Sports
We deserve this
19/11/06 18:13
It was easy to spot New Zealanders at Stade De
France. You didn't need the face paint and black
scarves; we were the ones wearing polar fleece.
Wynne Grey was over-enthusiastic about the All Blacks last week, and under enthusiastic this week. The main difference was that France played better. Much better.
If the ABs are back at Stade de France in a year, playing France in the final of the World Cup, I'm not sure they will win.
French crowds go to football to be entertained. They bubble. They are happy to be there. What other rugby crowd is as good-natured?
Why do New Zealanders travel all that way to sit grim and silent?
The French rugby union handed out to the crowd leaflets honouring New Zealand for our rugby and for Dave Gallaher, noting he still lies at Passchendale, "where he fell for us." They called on the crowd to honour the All Blacks, their rugby and their song.
The crowd fell completely silent for the haka and the brilliant light of ten thousand camera flashes sparkled like lightening blowing over a storm. We could hardly see it because the French team stood between us and the haka and we were practically at ground level.
Can you imagine anyone droning out 'God Defend NZ' during a game to urge the All Blacks on as the French chorus La Marseillaise to urge on Les Bleus? Then again the All Blacks scored just as the French sang 'Marchon! Marchon!'...
It was the biggest crowd of New Zealanders I've seen in Paris, of course. A bit shocking to see us behaving like Americans: "I'll have a diet coke, mate." Not even the slightest effort to read the way it's written. "Yep, we're from Cannabree. Gizza beer can ya mate?" What would those guys think about a Frenchman turning up in Christchurch and not making the slightest effort to speak English?
We called out 'Carter y va Marquer'. (When I asked Maria to translate the song she said, "It means that guy...he's gonna get a goal!"). During the football world cup, people would sing Zidane Y Va Marquer after a song playing every few minutes on the radio. So the Carter version made the French wince at the cunning reference to the best player in the world and the appropriation of their iconography. A bit like the French singing Loyal at us. Only we would belt it out as Daniel Carter lined up his goalkicks, and the French knew we were right. New Zealanders just ignored it, thinking it was some kind of French thing.
Only about one in six New Zealanders looked around when we called out 'kia ora!'.
We tried to get Pokarekare Ana going as we queued in the rain for the train. We were the only two interested.
Wynne Grey was over-enthusiastic about the All Blacks last week, and under enthusiastic this week. The main difference was that France played better. Much better.
If the ABs are back at Stade de France in a year, playing France in the final of the World Cup, I'm not sure they will win.
French crowds go to football to be entertained. They bubble. They are happy to be there. What other rugby crowd is as good-natured?
Why do New Zealanders travel all that way to sit grim and silent?
The French rugby union handed out to the crowd leaflets honouring New Zealand for our rugby and for Dave Gallaher, noting he still lies at Passchendale, "where he fell for us." They called on the crowd to honour the All Blacks, their rugby and their song.
The crowd fell completely silent for the haka and the brilliant light of ten thousand camera flashes sparkled like lightening blowing over a storm. We could hardly see it because the French team stood between us and the haka and we were practically at ground level.
Can you imagine anyone droning out 'God Defend NZ' during a game to urge the All Blacks on as the French chorus La Marseillaise to urge on Les Bleus? Then again the All Blacks scored just as the French sang 'Marchon! Marchon!'...
It was the biggest crowd of New Zealanders I've seen in Paris, of course. A bit shocking to see us behaving like Americans: "I'll have a diet coke, mate." Not even the slightest effort to read the way it's written. "Yep, we're from Cannabree. Gizza beer can ya mate?" What would those guys think about a Frenchman turning up in Christchurch and not making the slightest effort to speak English?
We called out 'Carter y va Marquer'. (When I asked Maria to translate the song she said, "It means that guy...he's gonna get a goal!"). During the football world cup, people would sing Zidane Y Va Marquer after a song playing every few minutes on the radio. So the Carter version made the French wince at the cunning reference to the best player in the world and the appropriation of their iconography. A bit like the French singing Loyal at us. Only we would belt it out as Daniel Carter lined up his goalkicks, and the French knew we were right. New Zealanders just ignored it, thinking it was some kind of French thing.
Only about one in six New Zealanders looked around when we called out 'kia ora!'.
We tried to get Pokarekare Ana going as we queued in the rain for the train. We were the only two interested.
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Black Night
18/11/06 15:41
Gosh the All Blacks are charming.
On Tuesday we bowled along to the Embassy and I was able to give Mr Henry a few pointers on how the guys could go a bit better. If we lose tonight, it will only be because they don't follow my plan.
Although...the 'bring back Buck' suggestion didn't look like it was going to get much of a run.
While I was talking to both l'entraîneur de l'équipe de rugby néo-zélandaise and, later, Anton Oliver, someone cut in and I drifted off - and in both cases they came back over, apologising for being interrupted. I couldn't believe how careful they were to be well-mannered. Everyone wanted their time, and they were gracious and charming with everyone. Every player there had just been dropped from the top team but you wouldn't have known it.
Josie, managing not to drool I'm sure, observed how young they looked. Surely the All Blacks look younger than they used to. Don't they? Like the policemen. What's happening here?
We asked a couple of the guys if they'd had a chance to do any sight-seeing while they were here. Yes, they'd been to Euro-Disney. So, you see, there really is something to do in Paris.
Tonight we'll speed down to the Eden Park bar before the game. On the way to the ground we will sing 'Carter y va marquer'. We will chant 'Allez All Blacks!" We will revel.
On Tuesday we bowled along to the Embassy and I was able to give Mr Henry a few pointers on how the guys could go a bit better. If we lose tonight, it will only be because they don't follow my plan.
Although...the 'bring back Buck' suggestion didn't look like it was going to get much of a run.
While I was talking to both l'entraîneur de l'équipe de rugby néo-zélandaise and, later, Anton Oliver, someone cut in and I drifted off - and in both cases they came back over, apologising for being interrupted. I couldn't believe how careful they were to be well-mannered. Everyone wanted their time, and they were gracious and charming with everyone. Every player there had just been dropped from the top team but you wouldn't have known it.
Josie, managing not to drool I'm sure, observed how young they looked. Surely the All Blacks look younger than they used to. Don't they? Like the policemen. What's happening here?
We asked a couple of the guys if they'd had a chance to do any sight-seeing while they were here. Yes, they'd been to Euro-Disney. So, you see, there really is something to do in Paris.
Tonight we'll speed down to the Eden Park bar before the game. On the way to the ground we will sing 'Carter y va marquer'. We will chant 'Allez All Blacks!" We will revel.
To Stade de France
13/11/06 14:45
Apparently, the All Blacks are in Paris.
We bought tickets from Ebay for the Paris game this coming Saturday. After the spanking they gave Les Bleus on Saturday night in Lyon (seven, count 'em, seven tries to none) this is going to be an orgy of eye-watering nationalistic happiness.
They are just so damn good.
(How depressing that the AB's website doesn't have a bunch of action shots from the game, as if it would be so hard to shoot a few royalty-free shots at the game and let the fans post them. How petty).
There's just that little anxious voice over my shoulder reminding me that I was at Athletic Park in 1999 when the All Blacks slapped France by fifty points, and then lost to them in the World Cup semi-final a few weeks later. Then there was the fifty points they put on the Wallabies in 2003 just before they got busted by the Aussies in the semi-final of that World Cup. And if I go all the way back, I remember how the All Blacks got beat up in France in 1986 just a year before they swept the world at the 87 Cup. So a shivering part of me is thinking they should be doing not so well now. Then I would feel better.
Anyway, allez tous les noirs.
We bought tickets from Ebay for the Paris game this coming Saturday. After the spanking they gave Les Bleus on Saturday night in Lyon (seven, count 'em, seven tries to none) this is going to be an orgy of eye-watering nationalistic happiness.
They are just so damn good.
(How depressing that the AB's website doesn't have a bunch of action shots from the game, as if it would be so hard to shoot a few royalty-free shots at the game and let the fans post them. How petty).
There's just that little anxious voice over my shoulder reminding me that I was at Athletic Park in 1999 when the All Blacks slapped France by fifty points, and then lost to them in the World Cup semi-final a few weeks later. Then there was the fifty points they put on the Wallabies in 2003 just before they got busted by the Aussies in the semi-final of that World Cup. And if I go all the way back, I remember how the All Blacks got beat up in France in 1986 just a year before they swept the world at the 87 Cup. So a shivering part of me is thinking they should be doing not so well now. Then I would feel better.
Anyway, allez tous les noirs.
ABs
04/11/06 19:13
Off to see the ABs spank the English this afternoon.
Anton Oliver and Aaron Mauger got themselves in a bit of bother, suggesting the Twickenham crowd is boorish and racist. The English can't believe it is possibly true. Well, it is. I heard the ugliness myself last year when I was there. I wrote about it here at the time.
Classiest English riposte, if that's what it was, appears in this morning's Guardian from Eddie Butler:
Last week I bought - on Ebay - tickets to the Stade de France game against France on 18 November.
Today's match is just a warm up for the real thing.
UPDATE: Yeah so we were lightweight at 6 and 8 and full of holes in the mid-field. But it's hard to argue with a 41-point spanking on an off day.
Anton Oliver and Aaron Mauger got themselves in a bit of bother, suggesting the Twickenham crowd is boorish and racist. The English can't believe it is possibly true. Well, it is. I heard the ugliness myself last year when I was there. I wrote about it here at the time.
Classiest English riposte, if that's what it was, appears in this morning's Guardian from Eddie Butler:
Can't help think the All Blacks lack a bit of firepower in the back row and defence in the midfield.Anton Oliver wrote of English 'arrogance' and 'hubris', and of the 'opprobrium' heaped by the Twickenham crowd on some of his Kiwi mates. All Black hookers traditionally have a rich and colourful lexicon when it comes to their colonial overlords, but in the short history of blogs by their number, rarely can 'hubris' and 'opprobrium' have enjoyed each other's company.
Last week I bought - on Ebay - tickets to the Stade de France game against France on 18 November.
Today's match is just a warm up for the real thing.
UPDATE: Yeah so we were lightweight at 6 and 8 and full of holes in the mid-field. But it's hard to argue with a 41-point spanking on an off day.
On y en finale
14/10/06 00:28
We're going to the final...
I've seen on TV one NPC game this year - a completely dreary match between Wellington and Bay of Plenty. Possibly the worst I've ever watched, after which I concluded we would be knocked out early. What on earth happened to them?
They play like France and Italy play football in the prelim rounds of the World Cup!
A special Sports category has had to be created in the sidebar to accommodate my excitement at this development. (Notice the passive construction, effecting an air of inevitability).
Actually they play like France in the prelim rounds, but we're not admitting that because we all know how that ended up. Tana sent off for a disgraceful end to his career in extra time? Nah, couldn't happen.
I've seen on TV one NPC game this year - a completely dreary match between Wellington and Bay of Plenty. Possibly the worst I've ever watched, after which I concluded we would be knocked out early. What on earth happened to them?
They play like France and Italy play football in the prelim rounds of the World Cup!
A special Sports category has had to be created in the sidebar to accommodate my excitement at this development. (Notice the passive construction, effecting an air of inevitability).
Actually they play like France in the prelim rounds, but we're not admitting that because we all know how that ended up. Tana sent off for a disgraceful end to his career in extra time? Nah, couldn't happen.