Captain Kirk slams weak-minded Wallabies
By Eljay, 11 Sep 2009 The Crowd is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- Ben Robinson, david kirk, George Smith, Rugby Union, Springboks, Tri Nations, wallabies
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I wonder if David Kirk feels he should have waited just another day, week, or year, before putting his opinions about the current Wallabies into print. Is he sitting in a corner now beating himself up about what seems to have been a seriously ill-timed moment?
The former All Black ’87 RWC winning skipper wrote in last Saturday’s The Sunday Star-Times (NZ) before the Wallabies-Springboks Brisbane Test that the Wallabies were ‘weak-minded’ and ‘consistent losers’.
Yes, he did.
Did Captain Kirk wake last Sunday morning wishing he was some place, any place else, except Australia?
I have news: it seems he was.
Come Sunday morning, Captain Kirk was reportedly in deep space aboard his star ship Enterprise again heading at triple the speed of light to another far flung, safer corner of the dangerous Universe.
Scotty: Ye wrote WHUT, Cap’n?
CK: I know, I know! Can we crank this thing up a bit faster, Scotty?
S: I’ll do m’best, sir, but we’re already warping at double maximum speed – but what on earth possessed ye man? The Wallabies played like madmen. They annihilated the Boks! Did y’see what Ben Robinson did to Jon Smit: popped him up like a bar of wet soap, Cap’n!
CK: God, don’t remind me, Montgomery. I’ve made an absolute arse of myself . . .
S: Indeed, y’have, sir. I mean did y’see Polota-Nau cutting those Springboks in half, time and time again until he broke his neck!
CK: I know. And he’ll be playing again in Wellington on Saturday week! They’ve never made them like that before.
Captain Kirk slumps into the commander’s chair. He speaks in a low, hoarse whisper:
CK: I wrote worse, Scotty – worse. I wrote that Deans and his team have four reasons for their ‘ineptitude’.
S: Good God mon, what possessed ye to say that?
CK: Madness, it seems, madness. If only I’d waited until after the game . . .
S: Aye, wisdom in hindsight, stupidity in foresight – I do know what y’mean, Cap’n.
CK: First, I said they have few world-class players. Second, some ordinary players have played extraordinarily badly.
S: Oh, mon! I canna believe y’wrote that! I mean did y’see the way young Genia marshalled his forwards to steamroll the world champion Boks – and the brilliance and speed of O’Connor. And Giteau, and Barnes – and what about Rocky Elsom?
CK: I did, I did! My words are ashes in my mouth, Scotty. Then I wrote third, they have lost their captain and George Smith, fine player that he is, is not the man to rally a weak team to play above themselves. I don’t think anyone else is either, so I don’t suggest a change, but the fact is Australia lack an inspirational captain when they need one.
S: Y’said that aboot George Smith? The man’s a living rugby legend, sir. He could lead a team if he was a one-legged blind mute just by the inspirational way he plays!
CK: Don’t tell me; I know, I know! And, fourthly, I said the team has demonstrated a quite inexplicable inability to stick to a game plan and do the hard work necessary to make the game plan work.
S: Oh mon, it just gets worse . . . sir! Don’t tell me there’s more?
CK: Yes Scotty, sadly there is – but that’s the gist of it …
[The communications console begins flashing and beeping. Scotty takes the headset and listens intently]
S: Hold on, Cap’n – there’s a message coming through from Australia. Goodness, it’s from the Wallabies themselves.
CK: Aah, no!
S: It’s not as bad as you think, sir: ‘Dear Captain Kirk, thanks for writing that column before we played. Mr Deans read it out to use twice – before we went on to the field. It made us as mad as hell. We’ve each got a copy of it to memorise before the game against the All Blacks in Wellington next week.’
CK: Phew, Scotty; I’m off the hook. As they say in klingon: buy’ ngop! Turn her around, Montgomery, we’re going home!
S: But, Cap’n what if the Wallabies thump yeer beloved All Blacks? Ye’ll be blamed for it, y’know.
CK: Hmm, maybe not. If I write a similar column about the ‘inept’ All Blacks for next week and it stirs them up enough to win, I’ll get all the credit for it, yes Scotty? Win, win.
S: Ye’r a genius, Cap’n Kirk, no doot aboot it!
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September 11th 2009 @ 9:42am
Nashi said | September 11th 2009 @ 9:42am | Report comment
Eljay, loved it, very entertaining read. We just need someone to tell us we are crap for the next 2 years and RWC11 is in the bag!
September 11th 2009 @ 9:52am
Eljay said | September 11th 2009 @ 9:52am | Report comment
You got it Nashi! How about John Eales or Nick Farr-Jones to take turns at it? They hold the same mana as Captain Kirk.
September 11th 2009 @ 9:57am
Nashi said | September 11th 2009 @ 9:57am | Report comment
Eljay, there is absolutely nothing to beat a kiwi telling us we are crap to arc the boys up. How about Fitzpatrick? If Eales and NFJ told us the same thing we would be honour bound to believe them!
September 11th 2009 @ 10:03am
Eljay said | September 11th 2009 @ 10:03am | Report comment
Ooh, that’s a point, Nashi!
September 11th 2009 @ 10:23am
Eljay said | September 11th 2009 @ 10:23am | Report comment
Just another point here: I was encouraged to hear a ‘Wallabies’ chant going up from the crowd in Brisbane last Saturday night. I believe this could be the start of something, at least something better that bloody Waltzing Matilda. I believe there’s some mileage in penning a proper Wallabies chant that could bring the house down – and certainly counter the haka next time we play NZ. The Roar bravely published an article by me in April 08 which deals with that:
http://www.theroar.com.au/2008/04/17/the-haka-lets-do-the-pooha/
I’d be interested in any comments about this.
September 11th 2009 @ 10:27am
Eljay said | September 11th 2009 @ 10:27am | Report comment
I’ll also be interested to see whether the All Blacks do their ‘other’ haka on Saturday night against the Boks, the new ‘we’ll slit-your-throat’ haka, Kapa O Pango. Or have they wisely consigned that to the silly things bin?
September 11th 2009 @ 10:53am
amused said | September 11th 2009 @ 10:53am | Report comment
yeah, his record with fairfax media was “weak minded” and “consistent”ly crap.
i know, i was a shareholder.
September 11th 2009 @ 11:04am
Eljay said | September 11th 2009 @ 11:04am | Report comment
Amused, that’s very clever – and funny! I wonder if the good Captain Kirk has read any of this stuff today?
September 11th 2009 @ 11:40am
jacko said | September 11th 2009 @ 11:40am | Report comment
gold.
September 11th 2009 @ 11:47am
Sam Taulelei said | September 11th 2009 @ 11:47am | Report comment
Ordinarily in the week leading up to a Tri Nations or Bledisloe Cup test there are articles posted from opposing camps suggesting why they think their team will win. It generates a lot of responses and is all part of the fun.
Last week, understandably Wallaby fans confidence was ebbing if non existent and there was a real absence of any bold bravado stating why they think their team would win against SA. This week there has been a curious lack of similar posts from Kiwi fans. I don’t think this shows a lack of confidence from Kiwis as reading most response in unrelated posts the expectation is an All Black victory but without the four try bonus point.
Could it be that we are getting rugbyed out? It’s fair to say that apart from the last two tests, the quality of rugby on show from the three teams has been more underwhelming than before but does anyone else feel like I do, that this season has really dragged on and on.
To quote Kirk’s offsider Spock – it’s illogical.
September 11th 2009 @ 11:57am
Eljay said | September 11th 2009 @ 11:57am | Report comment
Hello again Sam – long time since we exchanged views. I’m certain my article yesterday is not far off the mark: three AB losses so far this season would dent the optimism of any hardy supporters. They’re not quite sure at the moment which would explain the absence of triumphal clarion calls from across the ditch. It’s a pleasant change and just might represent the fact that the Kiwi rugby lovers are getting just a bit real about things for a change.
September 11th 2009 @ 4:28pm
ohtani's jacket said | September 11th 2009 @ 4:28pm | Report comment
It’s difficult to get “up” for Test matches with this extended Tri-Nations.
It’s been three weeks since the All Blacks played and people have kind of forgotten that despite having a rough year they recorded a rare win in Sydney and retained the Bledisloe with two games to spare.
The Tests are spread out so far apart that there’s a “what have you done for me lately?” mentality creeping into the game. Whoever wins gets hyped up and whoever loses is instantly crap. Three weeks ago there were “these Wallabies aren’t good enough” articles, now everyone’s hungry for them to win in Wellington.
New Zealand supporters (myself included) should’ve learnt something from last season when we wrote the All Blacks off early, but we haven’t. Similarly, Aussies fans should’ve learnt something from their losing streak, but as far as I can tell, they’re back to square one.
September 11th 2009 @ 12:19pm
Sam Taulelei said | September 11th 2009 @ 12:19pm | Report comment
Possibly but I believe the guarded optimism is more to do with how the All Blacks will play against the expected aerial assault from SA which was so successful for them in the Republic than just that we’ve had three losses this year. Despite the standard Kiwi rugby fan stereotype, majority of fans can accept a loss if we’ve played to our best but lost to a better team fair and square. Losing two consecutive tests is one thing, but losing it by playing so ineptly is another thing altogether. That has been the theme coming from the All Blacks this week, this is their shot at redemption in acknowledgement of their physical and mental failings in their last two outings against the Boks. The Wallabies showed last week that a desperate team is capable of anything, the question this week is which team is the more desperate.
September 11th 2009 @ 1:09pm
BAS said | September 11th 2009 @ 1:09pm | Report comment
Eljay, im beginning to think that you are a complete myth. I have never In all my life heard of a “Kiwi” who habours so much contempt for his national side and now culture it seems. While alot of Kiwis live overseas (as do many other nationalities) you are definately the first I have ever known to not only drop your support for your country of birth, but actually support one of its biggest rivals – and with passion it seems. If your story is infact true (and its highly suspect), then I feel great sadness for you living in OZ as a Kiwi trying to fit in with all the true wallabies supporters. My only guess is that maybe you have a criminal link somewhere and feel truly at home now…because you are a strange and truly unique species.
September 11th 2009 @ 1:24pm
Eljay said | September 11th 2009 @ 1:24pm | Report comment
Golly BAS – this is starting to sound like love! Can we meet? You’ve obviously read my views on the haka, yes?
September 11th 2009 @ 1:34pm
BAS said | September 11th 2009 @ 1:34pm | Report comment
Ah got ya Eljay – so after being banished from rural NZ- first port of call was Oxford St and youve never looked back – must be heavenly…
September 11th 2009 @ 1:54pm
Eljay said | September 11th 2009 @ 1:54pm | Report comment
No, one always looks back in Oxford Street, BAS; it’s the only way to see them coming. But no again, I actually banished myself from the frigid delights of the NZ countryside after a disastrous relationship. Her name was Baa-bara and she broke my heart. I will never forget her.
For your comfort, BAS, I do exist. Spiro was my English teacher a long, long time ago. Ask him.
.
September 11th 2009 @ 2:10pm
Sam Taulelei said | September 11th 2009 @ 2:10pm | Report comment
Ha, ha, Baa-bara, that’s gold.
September 11th 2009 @ 9:50pm
Eljay said | September 11th 2009 @ 9:50pm | Report comment
BAS: Just to cheer you up a little more:
http://www.theroar.com.au/2009/01/17/no-place-like-home-by-eljay/
September 11th 2009 @ 2:10pm
Eljay said | September 11th 2009 @ 2:10pm | Report comment
‘Baa-bara dear, there will never be another ewe.’
September 11th 2009 @ 2:15pm
Sam Taulelei said | September 11th 2009 @ 2:15pm | Report comment
Eljay that’s shear poetry.
September 11th 2009 @ 2:17pm
Eljay said | September 11th 2009 @ 2:17pm | Report comment
Ha! And I didn’t want to shear Baa-bara with anyone else, I tell you!