- The All Blacks are the national rugby team in New Zealand
- Their history goes back almost 130 years and they are (reportedly) the most successful international rugby team of all time
- The All Blacks are the current Rugby World Champions (2011)
- The team hasn't lost in New Zealand since 2009 (that's 22 consecutive home wins)
We arrived at the stadium around 6:45 - early enough to catch the pre-game warm ups and the haka before the 7:30 start.
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| Already dark at 6:30 - no daylight savings yet. But doesn't it look great? |
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| We are obviously in the first lot of people to show up - but I'm in my All Blacks jersey (borrowed for Aaron Downes) and ready to go |
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| Warm ups. All Balcks in black (obviously) and the Springboks are in lime green |
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| Springboks captain, Jean de Villiers, got a special round of applause as it was his 100th cap |
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| I put in this picture because I thought it was cool that the Kiwi's sing their national anthem in both Maori and English. And people knew the song in both languages - it was awesome |
The Haka
Haka is the Maori name for dance and is generally the part of the Maori dance reportoire where the men perform the dance and the women provide vocal support only. The All Blacks have been performing the haka before matches outside New Zealand since 1888!!! But it wasn't until 1987 that they began performing it in New Zealand as well and ensuring the players performed it with precision and detail. It's pretty intimidating when they get into it.
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| Gotta love the tongues sticking out and the crazy eyes |
Well, I took about 110 pictures during the game trying to make sure I got some good clear shots throughout the game, so I've cut it down to show a couple fun things about rugby.
Show Time!
And it's time for the game to begin. The All Blacks were the first to score.
The Scrum
A scrum is when the 8 forwards pack together in a mass to go head-to-head with the other team. The ball is then placed in the center and the players try to gain control of the ball with their feet and legs (kind of like foosball). You can't use your hands.
Here we see team captain, Richie McCaw, directing his team as they get ready for a scrum. (By the way, Richie has the most caps in All Blacks history - 131, making the team at just 23 years old!)
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| The scrum gets amazingly low to the ground. If they fall over, they have to start it all over again. |
The Lineout
When the ball goes out of play, the players line up in two lines and leap to catch the ball when it is thrown in. The leaping involves other players lifting one player high into the air. It's pretty cool.
Penalty Goals
You get 3 points for kicking the ball through the uprights on a penalty, much like a field goal in football.
Can you keep track of the ball as it goes through the uprights? As you can see from the score, it was a very close match at this point and the extra 3 points gave the All Blacks some breathing room.
Scoring a "Try"
A try is similar to a touchdown, where the ball has to cross the line into the in-goal area and then be grounded. It's worth 5 points. If a team scores a try, they have the opportunity to convert it by kicking the ball through the uprights for an additional 2 points. So scoring tries is a must to win games.
Although the Springboks held the ball near the in-goal area for about the last four minutes of the game, the All Blacks were able to hold the line and win the game. The All Blacks got the win with a final score of 14-10. The nearly sold out crowd totaled 35,747.
What an incredible experience! We had so much fun even though we didn't understand most of the calls. (We also ate a lot of donuts haha). I'm so glad we took this opportunity before we move back to the U.S. in a few months.
When the ball goes out of play, the players line up in two lines and leap to catch the ball when it is thrown in. The leaping involves other players lifting one player high into the air. It's pretty cool.
Penalty Goals
You get 3 points for kicking the ball through the uprights on a penalty, much like a field goal in football.
Can you keep track of the ball as it goes through the uprights? As you can see from the score, it was a very close match at this point and the extra 3 points gave the All Blacks some breathing room.
Scoring a "Try"
A try is similar to a touchdown, where the ball has to cross the line into the in-goal area and then be grounded. It's worth 5 points. If a team scores a try, they have the opportunity to convert it by kicking the ball through the uprights for an additional 2 points. So scoring tries is a must to win games.
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| The Springboks are working to cross the solid line. They scored a try in the 1st half. |
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| Richie McCaw (#7) scored the only try for the All Blacks. They didn't convert it, but they also scored 3 penalty goals |
Passing
The ball can only be passed backwards, which is a little counterintuitive if you think about it. Even falling forward is considered a penalty.
Although the Springboks held the ball near the in-goal area for about the last four minutes of the game, the All Blacks were able to hold the line and win the game. The All Blacks got the win with a final score of 14-10. The nearly sold out crowd totaled 35,747.
What an incredible experience! We had so much fun even though we didn't understand most of the calls. (We also ate a lot of donuts haha). I'm so glad we took this opportunity before we move back to the U.S. in a few months.
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