Sun, Nov 02, 2014 page19

• All Blacks in Chicago for exhibition against the US

  • AP, CHICAGO
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  The US’ history on rugby’s world stage can be summed up in two sentences.

  Team USA took home the gold from both the 1920 and 1924 Olympics. And then, just like the Chicago Cubs, took the rest of the century off.

  The timing could not be much better for a rare stateside visit from New Zealand’s storied All Blacks, who were to face the US Golden Eagles yesterday at sold-out Soldier Field (capacity: 61,500). Even though it is only an exhibition, the match will be televised nationally on NBC and provide a snapshot of where USA Rugby — after nearly a decade of investment and effort — stands on the road back to respectability.

  

  Cory Jane of the All Blacks passes during the New Zealand All Blacks captain’s run at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, on Friday.

  Photo: AFP

  The Golden Eagles have already qualified for next year’s World Cup and hope to do the same for the 2016 Summer Olympics, where rugby (the seven-a-side version, instead of 15 players each) will return as a medal sport for the first time since the US won. Despite those and other accomplishments in recent years, especially by the US women’s and youth teams, the key to enjoying yesterday’s match might be not to expect too much.

  The All-Blacks are rugby’s 1927 Yankees, a dynasty who have claimed two of the seven World Cups played and have been almost unbeatable (34 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses) since coach Steve Hansen took over in 2012. They are fast, skilled, bruising, experienced, deep at every position and led by captain Richie McCaw, the most capped New Zealander of all-time and the game’s only three-time international player of the year.

  The team’s pre-game haka, a Maori rite that resembles a line-dance with bad intentions, could turn out to be the highlight of the afternoon. If nothing else, US audiences might appreciate a game with every player handling the ball, no TV timeouts, an occasional scrum instead of huddles after every play and — relatively — lower-level violence.

  The only suspense after kickoff figures to be the margin of New Zealand’s win. That will be determined in large part by how many of the squad’s senior players Hansen trots out, and for how long. After a promotional tour of Chicago, the All-Blacks cross the Atlantic and get down to business: facing more-traditional and much-tougher rivals England, Scotland and Wales on successive Saturdays.

  Midfield back Conrad Smith, who has represented New Zealand 83 times, was asked to put the match-up in terms US sports fans could relate to.

  He thought for a moment, smiled and said: “About the same as our basketball guys playing yours.”

  New Zealand’s basketball ranking — No. 21 in the world — is almost on par with the US’ rugby perch — No. 18 — and the chance of an upset is about the same. Small wonder someone challenged US coach Mike Tolkin to come up with a “realistic” goal.

  “To get the respect of our opponents,” he said. “If we walk off the field leaving our blood and guts out there, we’ll be satisfied.”

  The stewards of the sport, though, are hoping for a bit more.

  The sellout nearly tripled the previous attendance record for a stateside match and it represents rugby’s latest attempt to get a foothold in the lucrative, but already crowded US sports market.
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