Australia coach “bloody angry” with All Blacks for Rugby Championship withdrawal

Wallabies head coach Dave Rennie has not held back in his frustration after New Zealand Rugby announced the All Blacks will not travel to Australia as scheduled this weekend.

New Zealand were set to fly to Perth on Sunday ahead of their third and final match of the Bledisloe series on August 28, with more than 60,000 tickets sold for the Rugby Championship clash at Optus Stadium.

However, community outbreaks of Covid-19 in Auckland and the capital, Wellington, led NZR to cancel the current plans, also withdrawing from two upcoming home games against South Africa.

“Bloody angry,” replied Rennie when asked for his reaction to Friday’s announcement.

“I think it’s disappointing how it has been communicated. Our boys all found out through social media.

“I thought New Zealand Rugby didn’t even have the respect to consult RA about their decision so that’s hugely disappointing.”

The comments resembled those made by Rugby Australia CEO Andy Marinos, who said earlier on Friday that he felt disappointed NZR had not communicated their plans in advance.

New Zealand have already sealed this year’s Bledisloe Cup, retaining the accolade for a 19th year in succession after they hammered the Wallabies 57-22 at Eden Park last weekend.

The All Blacks currently lead the 2021 Rugby Championship standings, although South Africa will move to the top if they beat Argentina again in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.

Earlier on Friday, RA figurehead Marinos expressed his own dissatisfaction with how NZR had handled their announcement: “It’s incredibly disappointing to be informed of this decision via the media, despite having a conversation with the CEO moments before and there [being] no mention that this was the intention.

“We will continue to leave no stone unturned in finding an option … for the Perth Test.

“The team has been in camp since the end of June and jumped on a plane at the end of July to go to New Zealand with no certainty as to what the Test schedule will look like, or when they would be home.

“Despite this outcome, I am confident we will find a solution for the whole Rugby Championship in what continues to be a very challenging environment in which to work.”

Rennie, 57, replaced Michael Cheika as Wallabies coach in July 2020, and it was only another four months before he clinched his first win over the All Blacks, a narrow 24-22 victory in Brisbane.

The destination of this year’s Bledisloe Cup may already be decided, but there’s everything to play for in the Rugby Championship, which the Wallabies won in 2015.

SANZAAR—the governing body overseeing the tournament—is said to be considering Europe as a potential destination for its nine remaining fixtures.

A week remains before New Zealand are scheduled to face Australia in Perth, but uncertainty regarding Covid-19 and the new quarantine measures has thrown the competition into chaos.

New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson explained in a statement that it was “prudent for the team” to remain at home while organisers came to terms on a new tournament schedule.

“Once the team leaves our shores, they currently can’t return until November 23 post their Northern Tour, so given the uncertainty, it makes sense to pause and get more clarity on these fixtures,” Robinson said.

“We remain 100 percent committed to playing in the entire Fortinet Rugby Championship in 2021 and are working closely with SANZAAR to look at a range of options to reschedule these important matches.”

Twickenham in London has been touted as one of four possible destinations in the northern hemisphere that could hold games to finish the Rugby Championship on time.

Venues in Paris, Dublin and Cardiff are also reportedly being assessed as potential hosts, a blow to Australia considering they were set to host seven of the 10 remaining games.

Rennie is already under pressure to improve results after the Wallabies conceded a record sum in their most recent loss to bitter rivals New Zealand.

Rugby Australia is believed to be assessing its eligibility laws as a means to increase the player pool and make the team more competitive, with changes potentially coming as soon as this year.

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