This weekend’s highly anticipated rematch between the national team and their arch-rivals takes on added significance, with the team seeking to overcome a puzzling hoodoo that has plagued them in the capital. The team’s final home test of the year, before embarking on a grueling five-match tour, assumes importance for several notable reasons.
The coveted silverware is already secure, but the team is determined to honor major milestones, including a player’s 100th cap and the final home tests of two stalwarts’ careers. However, the team’s six-year winless streak in the capital remains a major concern, particularly when compared to their impressive unbeaten record at their fortress-like home stadium.
Since their last win in the capital, the team has suffered losses to top-tier opponents, including a stunning upset last month. The mystery of the stadium’s curse lingers, with no clear explanation for the team’s struggles. “It’s quite bizarre,” said one player. “We’ve touched on it this week and we’re pretty excited about the opportunity to hopefully sort that out and put on an awesome performance.”
The team usually shies away from acknowledging peripheral records, but they are keenly aware of the desire to banish the capital’s graveyard reputation. “It’s something we haven’t addressed too much in the past, but with how it’s gone, we’ve had a bit of a discussion about it,” said another player. “We’re excited about going out there and hopefully putting on a performance that the ground and this region deserves.”
Solving the team’s final quarter meltdowns would go a long way to curing the capital’s curse. Blowing sizable leads against top opponents has cost the team victories, and everything from the composition of the bench to on-field leadership, game management, kicking strategy, attacking execution, and discipline has been questioned in the quest to identify the root cause. The team’s malaise at the backend of contests is a melting pot of all these concerns, and they must tackle their closing demons if they are to break the capital’s curse.
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