Go All Blacks!!!

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All Blacks game tonight in Dunedin!!! Today I woke up after sleeping in the van on a hill overlooking a very nice beach. I forgot what the beach was called, but it was a surfing beach, it had big waves that broke really nicely. I woke up, but on the shoes, changed clothes, and walked down to the beach on a path though plants and shrubs. The sand was really fine and soft. It was very quite, the only sounds were the waves crashing onto rocks. I got back in the van and drove into town. I picked up my ticket to the game in the afternoon for a little over $50 and hung out in dunedin for awhile. I bought snorkling gear for 9 bucks, I plan to use it in the Bay of Islands when it gets warmer.

The game was amazing. The new haka was incredible. It was great because the players never told anybody that they were secretly practicing a new haka for the past few weeks. It seemed like the entire rugby world heard that haka because it was on the news for days to come. The haka had motions of slitting throats, big eyes, sticking out tounges, etc.... the whole nine meters, haha. When the haka starts, everybody goes nuts, anything goes, beer cans thrown up in the air.... all hell breaks loose. However, after about 10 seconds, when everybody realised that it was a new haka it became silent for the rest of the time. After everybody quited down I could actually hear the players yelling out the new lyrics. They not only changed the movements, but the words also. When I could hear the haka from the players themselves, not from the speakers it game me goosebumps. I was surprised that I would be able to hear them from so far away. It was faint, but it was their voices without a doubt. This was to be a huge game because the All Blacks had to win in order to keep thier Tri-Nations Tournament Championship hopes up. South Africa barely beat them in S.A, now it was our turn. S.A has not won in Carisbrook Stadium in a very very long time, if ever, I believe.

The game started and everybody was yelling out rediculous things to the players and the ref. It was the first time I had seen 6 packs of beer being sold in a stadium. You bought a 6 pack of Stienlager instead of cups or pints of beer, totally different culture. I talked to the gentleman sitting next to me during breaks in the game. He lives and works in Dunedin and explained a few more things to me about rugby. The game was very exciting. The All Blacks are an amazing team but they had their hands full. The All Blacks scored their game winning try at the end of the game on my end of the field. It took about 7 attempts to get the ball about 10 meters. The S.A. defense was strong. Finally we got the ball in after many tries with only a couple minutes left, Carisbrook exploded. Everybody threw their beer cans in the air and celebrated. The game ended and we won 31-27. If we beat Australia in a week in Auckland than we win the tournament!

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Photos

The brand new HAKA!!!
A new haka was done by the all blacks before this game that had never been seen before. It was very special and everybody was amazed. I could hear them all from far away in the stands.

National Anthem Singing
Here are all the players standing while both national anthems are sang.