Editorial: Player in the jersey is what matters

In a game of two halves, to coin a phrase, how much does the design, and especially colour, of the kit matter?
If recent events are anything to go by, plenty - as the marketing machine behind the All Blacks jersey maker adidas swung into high gear to build a sense of real anticipation over the "revolutionary" new top.
Campaigns ran a countdown clock to Saturday's unveiling and various stories were put about to foster comment and speculation on what it might look like - what would the return of the white collar appear like in reality?
While the colour was a given, Adidas was at pains to explain the technology behind the shirts. The polyester, seamless, tubular design, with gold tape inside the neck, was said to be a first for the world's top rugby team. Global category manager Mark Pepperell seemed to get a bit too carried away in his enthusiasm: "It could come down to the 79th minute in the biggest game of the year and the difference between getting the ball across the line or not".
Really? Is this wonderfully light, super-tight, hi-tech masterpiece really likely to affect the result of a game? While Pepperell and others will think so, I have my doubts. In other sporting apparel related matters, it is hard to see anyone really being genuinely aggrieved by the England rugby team opting for a black strip for away matches. At least one report suggested the move was controversial and comments that All Black great Jonah Lomu was stunned by the move.
Sorry, Jonah, but New Zealand rugby does not have a monopoly on the colour black; as much as we may like to think of it as being "ours" in terms of rugby fields, it has been around a while and used by many other teams in a variety of codes globally.
Yes, England rugby is known for the white strip, but I can't recall any fuss from the other side of the world on any occasions when the All Blacks have donned their alternative white strip - does Eden Park in 2000 ring any bells, Jonah? You wore a white shirt with a black collar that day.
In any case, shouldn't we be flattered? The reality is, though, no matter how many tubes, what type of collar, or even the colour, it's the skills, fitness, and mental toughness of the players that will dictate who wins the game, not what they are wearing.
Feedback: editor@wanganuichronicle.co.nz