KeithQuinnRugby
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You are here: Home » News Comment » Would Gareth Anscombe Make it into a 'NZ-Welsh' team? He might!
21 January 2015
On hearing the news that Gareth Anscombe, the former New Zealand Under-20 international, had been included in the first Welsh training squad in the 2015 Rugby World Cup year, got me thinking. While it's sad that New Zealand has lost yet another player to a country off shore it is something we have all had to live with.
The thing is, Anscombe has gone 'first' to Wales to try for a start to his international career. Most of the other top All Blacks who have had time in Wales made the transfer towards the end of their playing days. To cash in - I think the term is!
I only had to flick around a few websites for a few moments - and from my own memory bank - to come up with a more than useful All Black team of relatively recent years who have all had 'reasonably extensive' experience of playing professional club rugby in Wales; (I have put Gareth Anscombe's name in an imaginary 'Welsh-New Zealand team here, as I feel sure the young man, given time, would have come through and had time with the All Blacks.)
Actually when you look at this list he sits in good company...but now he is gone forever. A big rugby decision has been taken by him.
So how's this for a good All Black's 'Welsh' team; Ben Blair (Cardiff Blues), Jonah Lomu (Cardiff Blues), Casey Laulala (Cardiff Blues), Regan King (Llanelli Scarlets), Gareth Anscombe (Cardiff Blues), Shane Howarth (Cardiff), Justin Marshall (Ospreys); Xavier Rush (Cardiff Blues), Filo Tiatia (Ospreys), Simon Maling (Llanelli Scarlets), Jarrad Hoeata (Cardiff Blues), Marty Holah (Ospreys), Campbell Johnstone (Ospreys), Tom Willis (Newport Gwent Dragons) and Dave Hewett (Llanelli Scarlets)
On the reserves bench would be players of real quality like; Ofisa Tonu'u (Newport Gwent Dragons), Jerry Collins (Ospreys) and Aled de Malmanche (Cardiff Blues).
Of the above only Hewett had minimal time with a Welsh club team; there are others of true original New Zealand extraction and who were internationals (after playing for Wales) who could have been considered too; Like Hemi Taylor (A Maori who captained Wales in the 1990s), Dale McIntosh (another NZ born Maori who had 454 games for Pontypridd and was capped by the Welsh too); while Brett Sinkinson, Sonny Parker and Matt Cardy were also all capped after good provincial careers in New Zealand.
The coaching staff of this imaginary team could of course bring together the 'old firm' of Graham Henry and Steve Hansen. And Warren Gatland might have a say as well!!
The question is; have I left anyone of significance out of my team?
Your comments to kqrugby@hotmail.co.nz
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The first All Black tour of South Africa is squared.
With South Africa leading the 4-match test series 2-1, NZ had to win this game in Cape Town. They did by 13-5.
Guy’s Hospital and England
1 international for England 1906
Arnold Alcock was a ‘one cap wonder’ whose one game for his country came about in rather unusual circumstances.
Alcock was a useful enough club player for Guy’s Hospital who, it is insisted, never had aspirations at all of becoming an international. Imagine his surprise when he received in the mail an official invitation to play for his country against the touring 1906–07 Springbok team.
Alcock was initially shocked but then felt honoured and on the great day of the game he duly turned up at Twickenham all set to play. Upon seeing him, the secretary of the Rugby Union realised that the man before him was not the man the selectors had thought they were getting. Apparently they had chosen L.A.N. Slocock of Liverpool, and only by a typing error did Alcock receive his invitation to play. By then, of course, it was too late to summon Slocock from the north, so Alcock took the field for England. By all accounts he played sensibly and tolerably well. However, it was not a major surprise when Alcock was not invited to play for England again. Slocock was. In fact, Slocock went on to play the next eight internationals.
Arnold Alcock later had a distinguished association with the Gloucester club, for which he was president for nearly 50 years.
If there were a New Zealand rugby NPC State-of-Origin contest, which province would Grant Fox play for?
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