I really enjoyed it but I would have liked to have seen something about the New Zealand Cavaliers tour in 1986 and the subsequent fall out in New Zealand rugby over it, their PM almost disowned the team before the 1987 World Cup
Have ESPN done anything about that sort of stuff
Perhaps it could be incorporated into a longer documentary about South Africa’s ostracisation from sport incorporating association football, the d’Oliveira scandal in cricket, rugby and later cricket tours involving Graham Gooch, Mike Gatting, John Emburey etc.
The 1990 “rebel”* cricket tour is something I’m curious about as Mandela was released during it and I’m pretty sure the tour turned into a bit of a disaster
During the '89 Ashes I’m sure the commentators referred to an upcoming tour of South Africa and mentioned that certain England players would be banned after it
About a decade ago ESPN classic showed the infamous NZ-SA game from 1981 with the plane dropping flour bombs and I watched it all, it was fascinating stuff, 1981 was a tumultuous year in a lot of different places
I always respected the likes of John Taylor and Graham Mourie for refusing to play against the South Africans, I think Stuart Barnes did as well
I’m sure Tony Ward played the 1980 Loins tour but refused to go with Ireland in 1981
The 1981 South Africa tour of New Zealand was the real source of division in New Zealand. The country was still weary from the fall out of all that in 1986. They just went and banned them all for a few test matches after they went to South Africa in 1986 with the Cavaliers.
Weren’t something like only 10 of the 30 odd squad picked for the SA tour picked for the World Cup squad a year later
It finished the likes of Andy Dalton and allowed a load of younger players to get into the NZ team in the absence of the banned players, I think it’s how David Kirk got the captaincy because he refused to tour
Jock Hobbs became the head buck cat in NZ rugby later on mind so it didn’t damage him long term
Dalton was initially selected as captain for the 87 World Cup. It was a bit of a Rory Best type scenario. Dalton was pushing 36 in 1987, best days were behind him but notwithstanding going to South Africa in 1986 was seen as irreplaceable as hooker but particularly as captain. He got injured before the tournament, but was still selected in squad, but was felt he would be back for knock out stages. They threw in a young buck, Sean Fitzpatrick as hooker and he performed so well from the start, Dalton couldn’t displace him, nor anybody else for the next decade.
There was a core of the front line players in the 87 World Cup winning team, who went to South Africa in 1986 - Grant Fox, Alan Whetton, Gary Whetton, Steve McDowell, Buck Shelford.
The only previous Ireland v Scotland World Cup meeting in 1991. A match which was largely decided by a filthy belt from Finlay Calder on Jim Staples at 5.50 in.
I vaguely remember a scrum upstairs in the Melbourne casino in 2003… Colin Corkery and Joe Deane were scrumming against us and Stringer fired in an empty coke can. Twas bright outside.
