AUSSIE SPORT IN DECLINE? IT'S TRUE -- THIS WEEK
By Greg Tourelle of NZPA
Sydney, Aug 19 NZPA - Those "diehard" Green and Gold supporters turned yellow at the Bledisloe Cup rugby last Saturday.
The Australian Rugby Union trumpeted an 82,000 crowd at Telstra Stadium and that might have been true at halftime, but when All Black Richie McCaw scored a try with 15 minutes to go, thousands of Wallaby supporters started streaming out of the ground.
A 30-13 victory to the All Blacks, despite butchering half a dozen tries, with punishing defence killing the Wallabies.
Just a day later, Australian cricket fans were celebrating a draw against England in the third Ashes test at Old Trafford.
World champions Australia celebrating a draw? Those "win at all costs" Aussies, who relish thumping opponents within three days of a five-day test, cheering their ability to draw a match with the Poms whom they have derided all year as hopeless at cricket.
What is going on here? Could it be Australian sport is in decline? Are their sportsmen and supporters losing their convict-hard will to win and going soft?
Emphatically yes. This week anyway. Especially if we ignore the basketball and the swimming. We are talking about outdoor sports. Grant Hackett and Libby Lenton are as slow as sea tortoises in outdoor pools. We're sure of this -- just can't prove it.
Admittedly, the soft Aussie sportsman debate has to be argued in the positive quickly -- just in case the injury-ridden Wallabies ruin it and beat the Springboks in Perth.
Nothing has gone right for the Wallabies since they beat the Springboks in Brisbane five weeks ago. Since then, they have lost twice to the Boks in South Africa and non-reserve halfback Matt Henjak was dispatched home for having a hissy fit and tossing the ice out of his drink in a nightclub some time beyond 2am two days out from their Mandela Cup test.
The All Blacks rammed home their disarray last weekend and a notable feature of the match was the superb feature of the Wallaby paramedics, tending to an on-field casualty ward.
"There's another dead one," moaned one Wallaby supporter as yet another player bit the dust. There's been trouble in camp since, with the backline having more changes than a Madonna concert.
Their physical conditioning isn't up to scratch. Too much latte and too many cocktails. They need to get fair dinkum and spend some time working on outback sheep stations.
There seemed to be a strong feeling of relief more than celebration from All Blacks' fans after the match. This, of course, is because we hate losing more than we enjoy winning. It may also be because we don't enjoy kicking a wallaby when he is down, because of our refined sense of trans-Tasman friendship. Arguable, that one.
Our trans-Tasman friendship doesn't extend to cricket, even when the Australians are playing someone else. They simply win too often for anyone outside Australia and plenty within to have any sympathy for them when hit a rough patch.
In the lead-up to the Ashes series -- the past four years -- the Australian cricket writers and the players have taken all opportunities to rubbish the England team.
In the days before the first test, all the arguments were emphasised. Trescothick had poor footwork, Strauss was going to be Glenn McGrath's bunny, Vaughan would fold under the intense pressure the Australians inflict upon rival captains, Flintoff's claim to be a genuine all-rounder was baseless unless he performed against Australia and the odds were that he wouldn't.
The Aussies won the first test in three days as usual, and it was going to be a 5-0 whitewash.
Then at Edgbaston, everything went pear-shaped for the Australia. McGrath trod on a cricket ball and was out with an injured ankle and England won, albeit shakily in the end.
They again they held the advantage in the third test before Ricky Ponting and his tailenders were able to secure what was described as a "magnificent draw".
Vaughan, Trescothick and Strauss have all done well, while Flintoff is now being grudgingly acknowledged in the Australian press as a genuine all rounder.
So far the Australians have been outmanoeuvred at their own game. They have talked better off the pitch than they have played on it.
Further evidence Australian sport has gone awry? We read a lot about their golf wannabees, but the last time an Aussie won a golf major was when Steve Elkington won the United States PGA in 1995, a long decade ago.
It would be untrans-Tasman to mention the last time a Kiwi won a golf major. Eh Cambo.
Sydney, Aug 19 NZPA - Those "diehard" Green and Gold supporters turned yellow at the Bledisloe Cup rugby last Saturday.
The Australian Rugby Union trumpeted an 82,000 crowd at Telstra Stadium and that might have been true at halftime, but when All Black Richie McCaw scored a try with 15 minutes to go, thousands of Wallaby supporters started streaming out of the ground.
A 30-13 victory to the All Blacks, despite butchering half a dozen tries, with punishing defence killing the Wallabies.
Just a day later, Australian cricket fans were celebrating a draw against England in the third Ashes test at Old Trafford.
World champions Australia celebrating a draw? Those "win at all costs" Aussies, who relish thumping opponents within three days of a five-day test, cheering their ability to draw a match with the Poms whom they have derided all year as hopeless at cricket.
What is going on here? Could it be Australian sport is in decline? Are their sportsmen and supporters losing their convict-hard will to win and going soft?
Emphatically yes. This week anyway. Especially if we ignore the basketball and the swimming. We are talking about outdoor sports. Grant Hackett and Libby Lenton are as slow as sea tortoises in outdoor pools. We're sure of this -- just can't prove it.
Admittedly, the soft Aussie sportsman debate has to be argued in the positive quickly -- just in case the injury-ridden Wallabies ruin it and beat the Springboks in Perth.
Nothing has gone right for the Wallabies since they beat the Springboks in Brisbane five weeks ago. Since then, they have lost twice to the Boks in South Africa and non-reserve halfback Matt Henjak was dispatched home for having a hissy fit and tossing the ice out of his drink in a nightclub some time beyond 2am two days out from their Mandela Cup test.
The All Blacks rammed home their disarray last weekend and a notable feature of the match was the superb feature of the Wallaby paramedics, tending to an on-field casualty ward.
"There's another dead one," moaned one Wallaby supporter as yet another player bit the dust. There's been trouble in camp since, with the backline having more changes than a Madonna concert.
Their physical conditioning isn't up to scratch. Too much latte and too many cocktails. They need to get fair dinkum and spend some time working on outback sheep stations.
There seemed to be a strong feeling of relief more than celebration from All Blacks' fans after the match. This, of course, is because we hate losing more than we enjoy winning. It may also be because we don't enjoy kicking a wallaby when he is down, because of our refined sense of trans-Tasman friendship. Arguable, that one.
Our trans-Tasman friendship doesn't extend to cricket, even when the Australians are playing someone else. They simply win too often for anyone outside Australia and plenty within to have any sympathy for them when hit a rough patch.
In the lead-up to the Ashes series -- the past four years -- the Australian cricket writers and the players have taken all opportunities to rubbish the England team.
In the days before the first test, all the arguments were emphasised. Trescothick had poor footwork, Strauss was going to be Glenn McGrath's bunny, Vaughan would fold under the intense pressure the Australians inflict upon rival captains, Flintoff's claim to be a genuine all-rounder was baseless unless he performed against Australia and the odds were that he wouldn't.
The Aussies won the first test in three days as usual, and it was going to be a 5-0 whitewash.
Then at Edgbaston, everything went pear-shaped for the Australia. McGrath trod on a cricket ball and was out with an injured ankle and England won, albeit shakily in the end.
They again they held the advantage in the third test before Ricky Ponting and his tailenders were able to secure what was described as a "magnificent draw".
Vaughan, Trescothick and Strauss have all done well, while Flintoff is now being grudgingly acknowledged in the Australian press as a genuine all rounder.
So far the Australians have been outmanoeuvred at their own game. They have talked better off the pitch than they have played on it.
Further evidence Australian sport has gone awry? We read a lot about their golf wannabees, but the last time an Aussie won a golf major was when Steve Elkington won the United States PGA in 1995, a long decade ago.
It would be untrans-Tasman to mention the last time a Kiwi won a golf major. Eh Cambo.
posted by Leighcat at 8:09 PM
0 comments
