New Zealand vs Ireland - Rugby Test 1976 (Highlights)

[@johncahalane7327]

Watching this in 2022 as an Irish fan so many Irishmen on that team no longer with us, very sad I think Tom Kiernan was the manager passed away prior to the New Zealand 2022 tour.

[@chrischilton8455]

Great to see Ken Stewart in his prime. Probably one of the fastest, fittest and most aggressive opensides to play for the ABs. He was everywhere in that second half.

[@thetalentedmrfitz]

Why didn't he get more game time in the tests in South Africa? An Eveleigh and Stewart combination would have destroyed the Boks with their speed and aggression.

[@brianstewart8247]

Would have meant dropping Ian Kirkpatrick

[@stevetynant6666]

Looks like a different sport

[@brettwilkinson9529]

Laurie Mains was a terrible goal kicker and should never have been selected.

[@MarsFKA]

The All Blacks went to South Africa with two fullbacks - Mains and Fawcett - neither of whom could kick properly. Bryan Williams wound up doing a lot of the kicking and even Sid Going was given the duty in two of the Tests. Incidentally, who was picked for fullback in the first Test? Duncan Robertson. A first-five at fullback in a Test.

[@brettwilkinson9529]

@@MarsFKA kit Fawcett performed well on the field in his play ,apart from the one serious lapse in the 3rd test ,where a try was scored by South Africa. Had Joe Karem gone on the tour , I have no doubt he would have been the crucial difference. He gave tremendous stability at the back, had great intelligence, read the game well, and was the most accurate goal kicker in world rugby during the decade. NZ rugby union should have fronted up and helped him make that tour ,instead of losing him .Another major NZ Rugby Union stuff up.

[@MarsFKA]

@@brettwilkinson9529 Fawcett had his moments, for sure, one of which was, single-handed, losing the game against Orange Free State. Late in the game, he ran right through the OFS team, had one man to beat and tried to beat him instead of passing to an unmarked supporting team mate. Grant Batty, in his book, was, shall we say...critical... of Fawcett, especially that moment. An even bigger stuff-up on that tour happened before the All Blacks had even left for South Africa. The South Africans were so keen - desperate, even - to have the All Blacks tour that they offered the NZRFU neutral referees for the Tests, which was unprecedented. Previously, Tests played by touring teams had been controlled by South African referees and the feeling by many of the touring teams was that the decisions by the referees were often more in favour of the home team. So, for reasons known only to the Executive, the NZRFU declined the SARU offer and it was in that moment that we, the rugby public in New Zealand, knew that the All Blacks were never going to win the Test series. And so it proved, especially in the Fourth Test. It was interesting how suddenly the playing field levelled out for later touring teams to South Africa when the rules were changed to neutral referees...

[@david10101961]

@@MarsFKA Would agree except that the 1974 Lions destroyed the Boks under local referees (Max Baise and Cas de Bruyn), scoring 10 tries to 1 throughout the test series. Even if the refereeing was dodgy it was still possible to win.

[@MarsFKA]

@@david10101961 The 1974 Lions were the best team that ever played. They were so dominant that not even home referees could save the Springboks. South African rugby would have known what was coming when the '74 Lions were selected, with a hard core of the '71 Lions who had beaten the All Blacks.