Not So Friendly

Coming up on Monday night is a friendly game against two teams that used to be in the same confederation, scrapping against each other for qualification to the World Cup. There's also the "Trans Tasman" rivalry that has been going on between the two countries for as long as I can remember. Yes, it's Australia vs New Zealand, but it's going to be more than a meaningless friendly.

Battle lines have already been drawn, with NZ striker, Rory Fallon, saying that, "When it comes to playing Australia, all bets are off. I wouldn't be surprised if there are a few injuries. I don't think anyone is going to hold back against them. I'm certainly not going to hold back."

Comments like this are probably to be expected any time Australia play New Zealand, especially when the two countries major sports include two forms of Rugby, so it's not really surprising to hear these sort of comments, almost like playing to a majority Rugby audience to sell them on the game being played "hard" with a level of "intensity" they would come to expect from games between the two countries in the Rugby codes.

The comments, as unsurprising to me as they are, are a little dissapointing considering both teams are heading to the World Cup. Not that you expect any favours, and you also want the game to be played as it normally would, but for an injury to occur to either side in this game would really put a dent in the lead up to the cup.

One Australian who was less than impressed with Fallon's comments was Vincenzo Grella, a stand out player for mine at the last World Cup. Vince replied to Fallon's comments with the following, "I am disappointed, it's a man's game and it should be played in a man's way, but I would never wish it upon any of the New Zealand players to get injured. That would be something shocking. For him even to be thinking about things like that is very unprofessional. Maybe he is trying to ruffle the wrong feathers."

Grella followed these comments up with a similiar response to them that I had, "There are things that some players get caught up into maybe not having a lot of experience with the media or with this type of football. I know there's a rivalry there and both teams want to win and play well before going off to the World Cup, but the last thing I would want is for players to be getting injured. Maybe what he said was twisted around. I hope he didn't mean it that way."

The interesting thing about all this is that it's got other people talking about the game, people that probably wouldn't have been too worried about "some pointless soccer game" are putting their two cents in, and not just because of the comments from the two players, but just the dimple fact that it's Australia vs New Zealand, it does get people interested. Sure, there's the World Cup bandwagon element, but I think a regular game between the countries would be healthy got football in this region, something that could be built upon in years to come.

At the end of the day, no matter how impressed I was watching the All Whites qualify for the cup, here's hoping we crush those Jandal wearing, LnP from the chilly bin drinking, Perky Nana eating, sheep shagging Kiwis!