RIP 2024
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It’s all in the hips
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Carl Weathers was a favourite. My son was legit shocked by the news. But 76 is a decent innings.
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This post is deleted!
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One of the good ones we saw I thought Barry John. Had a brief career really, as far as we saw down here. Retired early and good on him, had other things to do. Was the man who more than any other who introduced the 'round the corner' kicking to NZ rugby.
Part of an incredible Lions backline where every player looked bloody brilliant. -
He John Dawes and Mike Gibson visited my school in 71. All made a real impression. Very generous with their time and wonderful speakers.
That 71 touring party ignited a change in NZ rugby. Saw John play live three times that year. Fantastic player. Definitely a candidate for GOAT.
Tough few weeks for Welsh rugby
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That 71 touring party ignited a change in NZ rugby.
I know this is commonly said but was it really that true? Fred Allen's 60s ABs and the 60s Bay Shield holders both played 15 man rugby.
NZ rugby seemed to regress for the mid 70s before blossoming with the 1978 Grandslam team - did we wait between 71 and the 80s before the change was ignited?
Edit: RIP Barry John.
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That 71 touring party ignited a change in NZ rugby.
I know this is commonly said but was it really that true? Fred Allen's 60s ABs and the 60s Bay Shield holders both played 15 man rugby.
NZ rugby seemed to regress for the mid 70s before blossoming with the 1978 Grandslam team - did we wait between 71 and the 80s before the change was ignited?
Edit: RIP Barry John.
Probably a bit OT but it's pissing down where I live, so here goes....I was seriously into Rugby in those days and think it was a combination of things:
Fred Allen's '67 team wobbled on until 1970 and most of the key players retired (or had had enough) by then. The '71 AB's were pretty poor in reality and player stocks were low. We ended up bringing in a former no.8 to lock with Pinetree FFS.....
Other nations, particularly Wales and England, had started thinking. And they had Carwyn James. Rugby as a whole in NZ stopped thinking. While some administrators and coaches like Bill Freeman could see the writing on the wall and the need to change, there was a belief we had all the players we needed and a new, successful provincial wonder-coach would put us back at the top of the tree.
The disastrous '72-'73 tour exploded the Wonder Coach theory and left rugby in NZ in a unbelievable mess. There was talk about whether the game would survive as playing numbers dropped. After the NZRFU in-fighting, people like JJ Stewart and Eric Watson started to be listened to.
The '76 B side tour to Sth America was a masterstroke, deepening the player pool and produced players like Stu Wilson, Mourie, Haden, Spiers, Taylor etc.
The '77 Lions tour was the turning point. They played some of the smartest rugby I've ever seen against a bloody good Lions side. The Lions have a huge scrum which is pushing us back? No problems, we'll do a 3-man scrum so the ball's out so quick it doesn't matter. Oh, and Watson threw out the old guard and installed a young bloke called Mourie as Captain.
The rest, as they say, is history.
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Ian Lavender. Last surviving Dad's Army actor.
Got the complete series as a present a few years back and it's still a joy to watch. Brilliant, funny and fresh.
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@Donsteppa said in RIP 2024:
"Don't tell him, Pike!"
Great piece of comedy. Was reading today that Philip Madoc, who played the U Boat captain, was camel-trekking in Mongolia when someone recognised him and shouted out "Don't tell him Pike!"
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‘Don’t tell him, Pike’: Ian Lavender and the story behind the funniest Dad’s Army episode ever made
The Deadly Attachment showcased the beloved sitcom at its ridiculous, class-obsessed best – and contained its greatest gag
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That 71 touring party ignited a change in NZ rugby.
I know this is commonly said but was it really that true? Fred Allen's 60s ABs and the 60s Bay Shield holders both played 15 man rugby.
NZ rugby seemed to regress for the mid 70s before blossoming with the 1978 Grandslam team - did we wait between 71 and the 80s before the change was ignited?
Edit: RIP Barry John.
A quick bit of research on the 71 and 77 Lions tours shows try scoring mostly by backs in 71 and forwards in 77. This may point to ABs playing more running rugby in the 71 series. I was eight years old at the time and vaguely recollect BG cutting it up although he may have been the standout in our backline compared to the Lions who were mostly better in positions 9-15
