KeithQuinnRugby
Thinking and talking about rugby every day for 50+ years
You are here: Home » Two ex-Wellington Athletes meet on Neutral Ground and Find Lots to Talk About.
21 September 2014
A story here which probably means nothing much except for two old Kiwi mates having a bit of fun. And one of them, an old commentator indulging in skiting just a wee bit....! Before being straightend out!
I had a call at home the other night from the 1974 Commonwealth Games 10,000 metres athletics gold medallist Dick Tayler. He's a top bloke and a good mate of mine since those far off days of yore. Here in 2014 Dick passes himself off as a Cantabrian through and through but I always rib him that I definitely know otherwise.
Basically it goes like this; I will always remind Dick that when he won his great Gold Medal he was not running then as a New Zealand rep athlete out of Christchurch with their Red-and-Black Canterbury colours. Nor was he even as a Green-and-Black from his birthplace in South Canterbury! That's because in 1974 Dick was living in Marlborough and as the Marlborough Amateur Athletics Association was then affiliated to the Gold-and-Blacks of my home province of Wellington when Dick was picked to go to the Christchurch Games for his great success he went as part of the Wellington squad to join the New Zealand team.
Ha! Good on yer Dick, y'er one of us!
The two of us have had a lot of fun with our more then slightly obscure gag over the years! Everyone thinks Dick is a long time Cantabrian - and maybe he is now - but factually in his greatest hour he was a Wellingtonian.
But back to the phone call to my place. When Dick calls for a yarn he never introduces himself he just starts talking. But his voice is distinctive and his manner is always cheery. So the other night he opened with a question; "I'm sitting here in a bar with two South Canterbury originals who played their sport to international level for their country and are often thought to be Wellingtonians - but they're not actually! Who do you reckon is here?'
I paused only for about four seconds. Then said quietly down the line....'..OK, one of you is YOU Dick ... and how is Tom?' I said.
I swear I almost heard the phone drop; that was followed by a muffled voice saying 'I knew he'd be onto you Tom! He got you straight away!'
In truth I just took a wild guess. Of course I knew one of the two would have been the Timaru-born Dick Tayler himself. He has always been proud of his origins in South Canterbury but I love his link to Wellington.
But to identify the other man present from my memory-bank which still can surprise me - I instantly made a South Canterbury-Wellington sports connection to the 1968-71 All Blacker Tom Lister. I was correct so Tom was called onto the line and we had a good yarn for a couple of minutes. Mostly about the good old days.
Tom was a terrific player. A loping flanker of great intelligence who came to Wellington to play for the Athletic Rugby Club after three impressive early seasons for his local province. He quickly fitted into a tough loose forward combination with two other top Wellington players of the 1960s, Andy Leslie and Graham Williams. All three became heroes of a young commentator. And all became All Blacks.
Down the line Tom then put me nicely in my place. The proud skiter in me had assumed from memory that having been in Wellington for three seasons 1965-67 that Tom had progressed to the All Blacks from the high standards of play he would have found in the Capital.
'No way,' said Tom, 'The All Black selectors wouldn't look at me until I decided to go south again. After 1967 I went back to much smaller Timaru but the next thing I'm off on the 1968 tour to Australia. And I got all my tours, tests and matches over the next four seasons as a South Canterburian - and never from Wellington!'
I was chastised (in a very kind way) and the conversation ended a short time later.
The story I relate to you here as nothing more than one of the nice things that can happen through men getting together and yarning. There's always something you forget or misplace in your mind. But rugby can still conjoin old mates. Sport does that.
So Wellington fans of a certain age; by all means we can claim Dick Tayler as one of ours - but not the great Tom Lister! He remains a proud All Black, but only out of Timaru and South Canterbury. Just ask the locals down there - including broadcaster John McBeth. He's actually been reminding me of the Lister facts for decades now. I should have listening more closely!
....
Comments 0
40,000 fans welcome popular Manu Samoa onto Eden Park but NZ wins 35-13.
EALES, JOHN
Queensland and Australia
86 internationals for Australia 1991-2001
One of Australian rugby’s most recognizable and powerful rugby personalities, the modest, lanky Queenslander John Eales had a career at the top which spanned more than a decade and included playing in three World Cups. That in itself is a superb achievement but when the winning of the World Cup twice, as well as being captain once, are added in, his world status is further elevated.
John Eales was a 21 year old in just his second season of senior football when he played his first test on his home ground of Ballymore in Brisbane, against Wales in July of 1991. The Wallabies won 63-6 and followed that with a 40-15 win six days later in the second test in Sydney. A fortnight later and young Eales had outjumped the fast-rising New Zealand lock forward Ian Jones as Australia stormed to a 21-12.
The speed of his rise continued. By November that year he had played a World Cup final and after only being an international player for just a week over three months he had shared in the 12-6 win over England at Twickenham.
In many respects his career never looked back from that heady start. His play, as a tall leaping lock forward was always strong and authoritative, his goal-kicking from the lock forward position was often a real bonus to his Queensland and Australian teams. One time, early in his career, in a Brisbane club game, he let fly with a dropped goal attempt from half way. The ball flew high and true between the posts. The modest Eales dismissed the kick as if it were nothing. When he took over the captaincy of his country he was almost as laconic in accepting the honour. Not that Eales wasn’t proud, he was quietly delighted. He took to leadership as if to the manner born. It brought out in himself an ability to also bring quiet influence, confidence and respect from his teammates. A number of seasoned Australian writers rate him among their very best captains of all time. Those same writers say he is the best forward that country has ever produced.
Certainly as a player Eales was a true utility, playing in more than one position in the forward pack, (lock and number eight forward) yet he was also a multi-skilled performer around the field. He had such talent that somewhere on one of his journeys one of his mates called him ‘Nobody’ but it was not a reference to his quiet and shy manner. The name was a shortened version of ‘nobody’s perfect.’ The name was a backhanded compliment to his rare gifts.
John Eales played everywhere in the rugby world and, as already listed, had probably more success than any other player. By the time he reached the 1999 Rugby World Cup he was one of the most familiar faces of the world game. But retirement was looming. He had only reached the final’s series after a long and careful buildup recovering from a shoulder injury. But he played the World Cup with more than his usual authority and vigour; at one point it the final against Wales in Cardiff he demanded of the referee; Andre Watson of South Africa, that he should look closely at the tactics of the French players; ‘if you do not look at their foul play I will take my team off the field.’ Coming from Eales it was absolute that something was going on.
When the Wallabies won by the resounding margin of 35-12 John Eales took the Cup from Queens Elizabeth II and held it high. Though he played on for one more season that was the summit of his superb career.
His total of 86 test matches was then a Wallaby record for a forward; only the winger David Campese had played more. (Only Tim Horan and Jason Little were also in two World Cup winning teams; but does Eales being captain in one final just lift him a little higher?)
Which prominent New Zealand rugby personality admits having become slightly besotted by the British Theatre Production 'Les Miserables?'
What do you think?
Click here to show the answer.
You cannot post comments until you have logged in.
Login Here or Click Here to Register.