Sports Fans... the US just played the All Blacks in Chigaco!

[LaraOnline]

My husband is an absolute rugby nut, over time I have of course absorbed a small appreciation for the game - hard men, hard game.
So it was interesting to hear that the best team in the world, New Zealand's All Blacks, were headed to the US to play!
HOpefully my man has taped the game so I can watch. They played last night my time.

Apparently US commentary is the 'special sauce' that makes the game even more appealing!

http://www.news.com.au/sport/rugby/us-public-react-hilariously-to-nuts-and-intense-all-blacks-rugby-test/story-fndpt9s1-1227109897415

 

[movie zombie]

Re: Sports Fans... the US just played the All Blacks in Chig

rugby is a real game! forget that thing we have called the NFL.......
and the All Blacks is a great team!

 

[LaraOnline]

Re: Sports Fans... the US just played the All Blacks in Chig

There's a replay tomorrow (my time) on our cable service Foxtel...
apparently the commentary spends a lot of time explaining the rules, which is great for someone like me, as I scarcely know what is going on.
It is an extremely tough game though, played without protective gear apart from mouth guards and tape.
The young players can look 15 years older due to the constant knocks to the face.

A few of the players wear light little head covers in an attempt to protect their ears, which can get very cauliflowered from the game.

 

[jordyonbass]

Re: Sports Fans... the US just played the All Blacks in Chig

movie zombie,

The All Blacks are the New Zealand national team and undoubtedly have been the best team in the world for at least the last 10 years, most NZ citizens would choose Rugby over oxygen if they had to. My father is from NZ and has trained me to believe the same lol

LaraOnline,

It's much easier and more free-flowing than NFL in my opinion! If you want to see one of the most amazing guys that have ever played the game, search 'Jonah Lomu' on Youtube. Tongan by background but raised in NZ, 6'5, 280lb with no fat, played on the wing where the smallest, fastest guys on the field usually played. He was like a demolition tank that could run an Olympic-qualifying 100m dash. So sad that his career got cut short by a hereditary kidney disorder
And you're right about the knocks to the face, my years as a player have left me with a battered mug but legs like a body builders lol

 

[movie zombie]

Re: Sports Fans... the US just played the All Blacks in Chig

yep, I know the All Black team....but have only seen them play on a big screen. love their team building Haka Maori tradition as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewz__XYclnw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QC5w6wopmpg

and not to leave the Aussies out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdhrUKRdKM8

although married to an Aussie I didn't appreciate rugby until I the movie Invictus which gives the best bare bones description of the game that makes it all understandable.

 

[jordyonbass]

Re: Sports Fans... the US just played the All Blacks in Chig

movie zombie,

I have been to a couple of their live games, the 'Haka' is always the highlight for anyone. In the past there have been opposing teams that have disrespected the All Blacks as they were doing the Haka and what usually ensued was a rough, violent game where All Blacks opponents were going off the field with facial cuts, black eyes and smashed noses. The All Blacks don't take kindly to disrespect of their indigenous invitation to war!

I loved the movie Invicta and I loved Morgan Freeman in it as well, they couldn't have picked a better actor for the role of Mandella!

 

[klewis]

Re: Sports Fans... the US just played the All Blacks in Chig

A great game and a great team.

That haka performed by the All Blacks is the Ka Mate Haka and was composed by Te Rauparaha, chief of the Ngati Toa, whilst on the run and hiding from his enemies. Whenever I see or hear that haka performed, which is often, I think of the composer, Te Rauparaha.

Captain Stokes wrote in the diary of the ship Acheron after returning from Te Rauparaha's 'killing fields'.

"The demon devoured all his prisoners, himself tearing open the living mother and holding the half-formed embryo upon a pointed stick in the flames to be afterwards devoured"


In spite of the fact that the haka is quite a spectacle to watch I wouldn't be at all surprised if the All Blacks, who were the guests, had instructed the hosts exactly how they should behave during the performance. There's a cultural arrogance about it which, as a New Zealander, I dislike.

For more, this piece by Oliver Brown of the Telegraph is interesting.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ru...ly-more-than-a-circus-display-these-days.html

 

[AGBF]

Re: Sports Fans... the US just played the All Blacks in Chig

A great game and a great team.

That haka performed by the All Blacks is the Ka Mate Haka and was composed by Te Rauparaha, chief of the Ngati Toa, whilst on the run and hiding from his enemies. Whenever I see or hear that haka performed, which is often, I think of the composer, Te Rauparaha.

Captain Stokes wrote in the diary of the ship Acheron after returning from Te Rauparaha's 'killing fields'.

"The demon devoured all his prisoners, himself tearing open the living mother and holding the half-formed embryo upon a pointed stick in the flames to be afterwards devoured"


In spite of the fact that the haka is quite a spectacle to watch I wouldn't be at all surprised if the All Blacks, who were the guests, had instructed the hosts exactly how they should behave during the performance. There's a cultural arrogance about it which, as a New Zealander, I dislike.

For more, this piece by Oliver Brown of the Telegraph is interesting.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ru...ly-more-than-a-circus-display-these-days.html

Hi, klewis. I read the article to which you posted a link and also visited the links MZ put up. I am a novice to both rugby and the haka, but have been following both since this thread was started. While I was looking at YouTube videos of the haka being performed at rugby games, I stumbled upon this. It really gave me pause. This is certainly no sideshow, no one using the haka as entertainment as many have accused the All Blacks of doing when they now perform it before rugby games. (I did read that the tradition started long ago-I believe in 1888?-however-and was taken quite seriously then.)

I found this incredibly moving. The Haka performed by 200 soldiers at the funeral for three comrades who had been killed in Afghanistan in 2012...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5js6wPXec4

AGBF

 

[klewis]

Re: Sports Fans... the US just played the All Blacks in Chig

A great game and a great team.

That haka performed by the All Blacks is the Ka Mate Haka and was composed by Te Rauparaha, chief of the Ngati Toa, whilst on the run and hiding from his enemies. Whenever I see or hear that haka performed, which is often, I think of the composer, Te Rauparaha.

Captain Stokes wrote in the diary of the ship Acheron after returning from Te Rauparaha's 'killing fields'.

"The demon devoured all his prisoners, himself tearing open the living mother and holding the half-formed embryo upon a pointed stick in the flames to be afterwards devoured"


In spite of the fact that the haka is quite a spectacle to watch I wouldn't be at all surprised if the All Blacks, who were the guests, had instructed the hosts exactly how they should behave during the performance. There's a cultural arrogance about it which, as a New Zealander, I dislike.

For more, this piece by Oliver Brown of the Telegraph is interesting.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ru...ly-more-than-a-circus-display-these-days.html

Hi, klewis. I read the article to which you posted a link and also visited the links MZ put up. I am a novice to both rugby and the haka, but have been following both since this thread was started. While I was looking at YouTube videos of the haka being performed at rugby games, I stumbled upon this. It really gave me pause. This is certainly no sideshow, no one using the haka as entertainment as many have accused the All Blacks of doing when they now perform it before rugby games. (I did read that the tradition started long ago-I believe in 1888?-however-and was taken quite seriously then.)

I found this incredibly moving. The Haka performed by 200 soldiers at the funeral for three comrades who had been killed in Afghanistan in 2012...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5js6wPXec4

AGBF

I have never seen that video before and I too found that moving. Thank you.