D'Arcy Waldegrave: Clashes between the All Blacks and Springboks are the pinnacle of rugby

I’m as big a fan as the next guy when it comes to the All Blacks. Not obsessive like I was in my youth, but the team has occupied an unhealthy space in my brain for as long as I can remember. 

In rugby for me, these clashes between the men in black and the African menace have always been the pinnacle of the sport.  

Why?  

Since their readmission into the international arena in 1992, NZ cosh their rivals with wins. Something to do with home referees without gold watches I’d say. Statistically, the ABs have been the superior team. Ever since they’ve came out of their apartheid induced wilderness, NZ have had the whip hand. 47 v 20 wins with 2 draws.  We have superior Tri Nations/Rugby Championship results, crunched them too often at their traditional home of Ellis Park. But the aura around the Springboks has never waned. Notably, they’ve bested us when it really counts in 2 World Cup finals 

The Aussies are fun to beat, the English are a team that are awful to lose to, the French are an exercise in who-goddamn-knows, and of recent times the Irish and intermittently the Argentines have been worthy foes. But South Africa?  

The Springboks are us. They are bred in a country where the rugby DNA is barbed wire wound around the hearts and souls of the populous. They are hard-nosed and uncompromising in their play. They have unreasonably lofty standards. Their national psyche is inextricably linked to their results. We share rugby controversy, from the divisive and violent ‘81 tour, the Cavaliers ill-conceived misadventure, and the legendary ‘Suzie’ scandal.  

Most importantly, rugby is their national sport. It’s our national sport.  

These tests are greater than the sum of their parts. 

There’s something about these clashes, and I’m all over it 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Wildegrave from News Talks.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
By seven twenty eight Army All Sport Breakfast. You're probably
gathered by now if you've been lasting. I'm as big
a fan as the next guy when it comes to
the All Blacks, right. I'm not obsessive like I was
in my youth, but the team has occupied an unhealthy
amount of space in my brain for as long as
I can remember it. Classes between the Men in Black

(00:31):
and the African Menace have always been the pinnacle of
the sport for me and most people. So why since
their readmission to the international arena, New Zealand's edged their
rivals with wins. We don't want to say edge. I'm
talking forty seven v twenty with only two draws. That's

(00:51):
kind of dominant. Maybe that's something to do with the
home referees without gold watches in the Republic. So statistically,
the All Blacks have been the superior team ever since
they came out of that apartheid and deuced wilderness. New
Zealand have got the whip and we have superior tri
Nations Rugby Championship results. We've crunched them way too often

(01:12):
at their traditional home of Alice Park. But the aura
around the Springboks has never waned. They're best at us
when it really counts, in two World Cup finals, and
that stings. Look the Aussie's are funderbeat. The English are
a team that are horrible to lose to. The French
are and exercise, and who goddamn knows. In the recent times,

(01:34):
we've had the Iris and intermittently the Argentines as worthy foes.
But South Africa, the Springboks are us. They're bred in
a country where the rugby DNA is barred wire wrapped
around the hearts and souls of the populace. They're hard nose,
they are uncompromising in their play. They have unreasonably high standards.

(01:55):
Their national psyche is inextricably linked to their results. We
share rugby controversy, from the device of and violent eighty
one tour, the Cavaliers, ill conceived misadventure, the legendary Suzi scandal.
The list goes on. There's something about this contest between
these two magnificent teams in world rugby. Both of these

(02:17):
teams count rugby as their national sport, their national passion.
There's something about these tests and I'm all over it.
That'll do.

Speaker 1 (02:26):
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