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Trans-Tasman Super Rugby competition, Bledisloe Cup series still a possibility this year

(Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)

A 2020 Bledisloe Cup series is on the table while Australian Super Rugby teams could play in a makeshift trans-Tasman league later this year as Rugby Australia turns its focus towards a return to competition.

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Australia’s professional rugby players agreed to an average 60 percent salary cut but have called for a complete review of the code in this country, after reaching a resolution on an interim pay deal on Monday.

RA chief executive Raelene Castle is now scheming a return to the field and the inclusion of New Zealand is an option, given that country’s similarly positive handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

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“That’s one of the models that we’ve worked through at the moment and we remain in consistent discussion with New Zealand because obviously it makes a lot of sense,” said Castle of the prospect of tests and Super Rugby games between the two countries later this year.

“The indications we’re getting from government agencies is that the sequence of opening up is likely to be domestic, then maybe trans-Tasman, then maybe Pacific and international.”

In accepting the hefty pay cuts, the Rugby Union Players Association called for “root and branch” reform of the code.

And on Tuesday Castle indicated she was open to it, insisting the current Super Rugby format involving tours to South Africa and Argentina wasn’t set in stone.

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That’s despite both New Zealand and South Africa signing broadcast deals based on that premise and Rugby Australia’s broadcast future remaining up in the air.

“Governments might not let us deliver it; (unless they) open borders and allow teams to come in. We might not have any choice to review … what we can deliver into 2021,” she said.

“I can’t sit here today and tell you what it’s going to look like at the back end of 2020 or into 21, but there are a number of different models we continue to work with so that we can have options depending on what government decisions are made and also have options to talk to broadcasters about.”

In the meantime a proposed five-team domestic competition featuring the Western Force is expected to be postponed again after initially being put on hold until May 1.

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“All the indications we are getting from Australia and New Zealand governments are that they’re very proud of the fact that they’ve managed to control this (virus) very well and limited the damage and loss of life and they’re not willing to open that up quickly to risk that they go backwards again,'” Castle said.

She said the internal cost cutting and likely financial support of World Rugby would ensure RA doesn’t enter voluntary administration amid the shutdown.

Castle said a full audit of their finances is expected to be completed soon and that there was “certainty around their cash position until the end of September”.

– AAP

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Flankly 1 hour ago
'Absolute madness': Clive Woodward rips into Borthwick in wake of NZ loss

Borthwick is supposed to be the archetypical conservative coach, the guy that might not deliver a sparkling, high-risk attacking style, but whose teams execute the basics flawlessly. And that's OK, because it can be really hard to beat teams that are rock solid and consistent in the rugby equivalent of "blocking and tackling".


But this is why the performance against NZ is hard to defend. You can forgive a conservative, back-to-basics team for failing to score tons of tries, because teams like that make up for it with reliability in the simple things. They can defend well, apply territorial pressure, win the set piece battles, and take their scoring chances with metronomic goal kicking, maul tries and pick-and-go goal line attacks.


The reason why the English rugby administrators should be on high alert is not that the English team looked unable to score tries, but that they were repeatedly unable to close out a game by executing basic, coachable skills. Regardless of how they got to the point of being in control of their destiny, they did get to that point. All that was needed was to be world class at things that require more training than talent. But that training was apparently missing, and the finger has to point at the coach.


Borthwick has been in the job for nearly two years, a period that includes two 6N programs and an RWC campaign. So where are the solid foundations that he has been building?

4 Go to comments
N
Nickers 1 hour ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Very poor understanding of what's going on and 0 ability to read. When I say playing behind the gain line you take this to mean all off-loads and site times we are playing in front of the gain line???


Every time we play a lot of rugby behind the gain line (for clarity, meaning trying to build an attack and use width without front foot ball 5m+ behind the most recent breakdown) we go backwards and turn the ball over in some way. Every time a player is tackled behind the most recent breakdown you need more and more people to clear out because your forwards have to go back around the corner, whereas opposition players can keep moving forward. Eventually you run out of either players to clear out or players to pass to and the result in a big net loss of territory and often a turnover. You may have witnessed that 20+ times in the game against England. This is a particularly dumb idea inside your own 40m which is where, for some reason, we are most likely to employ it.


The very best ABs teams never built an identity around attacking from poor positions. The DC era team was known for being the team that kicked the most. To engineer field position and apply pressure, and create broken play to counter attack. This current team is not differentiating between when a defence has lost it's structure and there are opportunities, and when they are completely set and there is nothing on. The reason they are going for 30 minute + periods in every game without scoring a single point, even against Japan and a poor Australian team, is because they are playing most of their rugby on the back foot in the wrong half.

43 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ England need to face a few home truths if they are to relearn that winning habit England need to face a few home truths if they are to relearn that winning habit
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