through that opening post again and I must say that I agree with both Dylan and Attrotel, my reasons are as follows
..Or how PC wrecked the AB's.
Being a total football person you couldn't pay me to watch rugby, Bill McClaren 's long tenure on the box notwithstanding, he did, finally, get through to me some of the rules...'it's out on the foool' (full). Mainly I couldn't see why, when you got the ball, you booted it to the opposition and then had to fight some really big blokes to get it back, whats that all about then?? (Doesn't like rugby but makes a post about the game, why?)
But back in late 50's and early 60's on a cold winters day, with the blues away and the paper round money nowhere near enough, on went Grandstand and it's iconic theme and going even further back Sports view with it's even more Iconic de dum dee dum dee diddlee dum.
But I'd watch the All Blacks, they were special, they were the King Kong, the Cassius Clay(as he was in those days) the Brazil. (The AB's then did the Hacker with hardly a black face in sight, fact in those days)
So when they won the Rugby World Cup in 1987, well it was only to be expected, it was the natural order of things. (I don't think you'd find the Wallabies agreeing with this, nor do I)
But look at their record, then and in subsequent comps.
Winners; beaten finalists;well nobody can win all the time. beaten finalists; food poisoning/dirty dealings???. beaten in the semi's; well it's the french, you can never tell with them; beaten in the semi's, never right off the ausssies, and well the coach wasn't all that hot, never liked him. Now beaten in the quarters, mega bucks spent, basically been in camp for 6mths preparing and training, shock horror, so what went wrong.
Well the talkback radio has been red hot and has gone mostly one of two ways. (Which talkback radio, in NZ?, UK has been full of chat about our lads)
1)Stop picking on the lads,they are OUR team, they didn't go out to lose, they did their best and we support them through thick and thin, infact, anyone who has a go, is well, unpatriotic...that must ring a few bells re. our own situation
We are now getting to the nitty gritty (about time you might say, but the backgroung has to be laid)
The players and staff flew in to Christchurch (the local equiv. of east midlands) citing airline timetables etc. (guilt more like)
And 3000 ppl were there and cheered 'our gallant lads' to the echo FFS! (Sounds as though the NZ public appreciated their efforts, the postee didn't)Herein lies the problem, (again, I feel echos of our own situation ) It isn't that mediocrity is encouraged, but it is unconciously accepted, because winning and after all, there can only be one winner, thus making everybody else LOSERS!!, you didn't lose, you just didn't win, but you tried, you took part.
Kids don't seem to take pass and fail exams any more, they do modules, gain 'credits' and self assessment and class work counts towards your grade. (what the hell this is to do with the rest of the thread is beyond me)
Then we come to what some brave people call the Browning of New Zealand Rugby. Over the last 30 yrs there has been a massive (for here )influx of Pacific Islanders. A veritable host of Jonah Lomu's and Jerry Collinses. These likeable and laid back people have all gone through a school system that has brainwashed them and everybody else in it to believe that nobody has to try because winning doesn't matter. It's about being the best person you can be. (Now this is the bit that really gets me, Jonah Lomu is a truly great NZ rugby player, here he is portrayed as a likeable laid back black person from some Pacific Island, I bloody wish he'd have been from this country and had played for us. He is a Moari, a true New Zealander if you like, an Island dweller. All is well and good when things are going well but pick a victim when they are not, in this case victims identified by the clour of their skin)
At no stage does this guy say that the white players haven't pulled their weight, or they are to blame, no it is specifically black players, now isn't that racist or am I some how mistaken here? I suppose that if those same white players went through a different education system then his point may be validated, or would that also be racist. At no stage is a home grown white person blamed for anything, it all the fault of the blacks which in any society has to be pure [Poor language removed]
Bollocks!! (end of rant) (If this thread isn't anti black why get that upset)
When I first read through that thread I was surprised but offered to give the benefit of the doubt, subsequent posts have convinced me that the initial reactions of both Att and Dylan were correct and deserved
