Which is the biggest rivalry of each national team?

[Superalexmarket]

The classic rival of England is Wales or France? For tha AB's is The Aussies or the Springboks?...and the rest?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Not sure for England - one doesn't immediately spring to mind. Wales, France, Australia - one of them.

 

[Joseph14]

Personally? I think it's France. They are our ( England ) natural rivals when it comes to most things.

Hi by the way! Been lurking for a while. Looks a good forum.

 

[Feicarsinn]

Personally? I think it's France. They are our ( England ) natural rivals when it comes to most things.

Hi by the way! Been lurking for a while. Looks a good forum.

Welcome!


I'm inclined to go with those Welsh ***** personally.

 

[ZeFrenchy]

I think that pretty much any country's biggest rival is England (at least for France, Wales, Scotland, and I think Argentina, Ireland and South Africa). For Aus and NZ I think it's each other, and second England. Maybe an Aussie can comment on that, but I get the feeling thet for them, NZ is kind of a healthy rivalry, whereas England is more of a real one...

For England, I couldn't say.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I think most Saffa's would pick NZ first as rivals ITO rugby with Aus and England neck on neck for second. Prior to isolation and professionalism I think that rivalry with NZ was at it's peak. They've had our number for most of the time after readmitence I'm afraid though but that in a way just hightens the flavor when we do beat them. Can't say I'm overly bothered with others. When it comes to crickets though it's another matter entirely.

Also, welcome to the forum, Joseph14!

 

[Draggs]

Going out on a limb, I'd say England.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

TBH I almost have to say that for me the test rivalry doesn't compare quite as much as the provincial rivalry between Western Province and Noord Transvaal (Blue Bulls) and even that comes a close second to the school rivalry between Paarl Boys High and Paarl Gym down here. Probably has something to do with the isolation days and the WP vs NT match-up being the gem of the SA rugby calender (along with that history!).

 

[Feicarsinn]

TBH I almost have to say that for me the test rivalry doesn't compare quite as much as the provincial rivalry between Western Province and Noord Transvaal (Blue Bulls) and even that comes a close second to the school rivalry between Paarl Boys High and Paarl Gym down here. Probably has something to do with the isolation days and the WP vs NT match-up being the gem of the SA rugby calender (along with that history!).

Also the fact that South Africa have played New Zealand about a billion times in the last 10 years. The saturation of international rugby is diluting all test rivalries.

 

[Gavin]

Russia vs Georgia

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Also the fact that South Africa have played New Zealand about a billion times in the last 10 years. The saturation of international rugby is diluting all test rivalries.

Very true.

Argentina joining the RC is already a big help. The mini-tours in mid year are great. Now to sort out the AIs!

 

[Feicarsinn]

Very true.

Argentina joining the RC is already a big help. The mini-tours in mid year are great. Now to sort out the AIs!

Simple solution really; scrap AI's. Once a year we go touring down south, the next year you lot come up here. Gives more space for real tours, meaning Ireland might only play South Africa once every 5 years or so, lending real significance to a three match test series. Also means that there can be proper tours, with mid week games and such. Makes the World Cup a bigger deal too as it's the only time when everyone really gets to compete against each other.

Two sticking issues though. One is the loss of revenue that goes with losing 3 test matches a year, the other is the lack of room it gives for developing the minnows. Second one shouldn't be a problem for the unions as they don't seem to give a hoot anyway, and the first one should resolve itself when the big unions realise that people don't care as much about their games and aren't watching as much.

 

[Canucks]

Canada vs USA. In anything. If we're better at a sport USA always plays up to us. If USA is better we play up to them.

Maybe games have simply devolved into a brawl at the breakdown to loosely resembles a ruck.

The hatred these teams have for each other. And I mean hatred.

I wish they played in the rwc just once so people could see the war.

Canada is also developing healthy rivalries with Tonga and Japan. I say healthy because there is no hate just a mutual drive beat each other.

 

[Superalexmarket]

In recent years it has created a great rivalry between the Pumas and Ireland, especially after the RWC of 1999(Argentine victory) 2003( Irish victory) and 2007(Argentine win again).
Besides that the players of both team have no simpathy at all, and even Felipe Contepomi said that O'gara was a disgusting person.

 

[jcahill1]

Also the fact that South Africa have played New Zealand about a billion times in the last 10 years. The saturation of international rugby is diluting all test rivalries.

I disagree. I think Ireland will always have the same passion when playing an English team.

 

[psychic duck]

In recent years it has created a great rivalry between the Pumas and Ireland, especially after the RWC of 1999(Argentine victory) 2003( Irish victory) and 2007(Argentine win again).
Besides that the players of both team have no simpathy at all, and even Felipe Contepomi said that O'gara was a disgusting person.

 

[Feicarsinn]

I disagree. I think Ireland will always have the same passion when playing an English team.

We play England once a year. Imagine if we played them 3 times a year as the Tri Nations had the SANZAR teams doing in the middle of the past decade. It'd get old, and quickly.

Personally I don't find playing England all that much of a deal in any case. Ever since about 2004 we've usually had the better of the, so beating them lost some of it's appeal. Admittedly now that the sides are more evenly matched and the results seem to be decided by whoever is at home it's getting interesting again, but I've always found the Wales games more engrosing. Probably due to the fact that the two unions are very similar in make up and the sides are pretty evenly matched in terms of ability. They're essentially on the exact same footing as us, albeit with a far more competent head coach, which has been the difference recently. And that difference has been slight enough.

The rivalry has been made more intense recently too, what with the World Cup match, the game in the Millennium where they goy the try that shouldn't have been and their last minute win in Dublin.

 

[Superalexmarket]

What a great kicker we had at that time... the current stinks...

 

[smartcooky]

On the basis that any team's biggest rival has to be the team against which they have the most even win loss record, I would say that, prior to isolation, South Africa were our biggest rivals. We only had a 40% winning record against them (W15 L20 D2). In the post isolation period that picture has changed to nearly 70% wins (W33 L14 D1).

During the isolation years (1982 to 1996) a new generation of Kiwi schoolboy players grew up never having experienced an All Blacks test or series against South Africa, while we played 29 tests against Australia for a W18 L10 D1 record.

During the first few years of the professional era (starting in 1996) Australia slowly became the big rivalry as we struggled to beat them regularly. In the first six years of that era, we only managed a 50% record, until we won back the Bledisloe Cup in 2003. Since then (apart from the wee aberration in Sydney in November 2003) we haven't looked back..a 77% win record.

Special mention must go to the All Black rivalry with Wales. It began with the Bob Deans 'non try' in 1905, probably the most controversial incident in international rugby. The All Blacks lost three of their first four matches against Wales, not getting the record to 50% until 1967. Since then, however, it has been all one way traffic.

Looking at things now, I would say that the All Blacks v Springboks v Wallabies is the greatest three-way rivalry in world rugby. They are consistently the top three ranked teams in the world, and have won six out of the seven World Cups to be held.

 

[Feicarsinn]

Looking at things now, I would say that the All Blacks v Springboks v Wallabies is the greatest three-way rivalry in world rugby. They are consistently the top three ranked teams in the world, and have won six out of the seven World Cups to be held.

I thought Ireland-France-England had a funny thing going for a while. We'd always beat England, who'd always beat the French, who'd always beat us. Then the Welsh would fluke the grand slam when no one was looking.