It may have slipped under the rugby radar in recent weeks but a seismic and ground-breaking series kicked off on Friday evening.
Rugby supporters have switched off a bit since the Nations Championship concluded. It had been a long season anyway.
A seemingly endless campaign which began with the Lions in Australia and concluded with Andy Farrell’s Ireland facing down the haka in Auckland.
The URC, autumn internationals, Champions Cup and Six Nations was packed in between all of it. There’s a lot of rugby on offer these days.
The FIFA World Cup and Mayo’s historic day at GAA HQ have captured the sporting consciousness in the months which have followed.
So, you can understand why a lot of people will be caught on the hop when ‘Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry’ gets going.
New Zealand’s Beauden Barrett takes on the Stormers in the tour opener in Cape Town
The Stormers, who lost a URC semi-final against Leinster at Croke Park a few months ago, hosted the All Blacks in Cape Town on Friday night, with the visitors eventually winning a tough outing 38-21.
It was an entertaining curtain-raiser to what should be an exhilarating tour of South Africa. Dave Rennie’s side will play eight games in six weeks on South African soil.
Following the opener against the Stormers, the Sharks, Bulls and the Lions will all take on New Zealand in the coming weeks before the real business begins: four Tests against the back-to-back world champions.
Ellis Park and DHL Stadium – which are both sold out – will host the first two international clashes.
The 95,000-capacity FNB Stadium in Johannesburg is the venue for the third Test before both teams head Stateside with a fourth encounter taking place at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, the city which was the setting for ‘The Wire’, the cult American crime drama which became a global sensation.
That fixture on US soil is both a money-spinner and another opportunity to grow the game in that part of the world.
The entire concept is a big break from tradition and a throwback to the old tours of the 20th century.
In fact, the last time the All Blacks toured South Africa was in 1996, with the visitors claiming a historic 2-1 series win. Only the British and Irish Lions have toured Bok country in this format in the past 30 years.
Many old traditions fell by the wayside when the game went professionalism. Long tours, taking in games against club sides and invitational sides, were an early casualty.
And we mean proper tours. There was a time when the likes of the All Blacks arrived in these parts and stayed for months on end.
South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus has always been innovative in his methods
Take the 1978 expedition to Britain and Ireland. New Zealand played 18 games during their three-month itinerary.
The familiar international games at Lansdowne Road, Cardiff Arms Park, Twickenham and Murrayfield were all on the schedule.
The tourists also took in matches against the likes of Cambridge University, a West Wales XV and a famous encounter at Thomond Park, with Munster sealing a 12-0 triumph on an unforgettable day in Limerick.
They were brilliant spectacles and there was a real mystique around these international outfits from the southern hemisphere. Those midweek club ties became the stuff of legend.
Long before Llanelli was absorbed into the Scarlets franchise, this proud Welsh town was remembered for the day they beat the All Blacks 9-3 at Stradey Park in front of 22,000 people. Great days, indeed.
So, why did these old-school tours fall away? Rugby became a business and the calendar soon became jam-packed with fixtures.
The nearest we’ve got to proper touring for international teams is a rare three-Test series such as the memorable 2022 series between Ireland and New Zealand.
Otherwise, Test sides tend to make whistle-stop visits to foreign lands.
The Nations Championship has squeezed the whole fixture list even tighter. So, this looming event between South Africa and New Zealand is a welcome change of pace.
It is a huge break from the norm. Unsurprisingly, it has rattled a few cages in boardrooms.
Dave Rennie has impressed with his practical approach to improvement with the All Blacks
For starters, there is no Rugby Championship being played this season, with Australia and Argentina cut adrift while their international rivals battle it out in the coming months.
The competition will return in its traditional form in the coming seasons but there will be another break in 2030 when South Africa return the favour and tour New Zealand for the second chapter of this new venture.
The big question is will it be any good? Some may scoff at the slightly hysterical title of this tour, but it has merit.
The Springboks v All Blacks has always been box office. It’s worth remembering that there have been 10 World Cups thus far. The Boks and Kiwis have won seven of those between them.
There is a long and rich history in this fixture. Right now, South Africa are at the peak of their powers.
Rassie Erasmus and his coaching team, which has Jerry Flannery and Felix Jones on board, have masterminded successive World Cup successes and the Boks are short odds to make it an unprecedented hat-trick of titles in Australia next year.
The hosts are red-hot favourites to claim this inaugural series, but New Zealand have looked like a team on the rise of late.
Rennie, who succeeded Scott Robertson as head coach earlier this year, has been a galvanising presence and there is a renewed sense that that All Blacks are finding their rhythm again.
Will Jordan on the charge for New Zealand in their Eden Park clash with the Boks last year
In Ardie Savea, Cam Roigard and Will Jordan, New Zealand have genuine star power. Rennie has selected a 44-man squad for this daunting eight-game tour and it is a roster laced with quality.
‘This tour will challenge us and demand the very best of us,’ the All Blacks noted recently.
‘We have selected a squad that we know is up to the challenge. It’s a balanced blend of experienced Test players and a cohort of younger players.
‘We are thrilled for those players who will have the opportunity to pull on the All Blacks jersey for the first time, and welcome back those who are returning to the group.
‘With eight matches in six weeks, including a four-Test series against the Springboks, this would have to be the toughest tour in rugby. Every player will be required to play their part across this tour, whether it’s preparing to play or helping their mates prepare.’
Some may roll their eyes at this concept while others have felt that the South African and New Zealand unions have shamelessly closed ranks.
Thing is, if this tour proves a smash hit, it might get their rivals thinking differently, too.
We’re living in the era of throwbacks, remakes and sequels. This old-school format might just be what jolt of life which the international game is craving.
