Murray Mexted: Northern hemisphere officials will ‘referee All Blacks off the field’ if they replicate Super Rugby style
Hurricanes taking on the Chiefs in Super Rugby Pacific and former All Black Murray Mexted. (James Foy/Speed Media/Icon Sportswire)
Former All Black Murray Mexted believes that Super Rugby Pacific has provided a “fabulous spectacle” but is concerned that it will not prepare the players for Test rugby.
Many are in agreement that 2025 has been the best Super Rugby season for several years with the Australians finally coming to the party and each week producing a number of outstanding games.
It is set for a thrilling conclusion to the campaign as four Kiwi sides, three Aussie outfits and Moana Pasifika vie for a place in the top-six.
Organisers and officials have looked to speed up the game this year and Mexted believes that it has had the desired effect, with attack and ambition the order of the day.
Set-piece over speed of game
However, the 71-year-old reckons that it could hamper the All Blacks’ chances at the highest level and insists that Scott Robertson’s men will have to adapt to their opponents, who pride themselves on physicality and set-piece.
“It depends if we want to compete on the world stage or whether we want to provide a competition that everybody enjoys down under. There are two different things there,” he told DSPN with Martin Devlin.
“At the moment, the way we’re playing the game, it’s a fabulous spectacle to watch and some of those games at the weekend were just sensational, absolutely bloody marvellous. I enjoyed them thoroughly.
“I couldn’t help but think, are they going to be able to play like this when they play against France, and when they play against South Africa and England? No, they’re not going to be able to play like that.”
Mexted believes that the refereeing will have a part to play and suggested that the All Blacks will be heavily penalised if they take a Super Rugby style into the international game.
‘Referee the All Blacks off field’
“They’re going to have to change their game completely, otherwise the referees will referee them off the field and they won’t win any of the games if they play like they’re playing in Super Rugby,” he said.
“When you’re playing at a higher level, some of those 50/50 passes don’t come off, a lot more are intercepted and you’ve got less time. As the standard of rugby gets higher, you get less time.
“To adapt to Rugby Championship rugby and even international teams with referees from the northern hemisphere, it’s going to be hard.
“I’m sure that Razor Robertson’s aware of that.”
READ MORE: All Blacks great: The ‘big mover’ who is ready for Test rugby after ‘stepping up big time’ in 2025
