Auckland 80's Rugby

[@kantst617]

Greatest rugby provincial team of the 80s & 90s...Wow

[@MrSydneyKing]

This is a wicked compilation, thanks. This team was the greatest rugby team of all time. Pound for pound, and in a like for like era, this team shits on any other provincal and international team in history, including the Canterbury team of the the latter years. The skill level, pace, strength, support and sheer class is just awe inspiring. What a shame the Auckland teams of today are only a shadow of this great side.

[@ldfreitas9437]

Blame all the law changes. And professionalism. Sure, some of these better players were getting paid under the table, but it was chump change. They all had real jobs for the most part.

[@avebac1]

When players who actially lived in their actual provinces they played for. The patriotism was great back then.

[@RANDOMFLOWZ]

Hell yeah!!

[@richardscanlan3419]

The greatest provincial rugby team - Auckland 1982-90 - ever,bar none.They were so good,I believe the 1987 Auckland team would,at the least,have made the semifinals of the 1987 RWC.

[@driffter1976]

Considering Auckland were practically the AB's it's not surprising they were unbeatable. What a great era. This is real New Zealand.

[@myrugga]

We sent this to many of Junior viewers - 100% thought this was REAL rugby and played by REAL men...has the modern game lost some of its 'tough and raw element?' - we say it has, its diluted now, PC and no longer the attraction it was in this era - "you're lucky to get 10,000 at any ITM game- Sure the AB's are still good today, but back in the 80's New Zealand was the best and the most feared around the world! Now we have sabbaticals and the grass roots people have to pay over priced tickets just to watch players they built from their local region to superstardom. Watch this video the the crowds came in the masses because we put our grass roots ahead of TV contracts - forget the people and the people will forget you! Auckland was the second best team in the world during this era and probably would be the best today!

[@KanyeKetchup]

If it Provincial was free to Air ...

[@mikhail1970]

Best team you could watch, although it was hard been a newley appointed Nth Harbour fan (although they had some passionate games). Thanks for the upload

[@217camo]

Look at those crowds!!

[@chrismuir4127]

0.16... a thing of beauty

[@merlin5420]

All I remember as a teenager watching Auckland through the late 80s and early 90s was that Terry Wright scored shit loads of tries

[@robosborne7103]

Halcyon days indeed !!!Now they are a long way behind Canterbury Rugby and the Crusaders !!

[@bigrobbo75]

indeed back in those days we saw some Vintage Rugby , Joe Stanley smashing the Defensive line and off loading to John Kirwan and hIs scintillating runs towards the Western Stand tryline , Fitzpatrick giving the Ref a few tips along the way, Shelford smashing ZinZan ,the good old days when The Local derbies actually meant something Harbour V Auckland, Auckland V Counties, always a packed House on a "Saturday Arvo" at The Park were sublime skills and great rugby where always on Show ,

[@avebac1]

Aaahhh the good ol days

[@miketreanor3318]

You can't fuck with this team. My old man had season tickets from 87 to 97. I respect the crusaders and all that. However, you don't get the crusaders without this team. This was professionalism before it was a professional sport

[@ldfreitas9437]

Notice at 1:20 that the defending scrum has broken off from being pushed back so far and hard, and it wasn't a penalty to do so then. Why not go back to that old law now? There'd be a lot less whistles that stop scrums from even being played through. All the defense has to do is keep retreating so as not to be offside. Nothing wrong with that. It was done then and could be now.

[@ldfreitas9437]

Rugby people must be getting nostalgic for the days before professionalism. I've seen lots of videos from the time prior to professionalism being posted on You Tube lately.

[@vja1970]

Does anyone know who the Auckland fullback was from mid to late 80s?

[@vja1970]

Dylan Parker Thanks. Cant seem to recall Cooper from 87. I knew Ridge played for Auckland before he switched codes.

[@bFORCe2003]

Lindsay Harris was fullback for most of the era. Had to be one of the unluckiest not to make the All Blacks, he was that good.

[@richardmcgrath9729]

@@bFORCe2003 Lindsay Harris great player but alcoholic womanising lunatic

[@davidk7672]

See those real battle scars in the sheds after the game. No need for on-field concussion assessments back then. Nothing a beer after the game wouldnt fix for a case of accumulative brain damage

[@2patero]

.59 BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!

[@ThePULIGI]

Wayne Smith 3.19, hehe

[@mikhail1970]

Lucky the Saffa teams of the day did'nt try it on this team. Proof being many not at least all their attempts at a win in the Super coming back in without the most dodgy refs at home to back them up. Took a good 10- years after being allowed back in after being ....., ok, well things hav'nt got better afretrwards but hey life is tough..........nice to to hold the win ration till death............

[@TheForge10]

Its a shame the current Auckland side is a useless rabble that aint fit to lace these guys boots. Its transferred through to a dysfunctional Blues side. Whats happened to Auckland rugby ? Seriously.

[@robosborne7103]

Its been left for dead by Canterbury and the Crusaders.The Blues are a disfunctional team made up of 2 provincial teams in Auckland and North Harbour who really cant stand each other.The Blues overlooked a coach in Paul Feeney who's coaching pedigree is stronger than Tana Umaga's.They failed to sign Suliasi Vunivalu from the Blues Colts side who is now a Melbourne Storm superstar !!.