What do I do next….? Watch out for an announcement in the papers…but they must have a training session surely? Its Thursday afternoon and the game is on Tuesday afternoon. Man I have to learn the line out calls!

The phone started ringing…no mobiles those days …not even the brick but it was not a party line like my grandparent’s long – short – short – long etc, where I remember them having a yarn with the operator.

First was my mother. This was going to be interesting as her and Dad had been on the Anti tour marches recently -the peaceful ones! She was happy for me and said to do whatever I wanted to do. To tell the truth it had only been about an hour that I found out and had not even thought about nothing really. Told her I had not even spoken to anyone official and had just heard myself though it had been announced on the Radio nationally.

Next was Bill Francis the man himself who said to get down to Radio New Zealand Sport offices (I think) for an interview that will be taped and played after editing (a lot I would say, my dolsate tones in retrospect I would not have been an interviewer’s dream). My son now takes the piss with my lazy pronunciation of vowels – the other day he started saying to me ‘pass the molk plase.’ I said what? and he said ‘molk plase’. I said why he was talking like that and he said it is the way I say ‘milk please’ – cheeky bugger!

Anyway, I heard somewhere from somewhere official my club Zingari or Otago Union that there was a training run on the Friday (the next day) at the Dunedin or Pirates rugby ground.

The place was a buzz now (or my world was) 38 Clyde Street had never had so much activity since Martin Sneddon got picked the year before for Otago and New Zealand in cricket as he flatted there before us. People I thought were on holidays were back earlier or never been away and suddenly people were taking an interest in me!

There were people who were genuinely pleased including Otago University rugby folk who were everybody’s arch rivals (Scarfies even though we were scarfies ourselves). We had beaten them earlier in the year and they had some super talent David Halligan, Warwick Taylor, David Kirk, Dirk Williams and a host of others that could have graced most international teams at that stage. I thank them for their support and others from Dunedin Clubs at the time. I know that Zingari were over the moon and I was proud for them when I had the time in the bubble to reflect. Don’t want to mention names as we from scarfie land were welcomed and they were wonderful to us. I would miss someone of many out.

Anyway down to the news rooms testing one two three I came out with the same old bullocks …play my natural game……go out and enjoy…I knew half the team…I was proud to be apart and selected for Otago (which I was but was still trying to get my head around it). Even the fact that Gary Seer had withdrawn from the game due to his political beliefs did not resonate with me even though my personal situation was and I perhaps should have taken into account.

To tell the truth and at the time in the whirl wind of I,t did not touch the sides. It was not until a team mate for Otago and a man of few words came up to me ten minutes before kickoff and said  ‘Give it your best, as fella’s like us may not get another chance’ and though open to interpretation I knew what he meant. Where he always, what few times I met him before had a cheeky grin and look in his eyes, now has this serious looking into my soul look, that was humble, brave and personal and I respect him for that. That look when someone asks you a serious question and you look around the room and others are also waiting for your response – and it was the look my grandparents gave me when awaiting your response. I call this a ‘beautiful intrusion’ and sometimes no words have to be spoken…they can see in your eyes, the raise of the eyebrows or a wee nod.

Next, I had my Zingari teammate and fellow scarfie Steve Baker around at the flat and firing passes of the rugby ball down the hallway to me, they were good, in a long skinny hallway, spiraling like a bullet and never touched the sides and he’s yapping away the whole time like most halfbacks but this time laughing and chortling and not barking out orders or giving the ref advice, as his mate had been picked for Otago against the Springboks…everybody is excited and keen for the game to come around. Steve went on to play for Canterbury and then amongst other rugby accomplishments and achievements spent time in SA coaching with Francois Pienaar.

After a busy night of congratulations, from others etc I had training the next day with Otago. I did know half the team however the other half I did not know as they played a in the Country.

Town v Country was always a toughie and was the Otago trial game but I had dodged this one as I had not been picked earlier in the year. When I say dodged the game, this is the local firm derby -Farmers v Townies or mainly Scarfies and a good opportunity for the country lads to show the townie boys who is tough and who is not! Eg I would not say they would kick you in the head but given the opportunity, a good rucking which was legal in those days could have been severe. Good to have on your side and no people more loyal but against them? if at the bottom of a ruck, get your hands free and cover your scone! Or don’t go in!

I was always a forward thinker and adapted to rules changes before they changed eg why get involved if they have the ball or we have the ball, I may as well be in the line as another option for attack or defense depending on the situation! Not then though, you were quickly spotted and labelled and abused by your own team mates… and the rules had not changed then for that strategy of play! That’s my excuse anyway! (Well done SA on Sat they stopped and won possession by not adopting this strategy but disrupting at the breakdown after the AB’s had original procession)

The first and only training session before the game. Wow Wayne Graham blindside, Dirk Williams openside, Paul Sapsford prop, Ken Bloxham Hooker and Captain and a good mate after and very sad to hear of his passing years later. Then Gary Smith was at Full back Dean Kenny half back Neil Purvis in the center. These names along with the others are household names especially in Otago.

As per usual Lee Smith the coach who I did not know that well at the time, I heard was keen on the fitness stuff and I respect immensely not for the fact he trusted me in my selection but as a masterful all-round sports person, was true to form and I was running around like a rabbit first time away from home. This was picked up by the more senior people in the squad and I don’t know if it was the fact that I looked silly, or they genuinely cared for my welfare – a bit of both. To make me feel one of the team, though one of the exercises was to do press ups in between instructions to sprint 25 yards and then back again to station for press ups, continuous no break or no rest. I was pretty stuffed in quick time and Ken saw this and said ‘to do it with me’ so I did. But he was not doing the press ups when Lee was not looking, he was resting on the ground and as soon as Lee looked our way Ken would resume the press ups. I soon noticed that half the team (mainly country boys) were doing the same!

This was one of the ways, and I did not pick up on this immediately of bringing one in I guess, to let you know they were personable people themselves and not to be over awed by the occasion. They were great to me and the respect as people from me was immense. Or short cuts – mind you most of them had been working on farms, 200-mile round trip to train, a tough training session – well upmost respect for those guys. It was an honor for them to play for there province and it is an honor for them to represent their people and region. I will touch on this later in a most mind blowing experience 5 minutes before we left the changing room later.

Saturday and Sunday went by with the usual flurry of pre international team in town. But obviously the demonstrations had hit the news and the Otago game was going to be targeted like all of them I guess. But in my scene so to speak it was the buzz of your mates and people that were proud of you and you wanted to repay that by playing well and preparing well.

Monday night the country boys that could came into town and stayed at the Hotel The shoreline usually however I am not sure on that particular night. We met at the hotel on Tuesday morning. Tucked into a good breaky and then the team talk. We had taxis and then this is when it hit home. Please escorts to the ground! I jumped in with a couple of the players I in the middle as the back squashed between to other senior members and during the short drive, I found it hard to not notice the effort to get us there and to keep demonstrators away. Big yellow Jumbo bins lined the way Police all over the place some waving at us. and fans that had wind that the police escorted taxis were us were waving and I felt guilty in not waving back and my colleagues were not and focused on the game!

When we arrived at Carisbrooke it was like a military operation police at the back entrance and we were rushed into the Stand …….Wow that was exciting I thought  and we made our way to the changing rooms, about 50 minutes to go.

The atmosphere was mind blowing for someone that has not experienced it before. Maybe not for those that had played at this level Neil, Ken, Wayne, Paul etc even Dirk and Dean both only 20 years of age were calm concentrated and focused like veterans. I just kept my mouth shut and observed. A bit like a caddy for a golfer, unless asked, keep up and shut up.

There is a warm up area under the stands and I don’t think we used that area such was the intense bottleneck situation I later experienced with a changing room stretch and build up.

I was so buzzed out watching everyone else prepare and then with 5 minutes left and some final words from Lee it was just the fifteen players and that is when the whole atmosphere changed, it was like shit this is for real. This is the stuff you read and hear about.

I was ready to go but thought I would read some of the telegrams that had arrived for me. Wrong thing to do…. Ken said ‘Huddy on your fucking feet!’ I scrambled the telegrams into my bag and the players got in a huddle. This is it I was feeding off the players and it is the closest I can imagine preparing for war it was more than electric it was atomic, it was dying for the province your country your family and people, your culture. I looked in the eyes of my team mates and they were looking at mine I don’t know what they saw but I hope it was what I saw in there’s. Total commitment, Total beyond anything you have committed before, and could not help but feed off the potent bravery and anything goes but stay in the blue zone! And then it took another level Otago pride, tears of pride and aggression amid everything else associated with preparation to do anything to win no matter who the opponents or enemy are!

We walked out the door and at the same time the Springboks came out of there changing room and we met in the middle at the tunnel. Don’t look and in retrospect though I wasn’t I thought shit they are big!

I looked out and could see the packed terraces and was thinking play well for your team, family, friends and those that wish the team well.

Kick off, they to us, first impression was the Africana language loud and authorative, almost bullying as they ran at us and reminded me of Germans in movies during the Second World War on a patrol and clearing out a house searching for something, in this case the Ball.

I remember the scramble from us to protect the pill from the baddies!! Stick together!

 

TBC.

 

These opinions are strictly those of the writer and are thoughts that are remembered from back 40 years ago. Some of these have obviously changed over the years.