Field Theory by Hadyn Green

Long and the short of it is, I'm back into writing, as it were.

Hey, welcome back. However short your tenure may be, repeating what Sir Graham naively appears to consider a breach of privacy/good manners.

When last you saw me I was hunched over a media desk in Eden Park, praying that for 20 minutes we could hold out the French. From what I understand, we did.

You had to bloody remind me of the worst 20 minutes of my life, didn't you?

Even better that , after a cold winter in the UK, Stephen McD is talking about returning home. The Chiefs may well need him, after Saturday's casualties.

I did actually watch the end, but it's all gone blank in my mind.

If you haven't already, do yourself a havour and watch those last 25 minutes again. I did, the next day, and what was appalling at the time was actually stupendous. Sure, we never looked like scoring and we probably kicked a bit much ball away, but neither did the French really. They never get past our 10 metre line; Donald kicked it into the corners nicely at times; the tackling was solid. The ABs didn't win despite the last 25, but because of it. The last 5 especially, where we just held on to the ball. Great stuff.

Oh dear. My deepest apologies to Stephn Donald, who has no connection whatsoever to hamburgers.

Great stuff.

If you already know the outcome.

candid nature

yes. Graham Henry has always been like that. when not speaking "on the record". self-deprecating. cut to the chase. that's his style. even when talking to a small group of third-formers in a PE swimming period on a cold morning in March. three or so decades ago. funny the things one remembers.

Rupert Murdoch liquidates The ORFU!
Well, he may as well have... while the Highlanders Super Rugby franchise is a separate legal entity, it was the precursor to Otago's spending spree, and 'super rugby' has lived parastically off the provincial club's years of graft...

Great to have you back writing Hadyn. The South of France and Cooper comments definitely needed a light shining on them. Classic.

Hey, welcome back. However short your tenure may be, repeating what Sir Graham naively appears to consider a breach of privacy/good manners.

Shit, I wondered why I couldn't find the original article. Maybe Henry isn't the kind of guy to stand behind his jokes after all. Maybe rugby is too far up its own arse.

The Herald still seems to have it on. That horse, as the saying goes, has gone to France.

Good to see you back, Hadyn, & looking forward to more sports stuff (rugby esp, but I also like your take on roller-derby).

I owe you a debt of thanks for broadening my beer horizons. I thought I had left good beer behind when I returned to NZ but your missives from Beervana, etc prompted me to make more effort & now I spend more than I should through beerstore.co.nz but at least I'm getting decent (tasty) beer & ale and not subsisting on Steinies alone.
So thanks.

If you haven’t already, do yourself a havour and watch those last 25 minutes again. I did, the next day, and what was appalling at the time was actually stupendous.

I watched the whole game again the next day and, like you, thought the All Blacks defended superbly as per the Plan B they'd clearly adopted. I was still bloody anxious for the last half hour though.