All Blacks v Wallabies: Eddie Jones’ claim that NZ economy crashes after All Blacks defeats uncannily accurate

Eddie Jones: 'Put the New Zealand Prime Minister on call.' Photo / Photosport

He might be a bit ropey as an international rugby coach, but Wallabies boss Eddie Jones could be an economic genius.

The Herald’s Sporting-Economics Bureau has crunched the numbers and found some truth in Jones’ forecast of economic gloom for New Zealand in the wake of All Blacks defeats.

“There’s nothing better than winning against New Zealand because you feel the country sinking,” said Jones in the build-up to Saturday’s Bledisloe Cup opener in Melbourne.

“It’s not just rugby that sinks, the country sinks. The whole economy goes down. The Prime Minister is there with his fingers crossed hoping the All Blacks win because he knows the economy is going to drop if they lose.

“Maybe put the New Zealand Prime Minister on call that the economy is going to suffer and at the same time raise our stakes here.”

Thankfully for Chris Hipkins, the All Blacks humbled the hosts in Melbourne, meaning the Prime Minister could spend his weekend on productive pursuits like counting his Cabinet ministers.

However detailed analysis - as revealed in the graph below - of the All Blacks’ most painful World Cup defeats has found a correlation between footy disaster and financial decline.

The graph clearly illustrates how after the 1995 Rugby World Cup final defeat, annual GDP growth for New Zealand nosedived. It was all because of Joel Stransky’s drop goal (and had nothing to do with the Asian financial crisis at all).

When the All Blacks were silenced by the French in the 2007 RWC quarter-final, our nation’s GDP growth again tanked. Global Financial Crisis? More like Gargantuan French Calamity!

Few could forget how defeat to England in the 2019 RWC semifinal led directly to the Covid-related economic contraction. Lockdown? More like locks down!

NZME’s business editor at large Liam Dann gave the matter of Eddienomics the degree of earnest scrutiny it demands.

“It’s uncanny and reminiscent of other excellent correlations,” said Dann.

“Like the decline in global pirate numbers aligning with the rise of global warming, or the number of films Nicolas Cage appears in each year tracking alongside annual US drowning deaths.”

Perhaps Jones could apply some of his economic nous to his team on the field. In Saturday night’s opening lineout, Jed Holloway’s application of trickle-down theory in supplying the ball to little Tate McDermott created a free market for halfback smashing. It was Scott Barrett who cashed in for New Zealand, settling Prime Minister Hipkins’ nerves.