proposed ANZAC Tour

The Aussie

What do you think about the prospect of Dan Carter outside of Will Genia???

I know its been tried before but it would be great if it takes off, a 3 test Tour or a Grand Slam Tour would be better than a one off at Twickenham.

Wallabies players have thrown their support behind a proposed Anzac tour of the northern hemisphere in 2015, to commemorate the centenary of Australian and New Zealand troops landing at Gallipoli.
ARU boss John O'Neill revealed on Wednesday his visions for a combined Wallabies-All Blacks team which he hopes could play the British and Irish Lions at Twickenham in three years time.
There was a buzz at Wallabies camp on Thursday following O'Neill's comments, with the likes of winger Digby Ioane relishing the thought of lining up alongside Sonny Bill Williams, and halfback Will Genia excited by a prospect which could see him partner Dan Carter in the halves.
An Anzac team played against the Lions in 1989, but the concept failed due to a lack of support from players during the amateur era.

www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/international/7149579/Wallabies-throw-support-behind-Anzac-team?fb_ref=s%3DshowShareBarUI%3Ap%3Dfacebook-like&fb_source=home_multiline

wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8487564

Fishooks12

would be a great idea

irishbucsfan

It would completely overshadow the tests!

I'd rather see an Anzac team play the 6 Nations champions or something like that.

thomond2006

irishbucsfan wrote: »

It would completely overshadow the tests!

I'd rather see an Anzac team play the 6 Nations champions or something like that.

I don't like the idea of a one off "Lions" game. They are called Lions Tours for a reason.

It would be cool to see a NZ/Oz combination, but like bucs says a game against the 6N champions would be better.

mikedragon32

Mmmm. Not gone on them playing a lions team, but at the same time, it would be interesting to see them play a combined 6 Nations team for the same reasons.

Weird, huh?

I think it's an admirable way to mark the centenary anyway.

danthefan

Would be awesome imo.

Absolutely excellent. Lets have it v a 6N team though, not the Lions.

Frenchies and Italians, and even Romania would like to be involved! (Kubrayachvili)

I called it over here.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056665204

sportfanatic

Good idea, but as other posters have said I don't think a game with the Lions would be the best option.

A game against against a settled Six Nations winners or a combined European team would definitely have people interested.

Teferi

Would prefer the Italians and Frenchies to be involved myself.

Klunk_NZ

I honestly support this aslong as the team accurately reflects who deserves the positions as opposed to a generous to the aussies 50/50 split.

funky penguin

Oooooooo, the thoughts of Sexton having Parra as his Scrum half........

pickarooney

Seems a shame to involve all 6 nations but not the Bokke or the Pumas. I think they'd batter any individual nation though.

desertcircus

An all-Europe team. I want to see a backrow of Ferris-Dusautoir-Parisse!

CoDy1

desertcircus wrote: »

An all-Europe team. I want to see a backrow of Ferris-Dusautoir-Parisse!

Oooh, now yer talkin!

Tox56

European Backline of:

Parra
Sexton
North
Fofana
BOD
Bowe
Kearney

There are many more possible combinations (you could throw in a few more frenchies), but I would LOVE to see that team play, especially with adequate time to prepare

Snickers Man

Just what the game needs. Another meaningless "All-Star" match up between two incongruous sides. Given the time and performance pressures on top players' today no employer is seriously going to risk their charges in such a match if it is intended in any way to be competitive.

The hype might say "Parra teamed with Sexton"; in practice you would be more likely to get a brought out of retirement O'Gara paired with somebody from a French youth or academy team.

To say nothing of rugby's long tradition of being apolitical. Tying this to a controversial historical episode is wrong.

Guess I might be in a minority of one but it's a no from me.

ayBlaze

The ANZAC team would just be the All Blacks team with Genia, Ioane and Pocock in it.. possibly Horwill as well by 2015

Scioch

I think its a cool idea. Dont see the issue with them playing the lions either, I mean its not an all SH team if it excludes the Boks so I dont see a need to include France.

It would be a once off thing and play the NH equivalent which is the Lions. I think it would be brilliant to see.

unplayable

Tox56 wrote: »

European Backline of:

Parra
Sexton
North
Fofana
BOD
Bowe
Kearney

There are many more possible combinations (you could throw in a few more frenchies), but I would LOVE to see that team play, especially with adequate time to prepare

parra
sexton
north
roberts
fofana
bowe
kearney

11-15 is just enormous
can see lions lining up like that with prob bod for fofana

The Aussie

Snickers Man wrote: »

To say nothing of rugby's long tradition of being apolitical.

I think a rather spectacular precedence has been set on Rugby being apolitical. Missing 2 WC's and only getting a hand full of tours in 15 years or so.

Rugby union

South Africa remained a member of the International Rugby Board throughout the apartheid era. Halt All Racist Tours was established in New Zealand in 1969 to oppose continued tours to and from South Africa. Though contacts were restricted after the Gleneagles Agreement in 1977, there were controversial tours in 1980 by the British Lions and by France, in 1981 by Ireland, and in 1984 by England. South Africa toured New Zealand in 1981. South Africa was excluded from the first two Rugby World Cups, in 1987 and 1991.


On a side note, i did not know so many NH teams toured during the Boycott.

www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sporting_boycott_of_South_Africa_during_the_Apartheid_era

yohan the great

It would be a bit harsh to not throw in south africa and argentina as part of the tri nations team

CatFromHue

yohan the great wrote: »

It would be a bit harsh to not throw in south africa and argentina as part of the tri nations team

They're not an ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) member so it's nothing to do with them. The idea for this game/tour has resurfaced as in 2015 it'll be 100 years since the Battle of Gallipoli which was the first major battle of the Corps.

Does anyone know when exactly or when it's proposed that this game/tour will happen? The 2015 RWC is scheduled for 18 Sep to 31 Oct and if it goes like the 2011 RWC build up there will be no tours in June of 2015 but the home nations will start their build up in August.

I can see player availability being a major problem here as I can't see any of the home nations wanting their players playing in June when the next RWC is a couple of months later.

Robbo

Surely one of the warm up games has feature this lot as the opposition? Also, is a pickelhaube an approved scrum cap?

ceegee

CatFromHue wrote: »

yohan the great wrote: »

It would be a bit harsh to not throw in south africa and argentina as part of the tri nations team

They're not an ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) member so it's nothing to do with them. The idea for this game/tour has resurfaced as in 2015 it'll be 100 years since the Battle of Gallipoli which was the first major battle of the Corps.

Does anyone know when exactly or when it's proposed that this game/tour will happen? The 2015 RWC is scheduled for 18 Sep to 31 Oct and if it goes like the 2011 RWC build up there will be no tours in June of 2015 but the home nations will start their build up in August.

I can see player availability being a major problem here as I can't see any of the home nations wanting their players playing in June when the next RWC is a couple of months later.

The battle ran from Apr '15 to Jan '16. Id imagine any game would be held immediately after the heineken cup ends as later in the summer would interfere with WC preperations. It'd probably take the place of the babas match thats usually around then.

That said they may try organise it for ANZAC day itself (Apr 25) and leave out players whos clubs are still contending for trophies

CatFromHue

"It is lovely in theory, but when are you going to find the weekend to do it?" Hansen told Sunday News.

"There aren't too many spare weekends and already we're asking our top players to play more rugby than their bodies can handle.

"They are physically and mentally tested already and they don't get an opportunity [to rest]. In league and gridiron they get 16 weeks automatic, our guys don't get that."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/7160958/Hansen-rejects-idea-of-joint-Anzac-test-team

Steve Hansen talking some sense here.