Tri-Nations from 1996
Wed, 02 Jul 2008 23:34
New Zealand have ruled the Tri-Nations. They have allowed their two partners, Australia and South Africa, precious little since 1996.
It started in 1996 with the birth of SANZAR and overt professionalism in rugby. But it was not an easy birth.
In fact it was a messy birth as many births are, uncertain and painful as well. But the midwife of it all in many ways was Louis Luyt.
Not the most popular of men, he probably saved rugby as we know it. That we have Tri-Nations and Super rugby and Currie Cup and NPC is thanks to Luyt.
As the 1995 Rugby World Cup drew to an end there was a huge star in the rugby firmament, perhaps the brightest of all time - the incredible Jonah Lomu. Media men wanted him and three bodies battled for control of rugby - Super League, World Rugby Cup with backing, apparently, from Keri Packer's organisation and the International Rugby Board backed by Rupert Murdoch's group. Initially the Packer-backed group seemed to be running away with it for the Australians and New Zealanders were well and truly in its pocket and the South Africans were heading that way, too.
Then along came Luyt. He changed it. The South Africans stayed with their union and the others were forced to follow. The breakaways needed the World Cup winners to have credibility.
Australia, New Zealand and South Africa formed SANZAR and the package they could offer television had two new competitions - the Super 12 and the Tri-Nations. Louis Luyt went to London to do the negotiating, looking for US$650 million over 10 years and getting US$550 million - sums unheard of a rugby football.
So first the Super 12 and then the Tri-Nations kicked off in 1996.
Originally the three countries played home and away against each other, four matches each in total. New Zealand won the first.
After 10 years a new contract was drawn up. TV wanted more and so the teams played each other three times each, home and away. That gave them each three matches at home and three away. This was true in 2006 but in 2007, the World Cup year, the teams were back to four matches each. In 2007 they would be back to six matches each.
In 2007 there was controversy as the teams prepared for the World Cup. New Zealand and South Africa both have strong domestic competitions. To rest players, New Zealand pulled players out of the Super 14, and a South African team won the title for the first time since the game went professional (not counting the Super 10 of course).
South Africa pulled players out of the Tri-Nations and New Zealand won the title. South Africa won the World Cup.
Standings down the years:
1996:
1. New Zealand
2. South Africa
3. Australia
1997:
1. New Zealand
2. South Africa
3. Australia
1998:
1. South Africa
2. Australia
3. New
Zealand
1999:
1. New Zealand
2. Australia
3. South Africa
2000:
1. Australia
2. New Zealand
3. South Africa
2001:
1. Australia
2. New Zealand
3. South Africa
2002:
1. New Zealand
2. Australia
3. South Africa
2003:
1. New Zealand
2. Australia
3. South Africa
2004:
1. South Africa
2. Australia
3. New Zealand
2005:
1. New Zealand
2. South Africa
3. Australia
2006:
1. New Zealand
2. Australia
3. South Africa
2007:
1. New Zealand
2. Australia
3. South Africa
Match Results
1996:
The very first Tri-Nations match was played at Athletic Park in Wellington when New Zealand played Australia on a cold, windy, wet, miserable day.
Beaten in the World Cup Final, New Zealand came back with a vengeance in 1996.
Star: Sean Fitzpatrick (New Zealand)
New Zealand vs Australia, 43-6 in Wellington
Australia vs South Africa, 21-16 in Sydney
New Zealand vs South Africa, 15-11 in Christchurch
New Zealand vs Australia, 32-25 in Brisbane
South Africa vs Australia, 25-19 in Bloemfontein
New Zealand vs South Africa, 29-18 at Newlands
1997:
New Zealand completed their second successive Tri-Nations undefeated.
Star: Frank Bunce (New Zealand)
New Zealand vs South Africa, 35-32 in Johannesburg
New Zealand vs Australia, 33-18 in Melbourne
Australia vs South Africa, 32-20 in Brisbane
New Zealand vs South Africa, 55-35 in Auckland
New Zealand vs Australia, 36-24 in Dunedin
South Africa vs Australia, 61-22 in
Pretoria
1998:
After being undefeated in two successive Tri-Nations, New Zealand lost all four matches. Instead South Africa were undefeated.
Star: Joost van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
Australia vs New Zealand, 24-16 in Melbourne
South Africa vs Australia, 14-13 in Perth
South Africa vs New Zealand, 13-3 in Wellington
Australia vs New Zealand, 27-23 in Christchurch
South Africa vs New Zealand, 24-23 in Durban
South Africa vs Australia, 29-15 in Johannesburg
1999:
The World Cup was looming. Then 1 became 4, 2 became 1 and 3 stayed 3.
Star: Josh Kronfeld (New Zealand)
New Zealand vs South Africa, 28-0 in Dunedin
Australia vs South Africa, 32-6 in Brisbane
New Zealand vs Australia, 34-15 in Auckland
New Zealand vs South Africa, 34-18 in _Pretoria
South Africa vs Australia, 10-9 at Newlands
Australia
vs New Zealand, 28-7 in Sydney
2000:
It took a kick by John Eales in the last minute in Christchurch and a kick by Stirling Mortlock in the last minute in Durban to produce two one-point wins for Australia and give them the title.
Star : John Eales (Australia)
New Zealand vs Australia, 39-35 in Sydney
New Zealand vs South Africa, 25-12 in Christchurch
Australia vs South Africa, 26-6 in Sydney
Australia vs New Zealand, 24-23 in Christchurch
South Africa vs New Zealand, 46-40 in Johannesburg
Australia vs South Africa, 19-18 in Durban
2001:
Again it went right to the end. This time a try by Toutai Kefu in the last minute of the last match in Sydney, gave Australia the title.
Star: George Gregan (Australia)
New Zealand vs South Africa, 12-3 at Newlands
South Africa vs Australia, 20-15 in Pretoria
Australia vs New Zealand,
23-15 in Dunedin
Australia vs South Africa, 14-14 in Perth
New Zealand vs South Africa, 26-15 in Auckland
Australia vs New Zealand, 29-26 in Sydney
2002:
South Africa scored more tries than the other two and came last.
Star: Tana Umaga (New Zealand)
New Zealand vs Australia, 12-6 in Christchurch
New Zealand vs South Africa, 41-20 in Wellington
Australia vs South Africa, 38-27 in Brisbane
Australia vs New Zealand, 16-14 in Sydney
New Zealand vs South Africa, 30-23 in Durban
South Africa vs Australia, 33-31 in Johannesburg
2003:
The World Cup was later in the year, won by Australia, not by New Zealand who were unbeaten in the Tri-Nations.
Star: Richie McCaw (New Zealand)
South Africa vs Australia, 26-22 at Newlands
New Zealand vs South Africa, 52-16 in Pretoria
New Zealand vs Australia, 50-21 in Sydney
Australia vs South Africa, 29-9 in Brisbane
New Zealand vs South Africa, 19-11 in Dunedin
New Zealand vs Australia, 21-17 in Auckland
2004:
The last match in Durban decided the winner., South Africa on bonus points.
Star: Schalk Burger (South Africa)
New Zealand vs Australia, 16-7 in Wellington
New Zealand vs South Africa, 23-21 in Christchurch
Australia vs South Africa, 30-26 in Perth
Australia vs New Zealand, 23-18 in Sydney
South Africa vs New Zealand, 40-26 in Johannesburg
South Africa vs Australia, 23-19 in Durban
2005:
This time it was New Zealand's turn to win it on bonus points - and a try by Keven Mealamu at the death.
Star: Keven Mealamu (New Zealand)
South Africa vs Australia, 22-16 in Pretoria
South Africa vs New Zealand, 22-16 at Newlands
New Zealand vs Australia, 30-13 in Sydney
South Africa vs Australia, 22-19 in Perth
New Zealand vs South Africa, 31-27 in Dunedin
New Zealand vs Australia, 34-24 in Auckland
2006:
It was now an eight-match competition, each team playing four matches. New Zealand lost only their last match and that by a single point.
Star: Daniel Carter (New Zealand)
New Zealand vs Australia, 32-12 in Christchurch
New Zealand vs Australia, 13-9 in Brisbane
New Zealand vs Australia, 34-27 in Auckland
Australia vs South Africa, 49-0 in Brisbane
New Zealand vs South Africa, 35-17 in Wellington
Australia vs South Africa, 20-18 in Sydney
New Zealand vs South Africa, 45-26 in Pretoria
South Africa vs New Zealand, 21-20 in Rustenburg
2007:
It was back to six matches as the World Cup was looming. South Africa were well and truly last in the Tri-Nations but first in the World Cup.
New Zealand won their third consecutive Tri-Nations, their eighth in 12 years of the competition, the title clinched in the last match.
Star: Daniel Carter (New Zealand)
South Africa vs Australia, 22-19 at Newlands
New Zealand vs South Africa, 26-21 in Durban
Australia vs New Zealand, 20-15 in Melbourne
Australia vs South Africa, 25-17 in Sydney
New Zealand vs South Africa, 33-6 in Christchurch
New Zealand vs Australia, 26-12 in Auckland
