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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7 Aug 2008, 09:05 am
what the f#$%k do dragons have to do with anything?
7 Aug 2008, 09:05 am
Protesting Dragons!
7 Aug 2008, 09:10 am
#1Stormbok
A Welshmen reffed the game. From there the link to the Dragons and that’s where the Dragon legend started.
7 Aug 2008, 09:18 am
#3 wez: thanks for clearing that up wez.
7 Aug 2008, 09:18 am
If they try that **** with the flour bombs today we can respond with an RPG of our own…I have reliable information that Rickie never leaves home without one in his kit bag.
7 Aug 2008, 09:23 am
Methinks they should have kept those trap-doors there for 2011 when the AB’s get knocked out in the quarters YET AGAIN…
7 Aug 2008, 09:31 am
#6 bryce_in_oz:
LOL, and a plane waiting to take them to some other country in exile.
7 Aug 2008, 09:34 am
#6 Bryce
LMAO!! So true, they will definitely receive death threats if they are knocked out again when hosting the WC!
7 Aug 2008, 09:36 am
#7 Grrrr….I’m a Lion!:
They’ll be right at home in any of the Pacific Islands…
7 Aug 2008, 09:59 am
Picture the likes of Theuns Stofberg trying to climb up and out through a trapdoor
7 Aug 2008, 11:12 am
#10 Trigger: or Flippie Van Der Merwe… eish!
7 Aug 2008, 11:41 am
#10 Trigger: #11 jayvee: Imagine them trying to walk on a ceiling and not stepping in the right spot…
7 Aug 2008, 12:00 pm
#6 bryce_in_oz: I made the same comment on the “Butch’s big test” thread and you should see the **** it caused there.
7 Aug 2008, 12:35 pm
#6 bryce_in_oz:
Well you can only hope that we get kicked out of the quarters.And if you make it to the final lets hope you have to play decent opposition to get there unlike 2007 RWC,Tonga,Fiji,Samoa,USA.All ya have to do is beat them and you become RWC holders,dont look to hard does it.
7 Aug 2008, 12:37 pm
Oh thats right Wasnt there England(Ranked #6 on IRB before RWC) and was it Argentina (Ranked # 7 on IRB before RWC),i forgot those 2 powerhouses.phhhttt
7 Aug 2008, 12:38 pm
#8 wez:
Knocked out again while hosting the RWC????
When was the first time,we have only hosted it once and you know the outcome of that dont you
7 Aug 2008, 12:40 pm
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.
LOL thats my favourite part.Isnt any loss controversial when the Boks lose.Funny how this was bought up.
7 Aug 2008, 12:51 pm
Hurricane – Earlier in that game there was funny moment when the ball bounced off Germushuys’ leg, bounce off an AB player, went over the AB try line and Germushuys fell on the ball but the ref blew it off as knocked forward. We could have drilled you 4 tries to 3 as we should have, there was also many controversial decisions against he Boks in the first test, you were lucky that Bok team never drilled you 3 nil in that series.
7 Aug 2008, 12:53 pm
#14 Hurricane:
You are right. Also the French didn’t look too hard to beat remember? Argies beating them in the 1st game, AB’s beating them before … And they knocked you out of the comp. Actually the AB team had a full 10 minutes at the end to win it. Oh yes – they didn’t have a clue. Plus to win a world cup you have to be in the final and beat all the teams in the knock-out stage. AB’s were no-where. Ok, maybe some were on the plane home. The Bokke were there. And became the Rugby World Champions – for the following 4 years.
A4Yrs !!
7 Aug 2008, 12:58 pm
#18 grunt:
OK sounds like we won 2 lucky games out of three thanks to the ref.
7 Aug 2008, 12:59 pm
#19 TheMightyQuin:
Actually havnt the french beat the boks 3 out of 5 times lately.So dont tell me they didnt look to hard to beat,they beat you at home too didnt they the year before RWC.
7 Aug 2008, 13:22 pm
Alan Hewson…………You bloody beauty.
7 Aug 2008, 13:45 pm
#17 Hurricane:
I love the way Safas bring up Kiwis whinging about Wayne Barnes blah blah. And yet throughout history, most Springbok losses have been attributed to anything but being beaten fairly.
For every Wayne Barnes theres a:-
Clive Norling
Paul Honiss
David McHugh (Irish ref flattened by Piet van Zyl)
Paddy OBrien
Stu Dickinson…..
every ref who whistles the Boks to defeat is, as is commonly accepted in SA, a “cheat”. There cant be any other locial explanation, can there ???
7 Aug 2008, 13:52 pm
#14 Hurricane: So you haven’t won in twenty years and now the Boks played weak opposition… what happened in 99, wasn’t the French the screwed you there too? If the Boks played in the first WC you would most probably have never won it at all; who will you blame for that… Apartheid? Week and meek teams? Poephol!!!
7 Aug 2008, 13:56 pm
#18 grunt:
ABs were ‘lucky’ they didnt get drilled 3-0 in ’81 ?
ABs were a class apart in 1st Test at Lancaster Park, winning easily.
Boks were just as convincing at Athletic Park. Series tied at 1-1
And but for a 2nd-half hatrick by Mordt at Eden Park, the Boks would have had their *** handed to them on a plate. The ABs were clearly dominant. I was at that Test – incredible, feeling like the plane was going to crash IN to the terraces, it only JUST cleared the posts – and ABs never looked like losing.
Talking of ‘luck’ on the 1981 Tour, the Boks played the NZ Maoris in Napier mid-week. The Maoris absolutely played them OFF THE PARK, the Boks feeding off scraps and keeping in touch thru kicks and an opportunist try. Stephen Pokere, that little magician, dropped a goal in the dying minute…….only for it to be flagged AWAY by the ref when slo-mo coverage showed it clearly went over. The whistle was blown and the Boks escaped with a Draw, unbelievably. The Maori boys just shrugged their shoulders, as they do.
now thats LUCK !!!
7 Aug 2008, 15:24 pm
Alan Hewson is a bell end period……9 minutes of overtime.NZ had to win at all costs because a loss would have been too great for the politicians to bear.Boks were way behind but came back superbly.Momentum was with the Springboks
Alan Hewson should be inducted into the “HALL of SHAME” !!!!!!!!
7 Aug 2008, 15:26 pm
#18 grunt:
That’s for sure, we should have nailed them 3-0, but what can you do against those odds.
They are bloody luck we weren’t there in ’87, or they would have sat with zero WC wins today, believe me.
7 Aug 2008, 15:27 pm
#27 Pietman:
bloody lucky
7 Aug 2008, 15:29 pm
22 July Gisborne Poverty Bay SA 24-6
25 July Hamilton Waikato Match cancelled
29 July New Plymouth Taranaki SA 34-9
1 August Palmerston North Manawatu SA 31-19
5 August Wanganui Wanganui SA 45-9
8 August Invercargill Southland SA 22-6
11 August Dunedin Otago SA 17-13
15 August Christchurch New Zealand (1st Test) NZ 9-14
19 August Timaru South Canterbury Match cancelled
22 August Nelson Nelson Bays SA 83-0
25 August Napier NZ Maori 12-12
29 August Wellington New Zealand (2nd Test) SA 24-12
2 September Rotorua Bay of Plenty SA 29-24
5 September Auckland Auckland SA 39-12
8 September Whangarei North Auckland SA 19-10
12 September Auckland New Zealand (3rd Test) NZ 22-25
Bring back tours i say !
7 Aug 2008, 15:31 pm
Howzit Pietman,where are you my tjommie
7 Aug 2008, 15:31 pm
memories of MEXTED, what an 8, what a man…
7 Aug 2008, 15:32 pm
#28 pietie – would have, could have, should have, you sound like a kiwi at rwc time.
7 Aug 2008, 15:37 pm
#30 wpforever:
Italy, leaving for Germany this afternoon.
Back home by Monday, I hope.
Howzit over there?
7 Aug 2008, 15:45 pm
Pietman Cold no summer in North Norway,temp varies between 5 and 9 `C
7 Aug 2008, 15:57 pm
Those secret doors would not have worked……Hennie Bekker and Loius Moolman were much larger than that.Bekker was a hulk !
7 Aug 2008, 16:15 pm
#26 wpforever:
9mins of injury time is plain bollocks. Dont forget they had to constantly clear the pitch of flares, flour-bombs and the zambuks had to treat injuries, like Knight, so added-time didnt spring out of nowhere.
Just further proof of Safas unwillingness to accept defeat of their mighty Springboks. Altho the concept of dealing with neutral referees was rather novel for them at the time. They had to relearn the rules considering the refs usually spoke in Afrikaans for all Tests.
7 Aug 2008, 16:17 pm
#17 Hurricane: I watched that game and no way did I think that was a penalty. It was a shame it ended like that should have been a draw. Also remember when NZ hosted the first WC the Boks werer not there. So time will tell how it will all end in 2011. This time we will be there and coming as the World Champs and hoping to leave as the World Champs too.
7 Aug 2008, 16:25 pm
Clive Norling is a bell end period….he stuffed up big time
7 Aug 2008, 16:54 pm
# stormbokbefok: #2 wez:
The history behind the “dragons” bit, from what I can remember, stems from a particular article posted here on Keo, a particular webmaster affectionately known as “IG” who used to work for Keo, and the imortal words “there be dragons here”… or something to that effect. If memory serves, a certain group of muppits had the habit of trying to post first on the particular article site (as many still do), and usually only typed the word “first”… This really used to p-off old IG, who proceeded to query why they cannot come up with something more original – ranted a bit, and then somehow included the “dragons” line…
From that moment on, the goose was cooked, so to say. All the regulars proceeded to start off with the above line, when they were first – just to wind IG up. Eventually, the sentence was shortened to “dragons”, since it took too long to type, and spoilt your chances of being first… Gradually this in turn developed into the current practice of combining something from the article into a ‘dragons’ reference….
I have been reading Keo pretty much from the beginning. And have posted for a good few years as well. I’m sure, assuming that this post actually gets read, that some of the other ‘old-faithfuls’ will correct some of the above – but the gist of it holds true. Personally, I kind of like the idea – carries across, in some small measure, the millions of words that have been splayed across this forum over the years between supporters from all different countries, with (often) only one thing in common – a unflinching love of rugby.
Ok.
Enough of the soppy.
7 Aug 2008, 17:07 pm
#23 BlackPanther: #15 Hurricane: Geez you guys have a lot to say for a bunch of chokers. Four more years !!!!!!!
7 Aug 2008, 19:32 pm
greenbok etc…
Actually it started due to some blip in the system that caused an article on the Welsh to open when one tried to open an unrelated article – the heading was something about Dragons. It was actually quite annoying!
7 Aug 2008, 21:40 pm
#40 Loosehead: NO tosspot choakers refers to you lot, a country where the only sports you are any good at is rugby and cricket, what else do you boers do, ummm, let me see, uhhhhhhh, no nothing there, sailing perhaps, no completely useless at that, umm, league, no don’t play it, perhaps netball, no completely useless at that, umm, motor racing, ah no, completely uselss at that, well what surf life saving , uhh no , uselss at that as well, well you must be completely useless.
Why invented the nuclear age, climbed mountains, won running races, won motor races, created a winning motor racing team, first country in the world to give woman the vote, and invented the bungie and on and on it goes, not bad for 4 mill people
7 Aug 2008, 22:46 pm
#24 4teen:
Would we blame Apartheid???……….Um no,we will let you take the blame for that.But we will know that you will also blame refs,travel,refs,travel,IRB,travel,refs oh any spare gold watches
#37 Puma:
Hey Puma,cool dude,It will be interesting i must say.But it would be better if you guys dont win the RWC again ok
#40 Loosehead:
Maths not your strength,i believe its a little over 3 more years.
#42 CHAZ:
Chaz be nice now,dont be so truthful,at least beat about the bush please
7 Aug 2008, 23:00 pm
#42 CHAZ:
#43 Hurricane:
No, there is more.
I can quickly think of golf (Els, Goosen, Player, Immelman etc), quite a number of World champions at boxing through the years, 2 world champions at surfing, world domination in the sport of surfski paddling, not too bad at swimming with some world records and Olympic golds through the years, a formula one motorracing champion, a world motorcycling champion, amongst the best in the world with ultra marathon running, Olympic gold in Marathon running, world champion in downhill mtb racing etc.
The overall achievements across all sports are probably a bit better then NZ’s I would guess.
7 Aug 2008, 23:40 pm
#44 Robzim:
Hey Rob.
Olympic medals through the years.
South Africa (until 1960)
Medals Won
Gold: 16
Silver: 16
Bronze: 21
South Africa
Medals Won
Summer
Gold: 4
Silver: 8
Bronze: 6
New Zealand
Medals Won
Summer Winter
Gold: 33 Gold: 0
Silver: 14 Silver: 1
Bronze: 30 Bronze: 0
7 Aug 2008, 23:48 pm
#14 Hurricane: Apparently playing the 5th ranked team in the world was a little too much for you guys? So I guess its puts our achievements into perspective.
7 Aug 2008, 23:54 pm
#36 BlackPanther: Neutral refs? Ha! As neutral as yours were! Just because yours didn’t speak Maori didn’t mean they were not wearing black underpants! And the ref in the flour bomb game was as biased as they come. In fact, then (as now) the Boks were subject to dodgy decisions all the way through the series!
8 Aug 2008, 00:02 am
#46 SjamBok:
Hi Sjam.
France did hold us out for a long time in that game and won,something SA havnt done for a while before the RWC.5th rank team in thew world was to good that day as they have been against SA many times in the last few years.France have to be the worst/or have the worst luck in RWC history with us.
8 Aug 2008, 00:02 am
#25 BlackPanther: The mid week games were played by dirt tracker and not the first team. That means less than nothing to me.
“But for a 2nd-half hat trick by Mordt, you would have had your asses handed to you.” LMAO!! Only your inbred, unthinking, irrational Kiwi superiority complex and disdain for anythingnot Kiwi could say that! Was Mordt not a bok? I assume someone gave him the ball, or did he just go and take it from the AB’s himself? Did the rest of the Bok team go off for tea while whe was scoring said hat trick? That makes it all the more impressive. Do you even understand how stupid that comment was?
NO my friend, but for your players wearing shoes, being able to catch, and having scored 22 points during the game, YOU would have had your asses handed to you!!
8 Aug 2008, 00:05 am
#47 SjamBok:
Have you ever been kicked out of a RWC game cos of a dodgy call? We all get those calls,lucky you didnt get one all through that RWC,as a matter of fact didnt you get a call that helped you beat Fiji?
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