Rugby: McIntosh joins lobby for curb on Tri-Nations

By Wynne Gray

Respected Sharks coach Ian McIntosh is part of a growing rugby fraternity who think it would be better for the Tri-Nations test series to be played every second year.

His argument centres on two issues - the World Cup and the need to open up the rugby calendar for more traditional tours.

McIntosh is concerned that the mid-year Southern Hemisphere test battles could take the edge off the All Blacks, Springboks or Wallabies and provide some World Cup advantage for those sides north of the equator.

He argues that especially in a World Cup year, it would make better sense to postpone the Tri-Nations series between the All Blacks, Wallabies and Springboks. If that pattern was used every second season then the Southern Hemisphere nations could travel elsewhere or host tours from other nations.

It is the sort of problem the International Rugby Board is wrestling with now as it tries to find some route through the existing minefield of global itineraries, which include the Super 12, Tri-Nations, Five Nations, Cook Cup, World Cup qualifying or Pacific Rim competitions.

"I don't want it to sound negative," said McIntosh. "I just think having a break would be a sensible idea.

"I am amazed we are having the Tri-Nations in a year when there is a World Cup. It could do damage to the Southern Hemisphere sides.

"Patriotically, I would like to see the South Africans win the World Cup but if
that does not happen then I would like either New Zealand or Australia to take the title as they are our Super 12 brothers."

McIntosh, who has arrived with his Sharks side for tomorrow's Super 12 meeting with the Auckland Blues, asked whether people would remember in five or six years who had won the Tri-Nations titles this decade. Those mid-season meetings would become a blur, whereas no one would forget a tour like the All Blacks made to South Africa in 1996.

"I realise Tri-Nations tests are an integral part of our professional rugby players' lives as their way of making money and as a marketing ploy for the sport. But I think having them each year could end up being a bit much."
Playing the Super 12 each year was fine. It was a superb competition, a great way of attacking each season and was an excellent viewing platform for the national selectors.

It was also at a very crucial stage this season, with the Sharks and Blues among a group scrapping to make the final four. Eden Park tomorrow was the start of the Sharks' four-game road tour, he said.

"I am reasonably happy with the way we are going," said McIntosh. "The big stumble was our loss at home to the Hurricanes. It was at East London, which was more like an away game for us but we made a real mess of it."

Skipper Gary Teichmann was a big loss with his knee ligament damage. The injury would keep him out of the game for between two and four weeks and flanker Wayne Fyvie would take over the captaincy.

"Losing Gary is a big blow but we are used to having him away with the Springboks and then during the Currie Cup too," said McIntosh. "However, we don't have any other injuries so we are not looking too bad."

The Sharks had taken a low-key start to the season and were hoping to build to their best form at this stage of the schedule. The Blues had a number of new faces but had got some useful results.

McIntosh said: "I have never known there to be a weak Auckland side, just different ones."