D'Arcy Waldegrave: Warriors or All Blacks – who should command your attention?
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To Wah or not to Wah?
Tonight Auckland city hosts international rugby union and a bit of Aussie club rugby league. On the face of it, and with that description, it should be a no-brainer around which fixture should command your attention.
The All Blacks are number two in the world, taking on the number three ranked Irish in a game that defends the All Blacks’ almost unbelievable unbeaten Eden Park record. 32 years, 52 games without tasting defeat. Impressive.
The Warriors, near the top of the NRL ladder (3rd after last night's games) are hosting some roadkill at Mt Smart. The Dragons have all the fire of a cigarette butt at the bottom of a schooner, currently languishing in last place and lucky to be there.
Plainly, fans of league will be front and centre with the NRL fixture, fans of union will be fully focused on the Nations Championship clash, but what about the undecided?
The All Blacks are frontrunners as their game kicks off at 7:10, the Wahs beatdown commences at 7:35.
A nose in front from the All Blacks – then the race tightens.
Off the playing surface, Wahs fans are a much more exciting proposition than All Blacks fans. The fear of loss chokes the environment up; the tension crushes the joy of the experience, at the ground and on telly.
Rugby fans find it hard to celebrate. League fans are triggered by anything, especially in a crowd, and there's no better crowd in NZ sport than the massive one at Mt Smart. This vibrancy smashes its way out of the telly and spills cheap beer on the floor.
On the playing surface, if the Irish win and topple the All Blacks’ tower of invincibility, that's not an upset at all. There is a sense that this new look All Blacks team should have enough to hold the Irish at arm's length, but we all know how frail the All Blacks’ grasp on significant results have been over the last few years, so losing the Eden Park streak isn't at all out of the question. Do really want to watch that?
Conversely, to beat down the emerald barbarians at the gate will bring enormous pride and a sense that Rennie might actually be on to something. Didn't work for Razor though, did it? His 2025 Eden Park South African defiance was remarkable, but the next week we saw possibly the worst performance in All Blacks living memory.
As for the Wahs, there's not a comp in the world as close as the NRL. The Dragons are toilet this year, but as we saw on Thursday night when the Bronco whipping boys conjured up a win versus the table topping Panthers, upsets are commonplace. So the Wahs could lose, but they could also open up a can of whup-ass on St George.
Still undecided? Try this... is a Warriors team on the way up a better experience than an All Blacks side still trying to find their lost mojo?
The choice is yours, whatever you decide, turn off your phone so social media or your mates don't wreck the delayed experience for you.
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