Richie Mo'unga of the Crusaders and Beauden Barrett of the Blues (L-R) chat following the round 5 Super Rugby Aotearoa match between the Crusaders and the Blues. Photo / Getty Images.
Richie Mo'unga of the Crusaders and Beauden Barrett of the Blues (L-R) chat following the round 5 Super Rugby Aotearoa match between the Crusaders and the Blues. Photo / Getty Images.
COMMENT:
Yesterday the teams were announced for Saturday's North v South fixture. Here's hoping the announcement will finally put an end to the oft heard grizzles, not about the players, the lack of crowd, even the much-maligned selection policy, but the branding.
Probables v Possibles, Super Rugby's Best Test, theHaves v the Wants, Te Ika a Maui v Te Wai Pounamu or as a mate suggested; the Steinlager Classic v Pure.
Regardless of the attached moniker, we all know what it is, so why the bleating from the great unwashed (the media) and the greater unwashed - the filthy phalanx of social media agitators?
The texts were coming into the studio last night, repeating a similar theme. It's not really North v South is it? Jordie isn't a South Islander. Isn't Whitelock from the north? This is an artificial selection. You get the picture.
Just in case you've been mentally self-isolated from the globe, 2020 has been hijacked by a pathogen. The sporting world order has been shaken at best, inverted at worst by the likes of nothing we've seen, or been stricken with.
Not one sport has been spared the tyranny of Covid. Its long dark shadow has been cast across allcomers, including our national obsession; rugby union.
In these darkened times, necessity has been the mother of invention, and with that maternal guiding hand, a season of bizarre change has been foisted upon us all. The fans, the players, the union.
Ngani Laumape of the Hurricanes evades Beauden Barrett of the Blues during the round 6 Super Rugby Aotearoa match between the Hurricanes and the Blues. Photo / Photosport.co.nz
Super Rugby was remodelled, reinvented and reinvigorated. The welcome byproduct of dramatic and enforced change has been arguably the best thing that has happened to sub international rugby since the advent of Super Rugby way back when.
We've rightly celebrated Super Rugby Aotearoa, a competition salvaged from the wreckage of Super Rugby, as the rebirth of rugby.
Stripped bare of the accoutrements of greed, ie the inclusion of sub-optimal teams in the name of spreading the good word, NZR were forced to think outside of the white lines and gave us a tremendous tournament. Did anyone care what it was called? Will we look back in the fullness of time and criticise the name? Of course not.
So why the angst over North v South? It doesn't matter what it's called, when we all know what purpose it serves.
Would we not be better served revelling in the best players the country can offer going toe to toe in lieu of a bona fide international?
As for the complaints around the selection criteria, surely the province that was adroit enough to initially select the player should be rewarded with rights to their origin. If Waikato had the temerity to select Damian McKenzie, why not give them the kudos?
The North-South tag gives Sky and NZR a tenuous grasp on the concept of tradition, the illusion of permanence as Woody Allen once opined, and can tailor their promotion around it. All power to them.
Like Super Rugby, they have pulled something out of nothing to satiate us, the broadcasters' and the players' desire to represent. And who knows, we might even get an international season to justify it.
As rugby players are prone to saying, it is what it is. A game of rugby we all want, call it Bob for I care, it won't affect the affray. Roll on Saturday night.
North v South kicks off at 7.10pm on Saturday night. Live coverage on nzherald.co.nz, Newstalk ZB and Sky Sport.
