All Blacks vs Kangaroos rules for historic Test revealed
News Corp has exclusively obtained the rules for the proposed trans-Tasman Test with the most successful All Blacks coach in history helping construct the hybrid game.
Rugby
Don't miss out on the headlines from Rugby. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Former New Zealand rugby coach Steve Hansen has been consulted on constructing a set of rules to ensure a Kangaroos-All Blacks hybrid game would be a trans-Tasman sporting success.
The Courier-Mail has exclusively obtained the rules for the proposed Kangaroos-All Blacks showdown - dubbed ‘HISTORY’ - which would be played on Saturday, December 5 this year.
Kayo is your ticket to the 2020 NRL Telstra Premiership. Every game of every round Live & On-Demand with no-ad breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >
Hansen, the ex-All Blacks coach, has recommended a 14-a-side game - the perfect compromise between rugby league’s 13 players and the 15 which take part in rugby union.
Lineouts would be scrapped, while scrums would be non-contestable, league-style pack-downs to avoid the risk of injury for Kangaroos forward who do not practise scrummaging like their rugby counterparts.
A kick out on the full or a kick which finds touch would result in a scrum.
Once a player is tackled, there will be no play-the-ball as witnessed in rugby league. Instead, the hybrid fixture would see a ruck-and-maul style breakdown, where the ball carrier immediately plants the ball on the ground for play to continue.
The All Blacks and Kangaroos would have a maximum of eight tackles or ‘drives’ to hold possession. Once the last tackle is reached, the team in possession must kick or face an immediate turnover to the other side.
A try will be worth four points, with a possible bonus for a five-point try if the tryscorer touches down directly under the goalposts.
Penalty goals and field goals in rugby union are worth three points, but under the hybrid format, all goals, including conversions, would be worth two points.
Other key rules will be on the table for discussion if the NZR and NRL agree to the contest.
THE FIVE BIG MATCH-UPS
Here are some of the headline acts for a proposed All Blacks v Kangaroos hybrid game.
1. Beauden Barrett v James Tedesco
Barrett is an 83-Test wizard who has sharp footwork and a superb passing game. Capable of playing five-eighth or fullback, Barrett would relish going toe-to-toe with Kangaroos sensation Tedesco. The Roosters fullback is the NRL’s No.1 player and would terrorise the big All Blacks forwards with his footwork and tackle-busting power in midfield.
2. Sam Cane v Boyd Cordner
The two skippers. The 103kg Cane is a loose forward who is captain of the All Blacks and Waikato and inspires with his leadership. Cordner is a two-time premiership-winner at the Roosters who would keep Cane honest with his hard-running lines on the edges.
3. Ardie Savea v David Fifita
Kaboom. What a contest. Two tackle-busting powerhouse. Savea is a flanker with good speed and at 99kg, he is a ferocious sight when he gets going. But the All Blacks would equally have nightmares trying to stop Broncos wrecking ball Fifita, the 107kg monster who starred for Australia at the World Nines.
4. Aaron Smith v Daly Cherry-Evans
The two schemers. The 31-year-old Smith has played 92 Tests and is one of the premier halfbacks in world rugby. Ignites the All Blacks backline with a bullet-like pass. Cherry-Evans is the same age and has the game-management and kicking game to keep the All Blacks on the back foot.
5. Joe Moody v Josh Papalii
Clash of the titans. At 120kg, Moody is an All Blacks monster who would take a power of stopping in midfield and would belt a few Kangaroos in defence. For Australia, Queensland Origin hitman Josh Papalii would give the All Blacks some headaches. Big Papa is in the best form of his career and was born in New Zealand.