Crusaders resort to Super Rugby wishful thinking with claim Homebush Bay is neutral ground

By Georgina Robinson
Updated August 1 2014 - 5:08am, first published 12:11am
Is it time?: Sekope Kepu and the Waratahs train during the week.
Is it time?: Sekope Kepu and the Waratahs train during the week.

For too long have Australian rugby's fans, players, administrators, pundits and scribes run their mouths off at this time of year. 
 
It has not been arrogance – not even Wallabies tragics can overlook the 11 straight years of Bledisloe Cup pain – but stubborn hopefulness fuelling the "we-can-do-it" chant that begins as a murmur sometime in April or May, builds to a clamour by late July and is replaced by the black hole of realism by the middle of August.  
 
This year, of all recent years, could have been "The Year" – to get really bolshie, totally one-eyed and ripe for the take-down. 
 
The Waratahs are in the final, the Brumbies made the semi-finals and the Force – those true-blue battlers blighted by isolation and questionable coaching since foundation – were a couple of defensive lapses from their first finals campaign a few weeks ago. 
 
Australian rugby is in decent shape. But if Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie or once-was captain Stephen Moore have anything to do with it, you will not hear a single "this is the year" comment out of Test camp in coming weeks. 
 
Even the rugby scribes have held off reaching for the "Does Waratahs success mean..." Dorothy Dixer in grand final week. Thus far. Give us time. 
 
So it has been more than a little amusing to watch New Zealanders pull the provincial equivalent of vociferous Australian over-confidence, especially as it's been based around a peculiar notion that ANZ Stadium is a neutral venue for the Crusaders.
 
Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder was the most recent to weigh in. making the fascinating accusation the Waratahs had given up their home advantage by agreeing to play the final at Homebush Bay. 
 
"There is no way I would ever give up home advantage to anyone," Blackadder said on Wednesday.
 
"This could only be the accountants and not so much the players [making the decision]. I don’t think it will make a difference to them; no one is going to be hamstrung by it. But for us ... the psychological aspect of going to a neutral stadium is just fantastic."
 
It may well have been the accountants, or perhaps the strategists – those crazy cats daring to imagine a future for NSW rugby west of Anzac Parade – but it is worth noting that the Waratahs' nine-year-old agreement with ANZ Stadium has always included the provision that a final would be played there. It has taken this long for the Waratahs to jag a home one. 
 
May it work for Blackadder, really. The Crusaders coach has taken his fine team to six consecutive Super Rugby finals series, but has never been able to net the big one. He might be looking for an edge, any edge, to blunt the powerful home advantage factor in professional rugby's toughest provincial competition.
 
But may Waratahs fans outside Sydney's eastern suburbs take umbridge at the implied accusation they don't really love their team and turn out in force on Saturday night.
 

ANZ STADIUM IS ISRAEL FOLAU'S KILLING GROUND

 
And if we're going to get technical, let's take a look at one man's record at ANZ Stadium. 
 
Israel Folau won an NRL grand final there (2007 with the Storm), made his State of Origin debut on its fast decks (May 2008), performed what is still one of Origin's greatest moments – the leaping try in the decider there that year – and went on to help Queensland notch two more series wins there, in 2009 and 2010. 
 
He played for the Giants there in the AFL and the Wallabies in his debut year in rugby. Both of the Tests played at ANZ Stadium, against the British and Irish Lions and All Blacks, ended in bad Australian losses. In the meantime, he has won three times there in Waratahs colours, and lost once, against the Reds at the end of last season. 
 
There isn't much that's neutral about ANZ Stadium for Super Rugby's top try scorer. 
 

AUSTRALIAN VIEWERS SWITCH ON TO SUPER RUGBY FINALS

 
The arrival this week of bullish Super Rugby broadcast numbers was timely, given the new broadcast deal in the early stages of negotiation between the unions of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa and their respective broadcasters. 

Subscribe now for unlimited access.

$0/

(min cost $0)

or signup to continue reading

See subscription options

Get the latest Bega news in your inbox

Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date.

We care about the protection of your data. Read our Privacy Policy.