43 Responses to Super Rugby 2018: Melbourne Rebels vs Hurricanes – Live Game Article

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  31

  Bullscot on 30 March 2018 at 12:11 pm

  cane wrote:

  @ grootblousmile:
  The Aussie commentators have commented on the passing (death) of former All Black, Kieth Murdock.

  This man could have been the greatest AB Prop of all time.
  But one controversial incident in Wales in the 70’s,
  while on Tour, meant he chose to never returned to NZ.

  Such was the shame of being sent home from an Overseas Tour.

  Sad news there for his loved ones.
  Don’t know about this part of NZ rugby history, can you paint the picture?
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  32

  grootblousmile on 30 March 2018 at 12:19 pm

  Try Ben Lam (hat trick), Canes!
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  33

  grootblousmile on 30 March 2018 at 12:20 pm

  Rebels 19 / 45 Hurricanes
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  34

  grootblousmile on 30 March 2018 at 12:23 pm

  6 Minutes to go in the match.
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  35

  cane on 30 March 2018 at 12:26 pm

  @ Bullscot:
  This from a link site to Allbacks.com

  No All Black has been more controversial, more enigmatic and more tragic than the giant prop Keith Murdoch whose erratic career at both provincial and international levels ended sensationally late in 1972.

  On tour with the All Blacks in Britain, following a number of behavioural problems and then an incident at the Angel Hotel in Cardiff a few hours after the international against Wales Murdoch was expelled from the tour. This is something which has haunted New Zealand rugby ever since and there is not much argument now that team manager, Ernie Todd, took this drastic step under severe pressure from the British unions.

  But Murdoch was a man to whom trouble was a constant companion. An immensely powerful man, Murdoch, in an era where there was little gym training with weights, was about 17st or 110kg. His physique made him an effective scrummager and he was also surprisingly mobile in the open.

  As a 20-year old Murdoch came into the Otago side in 1964 and made an instant impact, being named one of the season’s five most promising players by the Rugby Almanack. He received the first of his six All Black trials in 1965 but for the next three or four seasons was seen in New Zealand only sporadically.

  Even in those years he was something of an itinerant. He had six matches with Hawke’s Bay in 1965 and two for Auckland in 1966, but appeared but once when back with Otago in 1967 and was missing from all rugby in 1968.

  He resumed with Otago in 1969 and an excellent game for the South in an upset interisland win so impressed coach Ivan Vodanovich that he was put on the short list for the All Blacks’ 1970 tour of South Africa.

  Murdoch duly made the tour but was affected by injury and illness including having his appendix removed. He played in only eight matches in South Africa but had not long recovered from his operation when he was included in the fourth test side and acquitted himself well.

  In 1971 Murdoch played 11 times for Otago, was in the trials and in the South Island team. But because of injuries he missed playing for his union against the Lions and, despite being chosen for at least two of them, all of the four tests.

  Murdoch was again often injured in the 1972 season, but played on the All Blacks internal tour and in the third test against the touring Wallabies before winning selection for what proved for him to be an ill fated tour of Britain. Despite wearing a tag of mystery man from the British media he performed well in the first half of the tour and distinguished himself with a try in his only international appearance against Wales.

  But his hour of glory soon turned to disaster and within a few hours he was involved in the hotel incident with a security guard which resulted in his departure from the team and a dramatic change in his life.

  Many including his team-mates have remained convinced that Murdoch, despite being overly boisterous at times, was harshly treated and he is still spoken of with admiration and respect for what was a considerable natural ability.

  For all the legend which has surrounded Murdoch, though, he had a fairly sparse first class career: just 86 games in all, of which 43 were for Otago and 27, including only three tests, for the All Blacks.

  Murdoch has spent the rest of his life in the outback of Australia. Buteven while trying to live in obscurity he frequently found himself an unwilling participant in major news stories. The latest episode was in a homicide case involving a young Aborigine. Murdoch attended hearings as a witness but no charges were ever brought.

  Profile by Lindsay Knight
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  36

  grootblousmile on 30 March 2018 at 12:26 pm

  Julian Savea almost through… but it looks like he has lost serious speed… loses the ball forward.
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  37

  grootblousmile on 30 March 2018 at 12:28 pm

  4th Try for BEN LAM, Canes!
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  38

  grootblousmile on 30 March 2018 at 12:31 pm

  Melbourne Rebels (19) 19 / 50 (25) Hurricanes (Final Score)
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  39

  Bullscot on 30 March 2018 at 12:33 pm

  @ cane:
  Thanks cane, sounds quite controversial. Not a positive bit of History (much of history isn’t) but nonetheless interesting to discover so thanks for sharing that.
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  40

  grootblousmile on 30 March 2018 at 12:37 pm

  OK folks… we’re expecting visitors in 10 minutes… so no sleep for the sleepless new grandpa…

  Later today, possibly heading towards evening I will schedule tomorrow’s Super Rugby live game articles, before turning in to bed early…

  See you on the morrow!
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  41

  cane on 30 March 2018 at 12:45 pm

  @ Bullscot:
  The Taffy he slugged deserved it.
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  42

  Bullscot on 30 March 2018 at 1:01 pm

  cane wrote:

  @ Bullscot:
  The Taffy he slugged deserved it.

  I’ll take your word for it cane, bit before my time
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  43

  Bullscot on 30 March 2018 at 1:04 pm

  @ cane:
  Well done your team, big win