Full Marks Go To Waratahs For Making Schoolboy Fans' Day
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday May 2, 2003
ABC rugby caller Jim Maxwell sent us this snap of Sir Garfield Sobers's putting style. And Sir Garfield's golfing partner is not NSW Rugby Union chairman Dilip Kumar.
If the Waratahs need a motivational tool to beat the Highlanders tomorrow night, they have only to remember a group of Perth schoolboys who visited them this week. The Aquinas College rugby team were so desperate to see the Waratahs they embarked on a Burke and Wills-style trek to reach the NSW training session at Narrabeen on Monday. They left their hotel at Cronulla, taking the train to Central. After seeing the sights of Sydney, they took the ferry to Manly. Then a bus to Narrabeen. Their cross-town adventure did not stop there, as they had to walk from the Narrabeen shops to the fitness camp about five kilometres. Six hours all up. Then they had to do it all again in the opposite direction to get home before midnight. To the Waratahs' credit, they made the schoolboys welcome, staying behind for at least half-an-hour to talk to the students. The Waratahs often get sledged, but they deserve full credit for greeting the young trekkers with open arms.
Lucky Jim's tee time
ABC rugby and cricket commentator Jim Maxwell has been on the mojo wire, providing Ruck and Maul with all the latest from the West Indies' cricket tour. He reports that rugby is big in Barbados, with copious amounts of Banks beer the favourite after-match sustenance of the three local clubs. Maxwell has been psyching up for his return to calling the club footy by hobnobbing with the greats at the Sir Garfield Sobers' Legends golf day this week. It was part of the West Indies' National Heroes Day. As Maxwell reports: ``Sir Garfield is one of the few living ones able to celebrate the moment."
Local hero
At the Sydney-Queensland A match at Concord Oval last Sunday there was a bigger roar when the visitors ran onto the field than for the locals. The reason? They had come from everywhere to cheer Penrith prop Pete Nuimata, who has been playing with the Reds this season. More than 50 of Nuimata's extended family were there to support their favourite son. Ruck and Maul gladly responded when asked to take a photo of the family gathering outside the Queensland A dressing room. Ruck and Maul almost had to walk back 10 metres to get everyone in the shot.
Running the gauntlet
All the 2003 World Cup managers are in Sydney for a conference, and several have been telling extraordinary stories. Namibian manager Robert Alexander has been fascinating colleagues with strange tales of how their team got through a tense play-off with Tunisia. When the team arrived in Tunis, they were detained at the airport for almost two hours. They then had to pay money to get their passports back, before leaving the terminal where they were spat on by locals. Onto the team bus, to be pelted with eggs and rotten tomatoes, before arriving at their training venue. Not much fun at training either, as the bus took off before they could gather their playing gear. Somehow they survived the experience, and will now play Australia in pool A. And the Uruguay manager Daniel Herrera's great, great grandfather was the man who brought the vine from Spain which started Uruguay's wine industry. Beat that for rah-rah trivia.
Birds of a feather
One scribe got his marching orders when he approached Nathan Blacklock after the Penrith club game last weekend, and asked why the former Kangaroo winger had just wasted his Saturday playing for the Emus. A burly Penrith front-rower, standing next to Blacklock, was less than impressed with what he heard. ``F.... off, he's playing with his mates," the front-rower yelled. The scribe got the message, and soon departed.
In at the death
The ground announcer at Coogee Oval had the crowd in stitches last weekend. During the second half, he began what was assumed to be a general message to tell people to stay off the ground after full-time. ``At the final whistle," he said, pausing for five seconds before continuing: ``remember Simplicity Funerals."
Rumours of the week
We've heard of shenanigans at Bankstown pool involving a Ruck and Maul regular, a beach towel, his mother-in-law and a jockey. And who was the sometime representative Shute Shield back who woke up after a big night out with the boys last week and in a bleary state of mind thought he had got lucky? He leant over, eager for a good morning kiss only to discover he had his tongue in the ear of a back-rower who had crashed with him for the night.
Quote of the week
`He's a team leader so he should be leading from the front instead of just talking up a good game. Right now, it's as if he's just waiting around for the World Cup to start, which is pretty unprofessional'
TOUTAI KEFU hitting former Springbok skipper Bobby Skinstad right between
the eyes
SUPER 12 STANDINGS
P W D L F A BP Pts
BLUES 9 8 - 1 331 159 7 39
H'CANES 9 7 - 2 280 220 6 34
CRUSADERS 9 6 - 3 279 229 7 31
H'LANDERS 9 6 - 3 241 191 3 27
Brumbies 9 5 - 4 302 258 5
25
Waratahs 9 4 - 5 268 307 6 22
Bulls 9 4 - 5 267 312 5 21
Stormers 9 4 - 5 215 282 2 18
Sharks 9 3 - 6 212 260 5 17
Reds 9 3 - 6 231 282 5 17
Chiefs 9 2 - 7 248 265 6 16
Cats 9 2 - 7 229 338 4 12
LEADING GOALKICKERS
Team Goals %
K Tsimba Cats 10/11 91
L Koen Bulls 42/48 88
J Roff Brumbies 35/42 83
G Jackson Chiefs 17/21 81
R Flutey Hurricanes 16/20 80
S Mortlock Brumbies 12/15 80
LEADING POINTS-SCORERS
Team T Con G* Tot
W Walker Highlanders 2 11 34 130
L Koen Bulls 0 17 32 130
J Roff Brumbies 6 24 12 114
A Pretorius Cats 3 12 24 111
C Spencer Blues 2 21 16 100
E Flatley Reds 2 15 20 100
* includes drop goals
LEADING TRY-SCORERS
Eight: R Caucaunibuca, D Howlett (Blues)
Seven: C Cullen (Hurricanes)
Six: J Roff (Brumbies), R McCaw (Crusaders)
Five: A Walker (Brumbies), C Ralph, M Vunibaka (Crusaders), M Nonu (Hurricanes),
A Snyman (Sharks), L Tuqiri (Waratahs)
THE TREND
29 tries scored in round 10; 36 tries (round nine); 51 tries (round eight); 30
tries (round seven); 28 tries (round six); 44 tries (round five); 32 tries
(round four); 42 tries (round three); 41 (round two); 28 (round one).
© 2003 Sydney Morning Herald
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