KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON
The last time the All Blacks lost at Auckland’s famous stadium was the year an 11 year old named Anna Paquin (pictured) became the first Kiwi to receive an Oscar for acting. That was for her role in The
Piano. She went on to make a splash as an adult actor playing sexy Sookie Stackhouse in the vampire television drama True Blood. She is now 37 and so time and history favour the All Blacks holding on to the Bledisloe Cup tonight.
The Wallabies haven’t won at Eden Park for 33 years. When they last met — in August last year — the All Blacks won 42-12.
The winning streak runs 42 matches. The All Blacks last lost on July 3, 1994, beaten by the French, 23-20, thanks to “the try from the ends of the Earth” scored by winger Emile Ntamack.
Sean Fitzpatrick was captain. On one wing was Sir John Kirwan, on the other was a young fella called Jonah Lomu.
Trainspotters will know that the All Blacks have won 84.5 per cent of their 84 matches at the ground and scored
2373 points and conceded 1101. Auckland in 1994 was a different place. Construction had just started on Sky Tower. The drinking age was
20, Les Mills was mayor, homeless people were called “vagrants” and scooters were just for kids.
About 5 per cent of Aucklanders identified as Asian, compared to about 25 per cent now.
In Wellington, Jim Bolger was running the show, still three years away from being rolled by Jenny Shipley, who would become our first female PM.
Two of the most beloved films,
Pulp Fiction and The Shawshank Redemption, were released and it was the year actor Jim Carrey could do no wrong. Ace Ventura, The Mask, and Dumb and Dumber collectively earned more than US$700 million at the box office, which adjusted for inflation is approximately US$27 billion.
Singers Harry Styles (England) and Justin Bieber (Canada) were born and Harry Nilsson departed this mortal coil, aged 52.
George Foreman at 45 became the oldest heavyweight champion and former president and actor Ronald Reagan announced he had Alzheimer’s disease.
Countries wanted in, not out of the European Union. Sweden and Finland voted in referendums to join the crowd. President Bill Clinton called for health reforms and a ban on assault weapons and signed an accord with Russian President Boris Yeltsin restricting nuclear weapons. Monica Lewinsky wasn’t to start work as an intern at the White House until the following year. Women favoured bob cuts, slip dresses and knee-high boots, men looked resplendent in velvet blazers and paisley shirts and — less so — in khaki slacks and boat shoes.
Though for Kiwi men, a black singlet would never go out of fashion.
Now, if things do go pear-shaped tonight, remember that Kiwis quickly bounce back.
Just a year after that French coup, a boat called Black Magic and a team called New Zealand became the first from outside the United States to win the America’s Cup.
And besides, the Aussies may claim the Bledisloe but pavlova will always be ours.