciful dream.
Bottom line, that means England's RFU probably needs to agree to a revenue-sharing arrangement that would see NZ Rugby walk away with 3 million pounds (NZ$5.3m) from the one-off fixture.
Reports from London's Daily Mail suggested the All Blacks could take home around 2m pounds ($3.5m NZD) for a match commemorating the 125th anniversary of the Barbarians on the same proposed November 4 date, which sits outside the designated test window.
A game against the Barbarians is an easy sell. All Blacks coach Steve Hansen could rest many of his big guns, and still keep Tew happy by filling coffers further after a bumper Lions tour.
That money filters through the New Zealand game. And as Aaron Cruden, Steven Luatua, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, James Lowe and Charlie Faumuina among others prepare to leave these shores, it only helps in the on-going fight to retain key players.
The upshot is England must make it worth NZ Rugby's while to swap the Baabaas for a match-up between the world's two best teams that would near sell out Twickenham overnight.
Now the potential for the test everyone in world rugby is gagging for has emerged, pressure will come on Ritchie to deliver.
Before now Ritchie has been less than sympathetic over the southern hemisphere nations - particularly the All Blacks - being squeezed out of profits due to their small stadia. Not long ago he scoffed: "Go build a bigger stadium."
But to give Eddie what he wants, Ritchie knows it will be on NZ Rugby's terms or not at all.
Jones doesn't want to go into the World Cup having only faced the All Blacks once - in 2018. He knows the only way to truly measure how far his men have come is to test them against the best. And now his boss seemingly has the opportunity to make that happen.
The danger for Ritchie is should he agree to a revenue-sharing arrangement the precedent will be set. From then on, any test between England and the All Blacks agreed outside the June and November test windows will come with a similar, hefty price tag.
NZ Rugby has long been keen to maximise the All Blacks' earning power by agreeing to add on tests before northern tours. Last year they lost to Ireland in Chicago but still banked around $1 million, along with the benefits of looking after American-based commercial sponsors.
In 2014 it was the USA in Chicago; the year before Japan in Tokyo.
These arrangements contain many moving parts - commercial and rugby considerations just some.
But if Ritchie is willing to stump up the cash, world rugby may get its ultimate test.
- Stuff
