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This is the latest offering from the local Rag the Irish Independent
By Vincent Hogan
Monday November 10 2008
One of the nice things about the All Blacks coming to town is that they tell us more about ourselves than a whole year of psychotherapy.
When they look at us they see lifelong losers. The bullying gene in their rugby DNA practically froths and bubbles at the threat of losing to opposition of our calibre. In the long history of Ireland and New Zealand playing the union game, that threat has, of course, never been fulfilled.
And the day it is will be the day a group of men in black prepare to go home in ankle-chains.
They have a view of themselves that is routinely validated in competition. Yet, once every four years, they go into spectacular meltdown. And when that happens, rugby has a grin on its face.
Outside of their own, few people love the All Blacks. New Zealand victories are, by and large, statements of power. They smash teams, then run a bus over the bodies. They play through a vaguely malignant strain of intimidation.
So seeing them get nailed is one of rugby's great redemptive offerings. It's like watching the school ruffian pick the wrong fight and end up with a nosebleed.
During the '91 World Cup, I referred to them as having all the "gaiety of gravediggers". Ruthless on the field, they were robotic off it. The description seemed to cause profound offence in New Zealand.
It was the equivalent of setting off a stink-bomb in a church.
Religious analogies aren't inappropriate either. New Zealanders are religious about their rugby. But then they should be. It's pretty much all they've got. Take golfer Michael Campbell out of the equation and exactly what else do they bring to mainstream sport on the global stage?
You may gather that I'm not a fan.
It continues on :
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/co...s-1531014.html