Bok secrets revealed
7 Aug 2008
Secret doors especially made for the escape of the 1981 Springboks are set to be revealed at Eden Park today.
The stadium in Auckland is undergoing re-construction for the 2011 World Cup, with the South Stand set to demolished. The Members Lounge, which accommodated the Boks the night before the Test, will be first to go.
The tour was characterised by protests against the Apartheid regime, with a low-flying airplane dropping flour bombs (one hit Kiwi Gary Knight) throughout the contest at Eden Park. Precautionary measures had to be made before the Test to ensure the Boks could escape if the need arose.
The only exit out of the changing rooms pre-1981 was through the main doors onto the pitch, but a few days before the third test builder Terry Henshaw was called in to construct emergency exits.
Henshaw built a hatch up through the roof of the changing area and through the floor of what is now the cricket scorer’s box. He also cut holes and built a series of inter-connecting doors between the trust board offices and social areas.
“We didn’t need to be sworn to secrecy, it was just expected that we wouldn’t talk to anyone who might be a protester,” Henshaw told Fairfax Media.
The Eden Park Test was the third and final Test with the series leveled 1-1 heading to Auckland. With the scores tied at 22-all a controversial ending ensued as Welsh referee Clive Norling penalised the Boks in the ninth minute of injury time. The All Blacks took a quick tap, but Norling called them back and fullback Alan Hewson kicked the series-winning penalty.
74 Comments
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8 Aug 2008, 00:09 am
#48 Hurricane: So if the 5th ranked team in teh world were “too good”, don’t you think that playing the 6th and 7th ranked team in the world could have provided even an eensy weensy challenge?
Besides which, while England was down the rankings, we all know it was because of the **** coach they had, and not because of their bad players. their platyyers were not that far off the RWC Champs they had in 2003. They could just as easily have been ranked at 3rd – and showed it against Australia and France. In fact it was our complete shut out of them at 36-0 that made them take a long hard look at themselves to get themselves back on track.
We dont go on about how **** France were in/before that game. We acknowledge that it took almost a superhuman effort to shut you guys out – but they did. So stop trying to denigrate our efforts.
8 Aug 2008, 00:12 am
#51 SjamBok: Everyone knows that France can pull it out on the day. However, everyone also knows that Engalnd can put a half decent forward pack on the park too. The team they had there was big, talented and VERY experienced. With a bad coach.
8 Aug 2008, 00:18 am
#50 Hurricane: No, at the RWC its so refreshing for us to get neutral ref’s that we play to our real standard. We expect to get the 50/50 decision against us, and then stand there amazed when we actually get 50% of them. You see, we are just too used to the Australian and NZ refs in the 3N.
You had one dodgy forward pass call which influenced teh game. But it was
not the sole reason that you wer knocked out. You had almost a full half after that to redres the imbalance, and could have won the game as late as the last second. Don’t blame the one bad call. They happen.
The only time we have been knowcked out of the RWC is because the other team played better than us. Aus in 1999 and NZ in 2003. No arguments there.
That is also the only reason that you have been knocked out of the RWC – because the other team played better than you.
8 Aug 2008, 00:19 am
#49 SjamBok:
“Only your inbred, unthinking, irrational Kiwi superiority complex and disdain for anythingnot Kiwi could say that!”
I believe that was a bit rough.Inbreds?
#51 SjamBok:
The 5th ranked team were to good with the resources they had.At home and we were playing against the ref in that game.
You beat England 36-0 in pool stages,you would never beat NZ that way.You cant say cos we struggled against France we would have against England and Argentina.It was one of those games we had against France,all was against us and to point we didnt help ourselves as well.BUt its all done and dusted now we lost
8 Aug 2008, 00:20 am
#50 Hurricane: It was not a luck call, it was a lucky bounce that helped us beat Fiji. And a good tackle by JP Pietersen. Nothing lucky about that.
Besides we were playing Fiji with our 2nd team, and the game was hardly indicative of the true strengths of the teams. I suppose that was our choice though, to play our 2nd team and (luckily for us) it panned out.
8 Aug 2008, 00:23 am
#53 SjamBok:
Watch the game again,we were professionally fouled out of the game,we were on there line a number of times after the forward pass and you see it,french hands in the maul right in front of ref unnoticed.
I dont understand how you think SA never get neutral refs but NZ do in the 3N.
8 Aug 2008, 00:23 am
#45 Hurricane:
Good Morning,
Thanks, that is interesting stuff.
According to the usual unreliable Wikipedia NZ’s overall record is 78 medals in 23 Olympics and South Africa 69 but in only 16 Olympic games. NZ scored best in Athletics-17, sailing -15 and Rowing -13 while SA scored best at Athletics – 22, Boxing -19 and Swimming 12.
I do not want to check the figures for Australia!!
8 Aug 2008, 00:25 am
#54 Hurricane: I apologise for the ‘inbred’ remark. Poor selection of words. I guess I meant “cloistered’” more than “inbred’ – no offence meant with relation to your relations…
8 Aug 2008, 00:27 am
#57 Robzim:
lol,no leave Ozzie out of it.They have a great Olympic team.
Yeah i got my stats from the Olympics site.
8 Aug 2008, 00:28 am
#58 SjamBok:
No worries,i am sure we can enjoy the banter without calling Black Panther my brother,i am sure he wouldnt want me.
8 Aug 2008, 00:31 am
#56 Hurricane: I truly believe that there is a bit of a grudge thing going against Saffas.
Perhaps because we have tended to swarm across to your countries (Aus./NZ) in droves (abandoning our own, its true and sad).
Perhaps its because our accents make us sound stupid.
Perhaps because we have a residual taint of racists.
Perhaps its because some of us are ******** (hey, every country has them – except Canada)
Perhaps the ANZAC brotherhood is too strong.
By my reckoning, we get about 20% of the 50/50 calls. By their very nature, we should get 50% of them. This shows me that something is influencing the game.
Whatever it is, and even if it is not conscious (i.e may be sub-conscious), I believe that it is there, and does affect the decisions the Boks get handed to them.
8 Aug 2008, 00:38 am
#61 SjamBok:
Ok dude thats what you believe and i except that.
There could be more to it than what i can see,dont want to sound to arrogant in my posts,just a little arrogant.
Your accent is damn funny but not stupid
Racism has been in SA but its been all over the world,if you ask me Ozzie got of scot free,there were also very bad towards the Abos.
Now if i said i was Canadian you would have met your first ******* Canadian,but i am not so you are lucky
8 Aug 2008, 01:09 am
hehe You are actually one of the nicer, moderate, considered posters on this site. I said that about Canadians because I have yet to meet one that is an ******* – seriously!! They all seem to be laid back, cool characters. Well, good on them! Until I meet at least one of them who is an *******, I guess I will reserve judgement.
The SA acent does change quite a bit from cultural group to cultural group. The Afrikaner accent is guttural (kind of like German, which not many people like either). The Cape Coloured accent is hilarious (Like Snor). The SA Indian accent is also pretty funny, and quite distinctive. And the SA english accent is a bit whiny and drony.
8 Aug 2008, 01:10 am
#62 Hurricane: it would be interesting to get your take on what the SA accent sounds like?
8 Aug 2008, 01:13 am
#62 Hurricane: I agree that the Australians got off scot free, and to a large extent are still unrepentant and in denial about their history (hell they only ever apologised a few days ago!).
It gets my goat that they sometimes still get on their morally righteous bandwagon and preach to Saffas about racism. Dont get me wrong, I am not saying what we did was good or anything… I just reckon that when being judgemental, its better not to have dirty hands yourself.
I am not too familiar with NZ history – but it seems from what I see here that the Maoris got a certain amount of respect in the past?
8 Aug 2008, 01:38 am
#64 SjamBok:
I have an Engineer at or work who is South African,this guy is damn funny,sense of humour.Laid back.He sits next to me at the office and sometimes i get him to translate what some of you say on here.
But i thought all SA were into rugby,this guy dosnt like sport.Cant be to many of them over there that dont like sport.He cooked a mean Boerwars(is that what it is) it was so tasty.
#65 SjamBok:
I am Maori myself,actually French/Maori.The past hasnt been to bright for the Maoris in some ways.The land was taken away from them etc and even of late land is still getting handed back to the Maori.As i said most Countries go through racism some where along there timeline,NZ was one of them.
I respect SA at what they are doing.Its one of the hardest things to sort out and it does not happen over night.
8 Aug 2008, 01:48 am
#66 Hurricane: The name is boerewors (“wors” means “sausage” – like “wurst” in German, and you must know what boere means by now). You get some pretty good boerewors here in Auckland – although ground a bit too fine- even at the local Foodtown! Actually, the local Aussie Butcher makes a mean biltong as well. Have you tried that yet? Do yourself a favour!
I have to say the one failing that NZ has is the local sausages – it tastes like , in addition to a bit of meat, all the leftover chicken beaks and claws have been grinded up, and chucked in with a bit of maize meal. We dont buy any more wieners or other sausages any more – we just get the boerewors.
8 Aug 2008, 01:52 am
#66 Hurricane: The thing is that for arrogant English/Dutch/Porra/Spanish/French colonialists at the time, it was a ‘normal’ thing to assume that the technologically backward “natives” were second rate humans. As the rest of teh world moved into a new era of human rights and universal acceptance of all men as men, some countries did not move as fast with the times. This may have been because of the greater differences in the cultures, or because a clear difference in colour existed, or whatever.
8 Aug 2008, 01:57 am
#67 SjamBok:
Biltong,i will ask me mate.Sounds good.
lol,yep sausages is not the go here in NZ,you really dont want to know what in them.I use to know someone that use to get us NZ export meat,as you know all our best meat goes overseas and we get left with the not so good meat.
I thought you lived in NZ. Welcome hahaha
8 Aug 2008, 02:22 am
Just talked to my mate.And Biltong is raw meat but cured over time by hanging,interesting,well thats what i got out of it.He also told me there is a South African butcher by my house which i will be going to have a look at.
8 Aug 2008, 02:47 am
#70 Hurricane: hehe thanks for teh Welocme – I have been here about two years now (since it started looking like Zuma was SA’s next president).
You will not regret it- biltong is traditional rugby fare in SA- together with the beers of course.
Biltong is beef jerky – but not the beef jerky that is available in foodtown – that seems to be the traditional , what? chinese? way of making it? With soy sauce?
SA biltong is saltier, and has completely different spices and preparation. But biltong is a little expensive – here and in SA. My wife and I have started experimenting with a meat drier that we have bought, and downloaded a few traditional biltong recipes off the net. So far we are still on a learning curve, with a couple of disasters (but getting better).
Most people either love it and just can’t get enough of it, or don’t like it at all.
8 Aug 2008, 02:48 am
#69 Hurricane: PS where are you based? Wellington?
8 Aug 2008, 09:59 am
For a population of nearly 50 million, SA has a DISMAL record at the Olympics.
SA got only ONE Gold medal in Athens, while NZ – with a fraction of the population of SA – picked up 3.
In fact since SA’s readmission in 1992 they have only won 4 gold medals while NZ with one-tenth of the population have won 8!
NZ have also recently been world champs in Rowing, Netball, Softball, Triathlon, Yachting, Kayaking and are rated second best at rugby league.
8 Aug 2008, 10:02 am
Even at soccer, NZ are fast catching up to SA.
Both the NZ mens’ and womens’ teams have qualified for the Beijing Olympics while SA didn’t even get close. And NZ are currently rated just 10 places behind SA in the FIFA world rankings.
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