KeithQuinnRugby
Thinking and talking about rugby every day for 50+ years
You are here: Home » News Comment » Here - Get This! keithquinnrugby.com selects a 'Pom' All Black team!
6 November 2014
ALL BLACK'S "ENGLISH" TEAM
The experience of motoring around Britain certainly is fun. Our two coach loads on the Williment Sport supporter’s tour are 80 or so friendly Kiwis who are having a great time. But Keith Quinn and Dave Loveridge, in their roles as tour leaders, have been putting the travelers to the test. As we sit around chattering or motor along we ask the supporters with their deep and abiding knowledge of All Black history to come up with an All Black team which might, in a funny way, confirm our country’s strong links back to England.
In other weeks I will publish here the 'All Black's Scottish' team and the 'All Blacks Welsh XV' all chosen from surnames which refer to those places.
Perhaps!
With regard to the 'English All Blacks' we did insists on a selection criterion; The most common All Black surname is Wilson, right? The most common English surnames in their society are Smith and Taylor - and Jeremy Thrush's surname sounds English! So we have chosen our 'Pommy' All Blacks team thus;
Backs: Ben Smith, Bruce Smith, Conrad Smith, George Smith, JB 'Johnny' Smith, Wayne Smith, Aaron Smith (A complete 'Smith's' backline.)
Forwards; Glenn Taylor, A.J 'Ranji' Wilson, Murray Wills, Alan Smith, Jeremy Thrush, Hec Wilson, Norm Wilson and Brett Wilson
A good NZ team I hope you'll agree - perhaps you have other 'English' All Blacks to send to kqrugby@hotmail.co.nz for us to consider.
.....
Comments 0
The All Blacks beat Wales 19-0 in Swansea; with, they said, one point scored for every year they had waited to avenge Wales's controversial 3-0 win in 1905.
BAIRD, ROGER
Kelso and Scotland
27 internationals for Scotland 1981–88
4 internationals for British Isles 1983
A winger who might be best remembered by statisticians as the man who played for Scotland in 27 tests but never managed to score a try.
The baby-faced Baird, a former schools scrumhalf and an expert in the sevens game, was blessed with many talents. He was fast and elusive, and although slightly built, he had courage beyond his size. His speed was real: he once cleaned up three Scottish Borders track and field titles in one afternoon.
As a try-scorer, Baird had impressive credentials at every level other than for Scotland in test matches. His total of tries for the South of Scotland was a record, and he scored many in sevens rugby, including at the Melrose Sevens and on trips to the Hong Kong tournament.
Baird did have one test try-scoring moment but it was for the British Isles in New Zealand in 1983 in the third test in Dunedin.
Players with the surnames of Jones, Williams and Thomas when added together made up how many players in the Welsh squad at the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia?
What do you think?
Click here to show the answer.
You cannot post comments until you have logged in.
Login Here or Click Here to Register.