‘Eskimo Nell,’ communal baths not in All Black repertoire

Press, 21 November 1979, Page 38

‘Eskimo Nell,’ communal baths not in All Black repertoire

NZPA Exeter Last year’s touring All Black side—at least until Bridgend—was dubbed the league of gentlemen. This year, the All Blacks are so quiet that they are becoming known as the anonymous All Blacks.

It is not a name which' fas yet appeared in print, but one Fleet Street journalist, perhaps frustrated at the lack of incidents on tour,, eaid the only reason it has tot is because there is -o Ittle to write about the side.] In Glasgow a fortnight ago, Graham Mourie and Andv Haden were interviewed over lunch by a woman reporter from the local afternoon ; per. It was tot a sports story she' wanted — she was after the behind-the-scenes story of the All Blacks. She was astonished and disbel'eving when Mourie told her that Al! B'acks do not fit the British rugby; Image of players having communal baths and singing bawdy songs like “Eskimo Fell” or “The Good Ship Venus" before, during and after they drink themselves Into insensibility.

1 She was so sceptical that she asked two New Zealand: reporters sitting nearby. When the journalists agreed! with Mourie, she accused' them of protecting the Alb Blacks. This side needs no protec-; tion from inquiring report-; ers. It is almost too good to be true. Last year’s team was quiet, but this year’s makes it look like the Lions of 1968. wreckers and all. Rugby is not the main sport in Britain and the British writers have to get big stories to get any space: in their papers. Apart from: team announcements and . match reports, barely a line ' about the All Blacks has: been written. Even Brian Ford’s noisy: exit from a disco in! Edinburgh would have' escaped the notice of all but I the most inquiring reader.; That story never rated more than four paragraphs in i

British papers, and they! ! were related only to thel : court case. : None of the stories com-: 'mented on the merits or : otherwise of Ford’s Saturday (night fever, whether he was provoked and whether he (should have been sent home. The story died almost at birth. The only other excitement on the tour came after the first match when the London captain, Chris Ralston, harshly criticised Ford for a dangerous tackle and the (referee Jimmy Dinsmore, for | not seeing that and other (transgressions, reai or irnag- ! ined. That story did not (have lasting qualities, either. Haden yesterday admitted : he had drunk three pints of I beer on tour. About half a 'dozen of the other 25 play|ers have been seen in bars ;— spending half an hour over one warm beer and i leaving.

Dozens and dozens of cam of Leopard have been given to the team, but the ful cases still stand untouchec in the team rooms in each hotel. The players are adaman; that no harsh, or even soft rules on drinking have beer laid down by the team’; manager, Mr Thomas. “W< just don’t feel like drinking,” Haden said. “If wt wanted to, we could. I think it reflects a general trend ir New Zealand away from the old guzzling days.” The players were given t general lecture on behavioui after Ford’s night out bui Mr ■ Thomas said that discipline was more self-in-stilled than laid down b\ him. “They know what’s ex pected of them,” he said. “ don’t have to stand ovei them and they don’t expec, me to.”

> As last year, the team sets itself rigid standards of I dress in hotels, which I mostly long ago gave up ' insisting that guests should dress for dinner. Other rugby teams may wander into dining rooms in i shorts or tracksuits, but not ; the Al! Blacks. But even the. > All Blacks were somewhat dismayed last Friday in 11- > kley when they found the dress of the day for dinner was their “number ones". Peter Sloane laughed it off as a mistake when the play- ( ers stood out as the best- . dressed men in the room. If the off-the-field dis- ] cipline and self-control was . matched on the field, these ' AH Blacks would be worldbeaters. '! But cynics suggest that if .'the tour had included Wales .it might not be so troubleJfree.