KeithQuinnRugby
Thinking and talking about rugby every day for 50+ years
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Favourite Photos: People, places and stories from around the rugby world
From my travels I have collected many photos; had them sent to me or saved them, because, well, behind most of them there is a good story!
Why Can't they have games like this any more?
4 January 2015
I know this is technically not a 'favourite photo' - but I love it all the same. I can't resist putting this programme cover up on site from my home collection. I do it under the heading of 'will we ever see games like this EVER again in modern rugby?" (ie; a real 'minnow' rugby union against a rugby 'powerhouse.') This classic was from the 1968 All Blacks tour of Australia. It was the second game of a 12 match tour and New Zealand won 74-0. Read more »
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A picture from the day when one All Black totally shocked the conservative New Zealand radio audience!
31 December 2014
Look at the picture here of the famous day (or was it infamous?) when an All Black uttered an expletive on the air which shocked the radio audience at home - but delighted them too! Confused? View the picture then click on 'Favourite Sports Yarns' on the front page to read the full background story. You'll smile at the way we were! Read more »
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South African Rugby Sure Got Carried Away with this Picture's caption!
27 December 2014
This favourite of mine is from the 'Bizarre' file. It is from a match programme of the 1986 Rebel Cavaliers tour of South Africa. I guess the desperate and isolated South Africans when they saw Pinetree and Kirky in charge - with Foxy, Buck, the Whettons, Andy Haden, Jock Hobbs and all the other current best New Zealand players slip into their country, thought they had the 'All Blacks' on tour. But they had not! This team defied the then 'current' official NZRU and Government stance against sporting contact with Apartheid South Africa. (Silly me; I called this team the 'Cava-liars') This is now the tour that no one ever talks about. It is consigned to its dodgy place in New Zealand rugby history. Remember? This team played four full 'tests' against the Springboks who awarded their players full cap status. [One dictionary meaning of the word 'cavalier' is; offhand, indifferent and showing a lack of proper concern.] That certainly applies still. *{Now scroll down here for other favourite rugby photos I have kept over the years!]* Read more »
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This Game is nicknamed in New Zealand rugby history 'The Water Polo test.' Here you can see why!
Onto the field they come for the 'Water Polo' test; New Zealand v Scotland in Auckland 1975.
17 December 2014
What a day this was. Look at the water! It had rained so hard overnight at Eden Park the Auckland Rugby Union phoned the local radio station 1ZB and said to the public - 'even if you've got tickets - don't come.' They added, ' - the streets are flooded, the car parks are under water and the 48-hour rainstorm is not scheduled to stop!' But 45,000 fans said - No way!' They wanted to see the All Blacks play (maybe because New Zealand was wearing white jerseys?). The game went ahead and the All Blacks scored 4 converted tries for a 24-0 win. Scotland were lucky to get zero! Afterwards the All Black prop Billy Bush said with relief, 'thank goodness the referee (Peter McDavitt of Wellington) blew up any collapsed scrums quickly - someone could have drowned!' Never a truer word spoken! *(Scroll down here - and on other pages here - for more of my favourite rugby photographs)* Read more »
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Found; An old programme reminding Australia of a horror rugby day.
7 December 2014
Isn't it amazing what you sometimes find in a box of old 'stuff' at your place. This is one such piece of rugby memorabilia. Read more »
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What Would Today's Players Think of This?
4 December 2014
Close your eyes and think of the green lawns of Twickenham, or Eden Park, or Ellis Park - or anywhere in modern times where test rugby is played. You would NEVER see mud like this. All you see these days is serried lines of mown greenery. Read more »
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Every day there is Rugby History 31 August 1971
Click to show The date of death for an AB who took his farm horse off to war in Palestine.
James 'Buster' Barrett, in his time the lightest AB forward, went to WWI in 1915 with the Auckland Mounted Rifles division. His horse was trained for war while away but never saw any action and never returned.
A-Z of Rugby
Click to show FARR-JONES, NICK
FARR-JONES, NICK
New South Wales and Australia
63 internationals for Australia 1984–93
As captain of the superb Wallaby World Cup-winning team of 1991, Nick Farr-Jones became one of the best-known men of modern rugby. His authority as a player and captain was crowned when he received the cup at Twickenham from Queen Elizabeth II and held it high for the rugby world to see. For Farr-Jones the 12–6 win over England was a culmination of a long pursuit of success for him and Australian rugby. Looking back, it can be seen that his career was regularly signposted with success, and not just in 1991.
Two significant records tumbled for him in 1990. First, in his seventh season as the Wallaby halfback, he took over from the great John Hipwell as Australia’s most-capped player in that vital position. He also became Australia’s most-capped captain, the World Cup final being his 31st appearance as team leader. And he and his partner Michael Lynagh cruised past John Rutherford and Roy Laidlaw’s old record for most tests together for any country as a scrumhalf–flyhalf combination.
Nick Farr-Jones made his first tour to Fiji in 1984 and played his first test on Twickenham against England. He was an immediate success, and in combination with Mark Ella played a vital role in the Wallaby team that went on to win a Grand Slam over British countries. Two years later he helped Australia win the Bledisloe Cup in New Zealand.
The elegant yet aggressive style of Farr-Jones marked him as one of the world’s most significant modern players. He was possessed of a slick pass (in the Australian scrumhalf tradition of men who had gonr before him; Cyril Burke, Des Connor, Ken Catchpole and John Hipwell), he was a fast and explosive runner, and had a wide tactical knowledge of the game (including the best ways to exploit the blindside). His strength and fitness, enthusiasm and popularity among his fellow players, not to mention his from-the-front style of captaincy made him one of Australia’s best of all time. Many critics also considered him, in his time, the world’s best halfback. Injury around Rugby World Cup time in 1987 restricted his appearances and performances in that series.
Farr-Jones took over the captaincy of Australia in 1988 and although Wallaby teams under his leadership lost a number of series and games, his own form did not diminish. He could count numerous successes as captain, including the World Cup final of course, plus beating England in Australia in two tests in 1988, and beating Scotland, France and New Zealand at least once on their home soil in a little over 18 months.
Nick Farr-Jones also made a tremendous contribution to Australian rugby by his personal example. He has always been a learned rugby thinker and an eloquent speaker. In the face of the enormous popularity of rugby league in Australia he has always represented his game with true style.
After his career as a player was over he also made a significant contribution as a TV commentator and in local politics and business.
10 Questions to well known sporting people
Today's KQ Rugby Quiz
Why did the Wallaby rugby team only practice in the afternoons at the 1987 Rugby World Cup?
What do you think?
Click here to show the answer.