Within touching distance
Crockett backs good Kiwi lads
Here we go again.
Four years on from the nightmare of San Francisco, Team New Zealand again find themselves with a seemingly unassailable lead over Oracle Team USA, just one win away from winning the America’s Cup.
Of course, we all know how it ended in 2013 and you would be hard pressed to find anyone in this country prepared to completely write off Jimmy Spithill and co. Don’t think the fact Team New Zealand are on the brink of reclaiming the America’s Cup has escaped Wyatt Crockett and the All Blacks.
The 34-year-old prop grew up in the tiny South Island town Collingwood and was a keen sailor back then.
Crockett and fellow prop, and room-mate, Charlie Faumuina, were up for All Blacks media duty yesterday, where the state of the America’s Cup was very much on the agenda.
‘‘We’re rooming together so we were up early this morning watching the boys doing the job; it was pretty awesome to see, I s’pose, New Zealand taking on the world and doing an awesome job,’’ Crockett said.
‘‘The whole team, and I’m sure the whole country, are loving it; so we’re as excited as anyone about seeing them do the job.’’
Burling and team-mate Blair Tuke are noted rugby fans and rubbed shoulders with the All Blacks last year, in a social capacity.
‘‘They came in a couple of times and they’re good Kiwi lads and we really enjoyed having them around. It’s cool to see them doing so well,’’ said Crockett.
Faumuina revealed he wasn’t a big one for being on boats, but Crockett is a definite enthusiast. It tends to be in a fishing capacity these days, but that wasn’t always the case.
‘‘I did a little bit of sailing and that growing up, with the old man. Dad was quite keen on his sailing so I got out in the dinghy up in Golden Bay and just remember watching those America’s Cups growing up as a kid,’’ he said.