 |
|
|
|
|
||||||
  
|
Do you remember when the North beat the mighty All Blacks?Twenty-one years ago this month an English provincial side produced one of the great rugby union performances of all time when they humbled a Test quality New Zealand team. When the North side was reunited recently, David Irvine found the memories still burn as brightly as ever Sunday 5 November 2000 guardian.co.uk
It seems hard to credit that such a sodden, miserable day - Yorkshire weather at its winter worst and the old market town of Otley at its greyest - could produce such a magical occasion, memories of which still resonate as strongly among Northern rugby enthusiasts 21 years on as they did two decades earlier.
To gauge just how special, it is worth remembering just how different rugby union was in those days. Then, as now, the All Blacks were the living embodiment of invincible power. But unlike now, their tours took months rather than weeks and would usually take the form of a series of regional or representative sides being ritually dispatched, while in the Tests, the international sides were almost as easily beaten. For a regional side to seriously trouble the New Zealanders, let alone beat them, was almost unthinkable. So does distance always lend enchantment to the events of 17 November, 1979? As one speaker after another rose at an unashamedly nostalgic anniversary dinner in Bradford recently, one really wondered. Years of reflection, years analysing memorable careers in context had not changed their belief one iota. When they proclaimed the day the North whipped the All Blacks 21-9 as the one they prized above all others, they meant it - from skipper Billy Beaumont, who went on to lead England to the Grand Slam before captaining the Lions in South Africa, to uncapped Tony Wright. John Carleton, whose outstanding achievements included 26 England caps and six Lions Test appearances, perhaps summed it up most succinctly. 'I got my first cap the week after, and obviously playing for England was a massive honour - becoming a Lion huge - but the timing of this and the significance of this probably, in hindsight, made it the greatest day of my rugby career.' Thirteen of the North's heroes - forwards Tony Neary and Jim Syddall were the only absentees - and coach Des Seabrook had been brought together by the Wooden Spoon Society for the reunion, sponsored by Yorkshire Ford Dealerships, and the Cedar Court Hotel was packed for an occasion that raised £10,000 for charity. Even without the moustaches six of them wore in 1979 - all trace of the Seabrook beard had also gone - they were instantly recognisable; most, like full-back Kevin O'Brien (who at 45 still coaches and occasionally plays for his old club Broughton Park) look remarkably fit. Television sets, strategically placed around the dining room, played a continuous loop of the match highlights - was it really that dark? - and seemed to hold a special fascination for Tony Bond, scorer of two of the North's four tries. Beaumont explained: 'According to the last count he now reckons he got 48!' Otley marked the only defeat New Zealand suffered on that 11-match tour - a week earlier it was worth noting they had beaten Scotland by four tries to nil - and there was no question of them fielding a below-strength side. Graham Mourie led them. Murray Mexted and Andy Haden - who also played in the All-Black side beaten by North-west Counties earlier - were among several world-class players in the pack while the back line included Stu Wilson, Mark Donaldson and Bernie Fraser. All told 11 of the side that lost to the North were in the All Black XV which defeated England 10-9 at Twickenham seven days later. That day the North contributed seven to England's lost cause. It should have been more - that was a recurring theme in almost every round-the-table conversation. To choose Les Cusworth, who then had no kicking game, ahead of such a tactically astute fly-half as Alan Old was judged as 'crass'; as was the selection of Mike Rafter, an open-side flanker, at blind-side in preference to Roger Uttley. Significantly Uttley played with distinction in the Grand Slam season that followed. But back to that historic triumph; the roots of which, as Fran Cotton emphasised stretched back fully 10 years to the day the late John Burgess was appointed as Lancashire's coach. He really cared about northern rugby, was annoyed about the region's lack of recognition and was determined to do something about it - especially in allowing a lot of quality players to express themselves. 'Seabrook [Burgess's first lieutenant as Lancashire captain] was the perfect choice to follow John - and they were the two people who should really take the credit for what happened in 1979. And it wasn't by chance,' Cotton emphasised. 'It was down to quality coaching and total commitment to the cause over many years.' 'I'd played in many games against the All Blacks for England and the British Lions but the significant thing that day was that, when we stood there and the Haka was going on. I looked at our team, then at theirs, and said to myself, "We've got better players - and that's why we're going to win." It was a belief we all had.' Seabrook shared that confidence. 'When we finished training on the Friday my only concern was what the All Blacks might do at a lineout five or 10 yards from the North's try-line. I went and talked it through with Fran and Bill. They decided we should go for a lob ball to Bill at No 2 and Fran said if anyone touches him he'd knock the shit out of them. We did one practice lineout, walked off and from that minute on I knew we could win. That, to me, was the defining moment of the weekend.' Seabrook also felt the late summer tour to South Africa, where their itinerary was one Beaumont felt the Lions would have rejected, was a huge aid to the side's development - not just in playing terms but in nurturing camaraderie, team and confidence. Bringing in such an experienced fly-half as Old and such a talented novice as Wright also reflected great credit on a selection panel chaired by Mike Weston. Between 7,000 and 8,000 were shoehorned into Cross Green for a match everyone seemed to sense would be special. According to Smith, who confessed himself 'shit scared' by the Haka, Cotton walked past during its performance and said: 'Look at the big poofs dancing.' To which a Smith replied: 'Frannie. Will you keep your voice down. They might hear you.' All Smith could remember of Beaumont's final team talk in the sardine tin-sized dressing room was: 'We've lost the toss and they have decided to kick off. So for the first five minutes ignore the ball.' Early on the North had difficulty even getting their hands on it. An early strike against the head by Andy Dalton looked ominous but the North's first concerted attack brought a penalty for Old. Then, when Smith drove the ball deep into All Black territory, full-back Richard Wilson passed unwisely to his namesake Stuart who was nailed by Mike Slemen. Slemen kicked on, gathered and, to delirious acclaim, Smith went over. Though the All Blacks reduced the deficit with a penalty early in the second half a purple patch for the North saw Bond cross the line twice inside 10 minutes - first after a break by Wright and again after a thunderous charge from Beaumont. Stuart Wilson did manage one try for the tourists but the North had the last word when Smith nailed his opposite number Mark Donaldson and Old dived over. It was only the thirteenth All Black defeat in 10 tours. 'Judging by the number of people who have come up to me and said they were at Otley that day,' Beaumont reflected, 'the crowd must have been 35,000. And it was the only time as a Lancastrian I ever ran out on the field in Yorkshire and they didn't tell me to piss off. But it was a great day. And if someone ever said to me in all seriousness 'what's the greatest 80 minutes you had? - on the rugby field I hasten to add - then that would be it.' New Zealand: And where are they now? 15 Kevin O'Brien (Broughton Park) Printable version | Send it to a friend | Clip  |
|||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
