KeithQuinnRugby
Thinking and talking about rugby every day for 50+ years
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10 August 2014
Sunday night on the couch at around half past eight at my place has always been a bit of a ritual. Its always been the time to settle back and enjoy 'quality theatre' on New Zealand's TV1. This last weekend having a film about a familiar and warm rugby memory for New Zealanders in that timeslot might have been a risk. But 'The Kick' was a delight. I never moved for its near two-hour duration. Read more »
I always travel with a notebook to jot down the hard case or significant sporting stories I hear. My thinking is - 'these are too good to lose.' This website is a perfect place for me to publish them. Read more »
*Your website editor has been chosen to commentate on rugby's return to the SummerB Olympic Programme, in Rio de Janeiro in August 2016. His commentaries on the sevens will be part of the host broadcaster coverage for OBS (Olympic Broadcasting Service) the official broadcast TV outlet of the IOC. This will be my tenth Summer Olympic Games. I am publishing here my personal stories and memories of the previous nine Games I have been to. Read here...* Read more »
1 May 2014
This Just in: May 2014; Sad news that one of the veterans of the 1955 and 1959 British Lions Rugby teams, the tough and rugged prop forward Hughie McLeod, had passed away. McLeod a great job in the scrums on two long tours of South Africa then New Zealand and Australia over 55 years ago. Read more »
2 May 2014
This Just In; May 2014; Of course you could say it was 'logical' that Adam Whitelock would go on to become an All Black. Yes he has great form and talent in the 15 aside game. He has shown that for years. But those same skills meant it was only right and rational that Sir Gordon Tietjens would eventually use them and put Adam into his 'Sevens All Blacks' for the last two tournaments of the 2014 IRB World Sevens Series. Read more »
Your comments to me at kqrugby@hotmail.co.nz[mailto:kqrugby@hotmail.co.nz] Read more »
*This Ten Questions idea is to ask a leading rugby personality; either a player, from the the media or an administrator some questions which may prompt a response from them which we have not heard of before;* Read more »
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Bob Barber ended his time with the All Blacks in Australia and Fiji; in his last four starting games he was no.8, flanker, lock and prop.
SCOTLAND, KEN
Heriot’s FP, Leicester, and Scotland
27 internationals for Scotland 1957–65
5 internationals for British Isles 1959
A brilliant runner and tactical wizard of Scottish rugby, Kenneth Scotland became much more than the man who played for the country of his name. He was a player who was years; decades even, ahead of his time. As a rugby country, New Zealand in particular could not believe his style of play when he toured there with the British Isles in 1959. Only with the advantage of hindsight was Ken Scotland recognised as being a rugby genius.
Ken Scotland eventually equaled the Scottish record for caps won by a fullback (25 caps, along with Dan Drysdale), but he could cope in any position in the backline. He was a scrumhalf too, (playing two important games in that position in New Zealand for the Lions in 1959). He was also flyhalf (two caps when captaining Scotland in 1963) and a centre (two games for the Lions in 1959, including the fourth test won at Auckland).
Only slightly built, he was a running fullback years before Andy Irvine, Serge Blanco, David Campese and others revolutionised that previously ‘steady’ position. Ken Scotland set new standards as a counter-attacker and back line intruder, and did it superbly.
New Zealanders in particular marvelled at his running brilliance. In the first match of the Lions tour he showed Kiwi fans what he’d been showing British crowds for a couple of years. Scotland ran in three successive tries from fullback against Hawkes Bay in the tour opener and scored 10 tries in all on tour.
Scotland was also an innovative goal-kicker. Though he could kick straight-on using the toe, he also experimented successfully with the round-the-corner style and was one of the first players anywhere to perfect the method. He was also expert at drop-kicking for goal.
He was educated at George Heriot’s School in Edinburgh, one of a series of international fullbacks to emerge from that school (including Dan Drysdale and Andy Irvine). Scotland made his international debut against France in Paris in 1957, scoring all the points for his side as it won 6–0. It was the first time in 19 years that a Scot had achieved such a feat.
He suffered a loss of form in 1958 but by 1959 was back in favour and in the Lions team on tour ‘down under’. From then he was a first choice for his country until 1963. His last international was against France in 1965.
What age was Gareth Edwards when he became the world’s youngest test captain?
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