The Moment
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So apparently there is some rugby tournament thingy in Japan later this year.
Some conspiracy theorists reckon it's the 9th such tournament, but by my recollection there has been only three previously (worth remembering anyway).
If there had have been eight previously I'm sure there would have been a moment we remembered from each which would have defined each of those tournaments.
Share with us what YOU think were the defining memories of each of the previous RWCs, including the mythical events between 1991 & 2003.
Not necessarily the deciding moment (although it might be), but the most memorable .
Mine as follows:
1987: John Kirwan's solo try in the opening game
1991: David Campese turning Timu inside-out and passing to Horan
1995: "Lomu ... oh oh!"
1999: Dominici's try
2003: Mortlock intercept
2007: Michalak's forward pass
2011: Dimitri Szarzewski conceding the penalty
2015: Sam "You Fucking Legend" Whitelock's lineout stealYours?
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@booboo said in The Moment:
So apparently there is some rugby tournament thingy in Japan later this year.
Some conspiracy theorists reckon it's the 9th such tournament, but by my recollection there has been only three previously (worth remembering anyway).
If there had have been eight previously I'm sure there would have been a moment we remembered from each which would have defined each of those tournaments.
Share with us what YOU think were the defining memories of each of the previous RWCs, including the mythical events between 1991 & 2003.
Not necessarily the deciding moment (although it might be), but the most memorable .
Mine as follows:
1987: John Kirwan's solo try in the opening game
1991: David Campese turning Timu inside-out and passing to Horan
1995: "Lomu ... oh oh!"
1999: Dominici's try
2003: Mortlock intercept
2007: Michalak's forward pass
2011: Dimitri Szarzewski conceding the penalty
2015: Sam "You Fucking Legend" Whitelock's lineout stealYours?
1987 - fucked if I know, I didn't watch, I was 10 years old and overseas
1991 - Gavin Hastings bumping off Richard Loe
1995 - Scotland's glorious 89-0 demolition of the fierce warriors of the Ivory Coast in 95 is basically impossible to top
1999 - Cammie Murray playing like this against the GOAT
2003 - this....
2007- Beating Italy to get in the quarters
2011 - SImon Daniellis brave efforts to beat....er.....Romania
2015 - Narrowly losing to the fucken Aussie fluffybunnies.......In all seriousness watch the vids........White was probably the biggest but fairest hitter who ever played. Cammy Murray played the game of his life vs Jonah too.
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I'll start at 95 as too young before then...
1995: Lomu against England stands out, in particular the try @booboo references. What a player, watching him in that tournament was really the start of my love for the game. I made a scrapbook of all of the newspaper articles about him. Those were the days...
1999: again Lomu bulldozing through a million French players, single handedly trying to win us the game while already battling his health. He's my favourite ever player, just an absolute giant of the game.
2003: two obvious moments that had me screaming at the TV: Mils' disallowed try and the Mortlock intercept. Was gutted as we'd carved the Aussies up that year and I really thought we'd go all the way.
2007: not a moment per say, but just memories of us hammering the French line waiting for the penalty that was never given until time ran out. Was a bloody long day after watching that in the morning.
2011: the final fucking whistle, and the tension and emotion that was released all over NZ. I can hardly remember the game itself TBH, just remember celebrating like crazy with the boys when it was over.
2015: DCs dropped goal against SA. Was awesome on many levels - such a class player standing up and making clutch plays when it counted after missing 2011 to injury. Felt confident with him at the helm and that really brought it home.
Bring on Japan!
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2011 Piri attempting to pass the ball with the tip of his boot. That’s when the pacing back-and-forth & chain-smoking started
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@Bones said in The Moment:
Who was it with the steal in the 2011 final with time up? I distinctly remember Ellis doing something.
All I remember was Brad Thorn taking the lineout to seal it. Everything else, ‘cept for the ‘Cock’s try, Beaver’s penalty, and Piri attempting to pass with his foot, is still a blur.
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@Salacious-Crumb yeah just watched, marched up field and nicely controlled by Ellis, who earns the penalty in overtime.
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With most of the big ones covered I'll go with more eclectic ones:
1999: Paddy O'Brien taking the mantle for worst performance by a NZer at the RWC in Fiji vs France.
2003: A very brief (but very real) "oh shit" moment when Wales went up 37-35 in the second half against the ABs.
2007: The first half of the first pool game against Italy is possible the best half of rugby the ABs have ever played. They literally scored at will.
2011: The really weird Sunday after the Carter injury where the Warriors were in the NRL Grand Final, the ABs had to play Canada and Carter's fate would be announced.
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1987 - Michael Jones, best player in the world scoring the first RWC try. Blanco’s try v France.
1991 - Michael Jones again scoring the first try. Campese playing Keepy-Uppy during the Haka, then playing the game of his life. Lynaghs try to break Irish hearts.
1995 - Lomu. Nuff said.
1999 - Janni de Beer. Five(5) bloody drop goals. That’s 5. Bloody 5.
2003 - Mortlick’s intercept. Wilkinson droppie to win the thing.
2007 - Sheridan monstering Matt Pudding in the scrums and then in the handbags afterwards. Not so much a moment but England’s abysmal pool game v SA and the making the final.
2011 - The “Leave it to Beaver” moment. Tuilagi going swimming. Johnson’s presser after the dwarf throwing.
2015 - Seeing England throwing the most easily defendable line out and knowing we would lose v Wales and likely get dumped out of our own tournament
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1997 Kirwan tackling Ieuran Evans on the other wing to deny him a try in the semis with the game already easily won. Same game. Buck's punch on the Welshman who was sent off anyway. That team was seriously ruthless.
1991 Campo's pass to Horan.
1995 Mehrts slicing a drop goal late in regular time.
1999 The look in Wilson and Randall's eyes in the Second Half against France, like rabbits in the headlights.
2003 Spencer throwing it to Mortlock.
2007 The smug, self-satisfied look on Wayne Barnes' arrogant face whenever he made a decision against the All Blacks during that evening in Cardiff.
2011 Watching that clock past 80:00 after it took what seemed like hours to get there. Being World Champions again after so fucking long and so much hurt.
2015 Beauden Barrett sprinting past Pocock to score the final try. The first away win and in so much style.
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1995 - Zinny looking at Carling and shrugging after slotting a 40m drop-kick
2007 - Pain. (I was at the Millenium Stadium for that game).
2011 - The AB's win a penalty. The much-maligned Duck comes on, the weight of a nation on his shoulders. His first words are to McCaw: "just give me the fucking ball". You just knew then we were going to win.
2015 - Semi v SA. Nonu bamboozling 3 Saffas with body and ball-handling alone to send BB in to secure the win. Nigel Owens taking the time to bend down and commiserate with Oz players when the Final was over.
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@Salacious-Crumb said in The Moment:
All I remember was Brad Thorn taking the lineout to seal it.
Did we ever find out who made this call? Thorn might have been shortest AB in that lineout. Maybe they thought he had the safest hands??
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87 - kirwan shattering the corner flag
91 - campo / Horan try in the corner
95 - Wilson spewing
99 - Lomu bulldozing from 50 out
03 - Wilkinson drop goal
07 - Luke McAllister droppie attempt which missed by miles
11 - dusatoir try in the final .... THAT feeling again
15 - japan victory over japies
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@MajorRage said in The Moment:
87 - kirwan shattering the corner flag
91 - campo / Horan try in the corner
95 - Wilson spewing
99 - Lomu bulldozing from 50 out
03 - Wilkinson drop goal
07 - Luke McAllister droppie attempt which missed by miles
11 - dusatoir try in the final .... THAT feeling again
15 - japan victory over japies
2015 - Yep. Stand out moment. Almost. Almost got me over the pain of getting dumped out.
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@Salacious-Crumb said in The Moment:
2011 Piri attempting to pass the ball with the tip of his boot. That’s when the pacing back-and-forth & chain-smoking started
I blame Izzy Dagg for blowing the overlap immediately prior ...
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@booboo said in The Moment:
@Salacious-Crumb said in The Moment:
2011 Piri attempting to pass the ball with the tip of his boot. That’s when the pacing back-and-forth & chain-smoking started
I blame Izzy Dagg for blowing the overlap immediately prior ...
this!! fucking this!!!
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1987 - JK try v Italy
1991 - dont have any defining memory of this one
1995 - Jonah
1999 - being at Twickers fo rthis game, and with the benefit of hindsight, seeing how relaxed and almost blase pretty much the entire team bar Jonah was in warm ups.
2003 - that disallowed try, cost us the RWC
especially watching with my best mate who had won an all expenses trip to watch the final....
2007 - seeing Mealamu comforting DC in tears in the stands.
2011 - the look of sheer relief at the final whistle
2015 - I know most dont like his commentary (inc me) but listening to the sheer joy as BFA had chipped through for Beaudy to chase summed it up for me -
87 - Two of JKs tries, obviously the length of the field, but i remember his one in the final as well
91 - Aussies breaking Irish hearts
95 - To be honest, i know it's supposed to be Lomu Oh! oh! but for me it's the stunned, silent moment after the final whistle. disbelief
99 - Coming home after watching it live, Dad about to watch the replay, and me trying to play it cool about the result. Failing.
03 - Wilkinson off balance droppie. What a player
07 - The moment i realised, late in the game, that we just weren't going to win it no matter what we did. Also arriving to watch the final at the Eiffel Tower and seeing the size of the crowd
11 - Sitting at i think England v Scotland at Eden Park when news came through about Carter. The sinking feeling that we were about to get fucked by the rugby gods again. The final whistle at the Park, loudest crowd ever.
15 - Carter's droppie. Fuck i love you Dan. -
Just to do some slightly different ones
07 - in the local pub watching that game, at half time every one else in the pub feeling confident. I was not, said we've lost the ref and we should be doing better/more points, the choke is on. I was right, and by then end just walked out of the pub like 'meh, another choke' - this was first RWC back in NZ after many years of choke abuse living in the UK - so I was pretty inured to it all!
11- Self proclaimed Public Enemy #1 Quade kicking off the game, out on the full. I was 100% confident we'd win that game and probably the RWC then! Weird how your mind works
15- Being almost unable to find a pub in Exeter that had the RWC on, fucking appalling
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2003, still have a vivid memory of George Gregan telling the ABs “four more years” and wanting to punch him in the face.
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87 - I was in UK and so only saw the Final on TV in the early hours. Kirks try
91 - I watched all the tournament up to QF in UK then got on a plane to come back to NZ after 13 years via Hong Kong and Sydney. I arrived in Oz the day of semi and went to a party with a mate to watch it. Wished earth would swallow me up. Fucking Aussies. Can't trust a Paddy. Lynaghs quick tap
95 - hubris. Never did drink the bubbly. Mehrtens missed droppie
99 - Lomu shaking hands with every Frenchman while the rest of the team scurried off down the tunnel. Play a specialist Centre Pt 1
03 - Fucking Spencer Play a specialist Centre Pt 2 Double dose of hubris after the 50 point victories earlier in the year
07 - Aussie got beat in the QF hahahahahahahaha - oops. hubris again
11 - Fearful of that bitch hubris. sitting in stands telling everyone we were doomed. The groan from the crowd when St Stephen came on in that ridiculous jersey. 4 more years ringing around Eden Park in the semi
15 - Not hubris again!!!!!! Thankfully not Dan refusing to lose and just taking control culminating the droppie -
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95': Marc Ellis stealing the show....oh wait I mean Lomu
99' Still pretty young just remember us shitting the bed in the second half
03': The intercept and 4 more years (I love smack talk so love that from GG)
07': Having Uni exams and sleeping in with a plan to watch the 1/4's on replay. Didn't end up ever watching it (heard the match was cancelled) as my flatmate who loved code and wouldn't say boo to anyone punched the wall and then his misses walked in and he told her to fuck off (she knew something was up and backed out the door).
11' Quades kick on the full and super Dagg to Nonu. Also I remember that if Canada had of beaten Japan (they drew) Canada would have made the Semi's over France....
15: Me oh my yes boy.
18': Making my mate on his bucks party wear an aussie kit with facepaint and corkstring hat with a sign saying 4 more years with GG on it to an AB's vs France game in Dunedin. -
From a NZ perspective (positive and negative moments):
1987 – A combo of JKs long range try against Italy and MJ bursting on to the scene as the best rugby player in the world. If not for Hobbs concussion he may have been a bit part player in the competition.
1991 – JK breaking the line at will against the Aussies and not having the support inside (MJ) or outside (Kipper).
1995 – Jonah.
1999 – Jonah going crazy against the French, Cullen utterly wasted at centre and Wilson being constantly out of position. Commuting home from the game in silence, walking into a police man and just stepping back and walking around him, and then going straight to bed in the early evening. I did not cope very well with losing back then.
2003 – Mitchell sending out JC to front the media after the Aussie match – domeheaded prick. Pack playing like pussies.
2007 – McAlister carving up in attack, DC injured but Evans comes on and he’s in form and starts cutting them to pieces – it’s all good. Bin and injury. Ah fuck. They’ll set for a droppie at some stage, right? There’s a leadership group that will organise it, she’ll be right. Ah fuck.
2011 – Kaino picks up Digby as he’s about to cross the line. Great play by the best player in the world in 2011.
2015 – The emotion from Carter, he clearly wanted a win (where he was on the field in the final), I think he even got told to calm his farm by the ref at one stage.From a non NZ perspective (moments I remember):
1987 – David Codey getting sent off against Wales and then being made Oz captain a few months later for the Bledisloe.
1991 – Gordon Hamilton running in a try for Ireland against the Wobblies with minutes left on the clock. Ireland were likeable back then too. But then they bottle it and Lynagh orchestrates a final try for the Wallabies.
1995 – Bennazi is in for a try in the wet. Wait, he’s not? Hmmm.
1999 – De Beers 5 drop goals, Larkham’s drop goal in the semi final against the Boks (a 49 point match with no tries scored).
2003 – Four more years. It was cutting but Gregan actually seems like a top bloke.
2007 – That was a huge forward pass by France, it’ll be called back for sure right? Ah fuck.
2011 – France being France. Throw downs with the coach, a loss to Tonga and then rock up to the final and almost pull off a win.
2015 – Woohoo!!! Japan! A Hawkes Bay boy scores the winning try too! -
1987 - Richard Simba (sic?) doing a flip as he scored a try.
1991 - Campese back pass to Horan
1995 - Lomus tries against England
1999 - The look of shell shock on the Ab's faces.
2003 - Jonny drop kick.
2007 - Barnes look of shell shock and crippling lack of confidence to blow a whistle.
2011 - Thinking beaver had missed that kick wide.. only to be bewildered when the flags went up. Weird camera angles.
2015 - SBW break and offload to Nonu to create a large lead. -
@Baron-Silas-Greenback said in The Moment:
1987 - Richard Simba (sic?) doing a flip as he scored a try.
Tsimba - did a kinda-forward roll and popped his shoulder.
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@Nepia said in The Moment:
@dogmeat I don’t remember a groan from the crowd when Donald came out. In my section everyone was giving him a supportive cheer.
There was an audible cheer in the TV coverage. I cheered in the pub ....
I personally became more confident as soon as I saw Donald about to come on, Weepu having a goalkicking mare and all that .... and a hunch that some direct running and big defence were all we were going to squeeze out of this armwrestle of a match. Although my mate beside me went into despair as soon as he saw Donald coming on, and started muttering about "we're fucked, it's over ...etc". I berated him, like our attitude 800km away would have some impact on the match at the other end of the island ...... After about 5 minutes he apologised for his moment of weakness and then got behind the boys again.
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1987 - Lived in Canada at the time and missed it all. When we moved back to the Southern Hemisphere in 1988, I watched some replays on VHS that my cousins had recorded. Never realised Rugby could be that good!
1991 - The Irish win that should have been but they totally bottled it. Biggest RWC choke in history, IMO.
1995 - Lomu! Those tries against England will live on forever!
1999 - The shock, even to this day I can't remember much about that match but boy, I can still recall the feeling post match and it's not something I would ever want to experience again. Only it did and much worse in a personal part of my life.
2003 - Talking to Umaga and other non-playing AB's prior to the semi and getting that sinking feeling. Which proved to be rather prophetic as I watched Panadol just getting owned all game by Mortlock. Worst coaching ever in my opinion.
2007 - Sorry, don't know what your talking about.
Was married in the middle of the RWC, just after the last AB pool match, and had organised to have the honeymoon and then be back in time to watch the semi's. For the QF we were in the middle of Borneo (Kinabantangan) and there was only one PC in the place with really dodgy internet. I had organised with the staff to get access to the computer early in the morning, about 5 am, to check the score. Was absolutely shattered by the result and have never watched the match since which means it didn't happen, right? Also, as my wife reminds everyone, I was so shocked after seeing that result that I barely spoke for the rest of the day and the next as I just mumbled my way through the next two days of our honeymoon.
2011 - Semifinal against Australia and one of the most complete performances I've ever seen in a RWC sudden death match - Jerome (come back here Digby) Kaino. The final is just a blur and the feeling of relief was just overwhelming.
2015 - Watching the interaction between DC and McGod after the quarter final against France and DC gives McCaw a little punch to the ribs and the smile on his face just says it all... Vindication! -
2011- MASSIVE Tongan scrum to put the final knife in France at the Caketin. One of the most electric rugby games I've ever been to.
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@Paekakboyz yeah that was great, I got the Welly Match Pack, then afterwards to the pub to watch Scotland being oh so close to rolling England IIRC
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@Paekakboyz said in The Moment:
2011- MASSIVE Tongan scrum to put the final knife in France at the Caketin. One of the most electric rugby games I've ever been to.
Taumalolo
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@Stockcar86 fuck yeah. Remember him standing up and just screaming at the French to come get some. Yeah boi! gives me the shivers just thinking about it!!
Man, had also forgotten the Ireland v Wales match which was immense. But that Tonga-France game is definitely a WC moment. Crazy to think how long ago that was now!
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Moments that have stuck with me
87 - Kirk’s try and Blanco’s try
91 - the first match against England at half time I thought our World Cup was over
95 - watching Mandela come out and having this really bad feeling.
99 - the smug look on Gregan’s face
03 - haka and sipi tau: Marshall’s injury
07 - French hands in the ruck when we were hot on attack down the left wing and the touchie just watching it; Henry’s face in the stands
11 - the day of Carter’s injury; Kaino manhandling Digby; airconditioner leaking after final whistle...
15 - Scotland robbed; Japan fans celebrating
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1987 - Mum takes me out of school and down to Lancaster Park to watch NZ thrash Fiji 74-13 with Green & Gallagher getting 4 tries each.
1991 - Campese’s diagonal run and score
1995 - Not watching NZ vs ENG live (major exams the next day) but should have because my Dad just kept whooping and hollering as Lomu did his stuff
1999 - Not watching NZ vs FRA live (major uni exams the next day). Falling asleep to hearing a few lads cheering Lomu’s tries...waking up to Si & Phil playing funeral organ music on the radio
2003 - in a plane back from Europe as the pilot announces Australia 22 - NZ 10
2007 - Pub in Cork, Ireland with 2 way too confident compatriots (sporting brand spanking new AB 2007 RWC jerseys). They were playfully mocked by bystanders as the horror unfolded. Me and a French mate had tickets to the final, so sat thru SA vs England
2011 - Pub in Dublin. Complete silence as about 50 Kiwis waited for Joubert to hand France a match winning penalty. Relief at the end.
2015 - Live at Cardiff with same French mate from 2007 to watch NZ put some ghosts to rest
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These images instantly jump into my mind when someone mentions the various World Cup years
87… John Kirwan shredding the corner flag with a try in the final
91… Tuigamala going full Lomu against Italy, four years before Lomu arrived on the scene
95… Kronfeld bagging five-pointers by hanging of Lomu’s shoulder all tournament
99… Wilson suffering dizzy spells after being turned inside out by the French
03… the best and worst of Spencer: between the legs pass to Rokocoko / pass to Mortlock
07… Ngwenya skinning Habana
11… Dagg on the outside to set up Nonu’s semi final try
15… Carter’s flick pass to Savea before he Lomu’ed the French -
Ohhhhh that could have put him in ward 4...
@Smudge said in The Moment:
@Baron-Silas-Greenback said in The Moment:
1987 - Richard Simba (sic?) doing a flip as he scored a try.
Tsimba - did a kinda-forward roll and popped his shoulder.
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Live matches........
Going to Ireland vs Namibia in 2003 without a ticket and singing with a bunch of pissed up Irish fans. Same year. Scotland relying on the fact that while Rupeni Caucau was once again on another fucken planet the other 14 were more easy to subdue and they squeaked into the quarters.
Caucau though, did this guy seriously play the same position as Caleb Ralph and Scott Hamilton ? That second try.....did Glenn Metcalfe have cement on his feet ?
- Australia vs South Africa at the Caketin, MN5 sr got some tickets somehow. tinny old bugger.
Highlight was a tie between watching Schalk Burger live and realising he was one of the most immense Rugby players to ever lace up boots or the dude in front of us grossly overestimating his chip eating ability and giving heaps of them to me and the old man. What a GC.
Also what was up with the Stadium staff pre opening every can of fucken Heinie that was sold ? seriously you anal fucks, you expect us to sell them to underage kids after the match ?
There has to be a special rung in hell for over zealous hospo people on fuck all an hour who abuse their power like this.
