Yeah, but nah.
NZ or England don't need Aussie to throw the tournament. Just keep being cocky and over confident, that'll do the trick nicely.
oh come on, who's getting cocky? From what I've read on the various websites and forums, it seems to be mostly cocky Kiwis. Few ockers seem to be indulging. I wonder if the Aus players need to keep reminding themselves that they are the most dominant team in the history of the world, as a certain other team do? I would be surprised if they do, because in the end, if being the best in the world only means that you beat the kiwis, then it's not really much to skite about.
Which is the point. For kiwis, beating Aus is like beating the world. When an Ozzie looks around they see the rest of the world, kiwis only see Aus. That is why the Aus national league team is always on a hiding to nothing. If they win, it is expected. If they lose, it is an embarrassment, especially if they get beat by lowly kiwis. In NZ yawnion is the national game. The Kiwi identity hinges on how well the national team do. In Oz, origin is more important than the international game. State rivalries outweigh any international rivalry. Even the rather one-sided NZ-Aus rivalry that kiwis imagine exists. The Oz national identity does not depend on the success of the national league team. In fact I've seen many ozzies who are supporting the kiwis. You'd never find an AB supporter backing the wallabies. Would be totally unheard of. While the Oz media are very favourable and talk up the kiwis, in NZ the yawnion media are always putting the boot into Aus yawnion, even though the ABs have been the dominant team for many years.
