New Zealand Rugby said they were "disappointed" with the Rugby Championship draw, released this morning, but SANZAAR boss Andy Marinos has argued they weren't so upset when they were in the driver's seat.
Marinos spoke to 1 NEWS shortly after NZR released a statement around the draw and the fact that All Blacks players who commit to the campaign in Australia will miss Christmas with their families due to their last game taking place on December 12.
With two weeks of quarantine currently required for anyone entering New Zealand, even if the All Blacks immediately flew back from Australia on the night of the final Bledisloe Test, they'd still miss out on the festive season with their families - and for some their newborns - by a day.
But Marinos argued NZR didn't have those concerns for themselves or other teams who had voiced them when the tournament was initially looked at being held in New Zealand.
"We need to put facts on the table because there's a lovely saying, 'don't let facts get in the way of a good story'," Marinos told 1 NEWS.
"It wasn't so long ago that a similar request like this was put forward to SANZAAR by Australia when there was contemplation of the event taking place in New Zealand.
"It was flatly denied [by NZR] and [Australia was] told 'tough luck'."
NZR said they are hoping to work with SANZAAR to resolve the situation but Marinos said as far as the other unions involved are concerned, it's already sorted.
"The other three partners [Australia, South Africa and Argentina] have been pretty clear," Marinos said.
"Their preference is to stick with the schedule as it is."
Asked if SANZAAR were concerned about a potential boycott by the All Blacks for the December 12 Bledisloe Test, Marinos said it wasn't their problem.
"I think that more should be a concern for NZ Rugby and how they would contemplate and manage that."
If the All Blacks were to win the first three Bledisloe Tests - the two in New Zealand next month and the third in Australia on Saturday November 7 - the December 12 Test would be a Bledisloe dead-rubber although it could still affect the Rugby Championship's final standings pending on previous results.
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