All blacks seek Warm-up

[rowan]

Strange, I don't remeber him playing for the Tahs or Aussie 7s, but that was all during my rugby journalism days when I was actually covering Super Rugby for the press. Perhaps the old memory is fading . . .

[Lizard]

Oh, thanks for answering that one for me. I missed the original post. Yes, they were the All Blacks even if they didn't deem the internationals worthy of official test status. They racked up a ton in the first test but were held to a 74-0 scoreline in the second. That was in the days of 4 point tries. There was a very promising winger from Wellington in the side, Paul Simonsson, scored 7 tries in two games, but I can't recall anything about his career after that point. Was he part of the exodus to league that decimated the province toward the end of the amateur era? Great shame...

Wellington? He might have played a few matches for them but he was originally and mostly a Waikato man.

[rowan]

True, though I believe he popped up in the capital due to a transfer within the police force. He was also playing lower division in Wellington club rugby for some reason. Sadly that was the year I spent in Australia playing league, or else I might just about have ended up playing against him. I encountered a number of representative players during my undistinguished rugby union career, but can't claim to have ever been on the same pitch as an All Black - present, past or future.

My brother was in the same team as Ofisa Tonu'u at Rongotai College, however.

[Lizard]

I have just 10 minutes ago, no shit, received an email from Ofisa Tonu'u regarding a match this weekend for our Prezzies grade team. (To be fair, I only played once last year and haven't even registered this season.)

[Lizard]

Kevin Senio is also in the team.

[rowan]

Small world! I interviewed Ofisa Tonu'u once, before he'd even made the Wellington team, and he told me his ambition was to play for the All Blacks. It was all I could do to prevent myself from breaking into hysterical laughter, because my brother reckoned he'd been a cry-baby at school. His older brother Hemi played the odd game for the rep side back then and was undoubtedly the fattest player ever to don the number 9 jersey for the province

[zer0]

Yes, they did. They played a 5 match tour, including two matches against the national Japanese team. Japan awarded caps but the All Blacks did not, despite being basically at full strength.

Fair enough. Highlights the perils of using stats guru, I guess. My apologies, Rowan.

[rowan]

No worries. I'm sure glad I remembered that much though.

[Lizard]

Yes, they did. They played a 5 match tour, including two matches against the national Japanese team. Japan awarded caps but the All Blacks did not, despite being basically at full strength.

Fair enough. Highlights the perils of using stats guru, I guess. My apologies, Rowan.

These matches are in statsguru. The key is to enter the capped side as the primary team and the uncapped as the oppo. Putting "New Zealand" as the oppo will pick up "NZ XV" matches as well, but not if you put them as the primary team.