Why yes, yes he was. So was Brian Lahore. In fact, back in the day, chances are most of them were, by default - sheep farmers were in the majority, and also it was a career that by nature allowed a) the income and b) the possible time off to pursue a career in amateur rugby.
There are probably loads of reasons for the demise of the AllBlacks as giants of world rugby - the levelling of the playing field with regard to other countries getting more serious, the changes in the rules, the nanny state that NZ has become, the AllBlack marketing machine suddenly springing into life (there never used to be billboards wtf?) - but I do include the demise of farming as a realistic career for a young guy, and the move from country to city of the general populace, in that group of things.
I still think the All Blacks are the giants of world rugby. One loss to France by 2 points doesn't change that. I'm seriously impressed by the ability of NZ to come up, repeatedly, with new tactics. If I could coach the kids I coach to offload in the tackle the way kiwis do we'd be invincible.
I had barely recovered from the glow of relieved smugness (let's face it - beating the Wallabies is possibly even better than beating France or Scotland in this context) when the Kiwi result knocked me for six again. This places me in a dilemma. To lose to the All blacks is disappointing but not particularly shameful. Against France they simply have to win.
re. calling the games wrong...tanujaOctober 7 2007, 11:57:58 UTC
You and me both, and quite honestly, I'm happy in this instance to be so completely wrong! My hope is that France will decide that Les Rosbifs are crap and send out the French Schoolboys XV & not the team that beat the ABs, despite Les Bleus having the same names and appearances of the team that beat the AB ;)
Unfortunately, my head tells me that we're playing France, in France and we've lost the last 2 games to them....
(mutter, grumble, gripe) and the less said about the Welsh results, the better.
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There are probably loads of reasons for the demise of the AllBlacks as giants of world rugby - the levelling of the playing field with regard to other countries getting more serious, the changes in the rules, the nanny state that NZ has become, the AllBlack marketing machine suddenly springing into life (there never used to be billboards wtf?) - but I do include the demise of farming as a realistic career for a young guy, and the move from country to city of the general populace, in that group of things.
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Unfortunately, my head tells me that we're playing France, in France and we've lost the last 2 games to them....
(mutter, grumble, gripe) and the less said about the Welsh results, the better.
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