Kiwis UK Tour Special 6th November 2015 Newsletter #97 No advertisements are paid for in this newsletter. Kiwis Test Débutantes Jordan Kahu Kodi Nikorima Siosiua Takeiaho Tui Lolohea Test débutantes received their test jerseys from former Kiwi James Leuluai. 1st Test - Kiwis vs England New Zealand perform the Haka.. England’s Tom Burgess is tackled by England’s Tom Burgess is tackled by New Zealand’s Sam Moa and Ben New Zealand’s Sam Moa. Matulino. England’s Zak Hardaker facing some Issac Luke on the move. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. formidable Kiwis. Hull Turns It On special guest, and handed out the After representing Auckland and test jerseys. the NZ Maori, he made his inter- INCE THE last newsletter we national debut for New Zealand Sare safely back from France, James was nicknamed The Finish- in 1979 in a home series against where I have to say the Catalan er when he played for the Kiwis, Great Britain and went on to play Dragons looked after us superbly. he was awesome as a player, and 29 tests, scoring 14 tries. the current crop of Kiwis were We were based just outside of Hull hanging on his every word, es- Leuluai played five games in Syd- at the Forest Pines Hotel and Golf pecially after watching footage ney for Manly in 1985, but carved Resort. of him in action, and seeing for his reputation in the England Hull have long association with themselves what a gifted player he competition, beginning with five New Zealand, with many great was. seasons at Hull FC (1981-86). He names of our game having played debuted for the club alongside fel- He is of course the father of Voda- low Kiwis Dane O’Hara and Gary here, men like James Leuluai, Gary fone Warrior and Kiwi Thomas Kemble, Dane O’Hara, Stephen Kemble against Castleford, help- Leuluai, and also the uncle of ing them win the Challenge Cup Kearney, Hitro Okesene, Sam Leeds Rhinos prop Kylie Leulu- Moa, Fred Ah Kuoi, Jason Temu, in a final replay and also finish ai, who played against us in the runners-up on the championship Motu Tony, Sione Faumuina, warm-up match. Iafeta Palea’aesina, Richard Swain, table behind Leigh. Tevita Vaikona, Logan Campbell, And here is a fact for you, I love Hull won the title in 1983 and, Aaron Heremaia, David Maea and the bloke to bits because he even in the Challenge Cup semi-final Hutch Maiava. coached, and this was in 2011, the against Castleford, Leuluai scored Mighty Mangere East Hawks. On the Thursday we trained at the a try that the Yorkshire Post de- Hull club’s training ground, cour- The test dinners are very special. scribed as one of the greatest solo tesy of Hull general manager Motu All the players dress in their best efforts of all time, leaving four Tony, and I have to say the former team gear and it is quite a formal opponents in his wake and racing Warrior and Kiwi could not do do. The table is always set in a half the field untouched. enough for us. square, with the coaches, captains, With Australian legend Peter Ster- co-captains and guest speaker at ling joining the club, Hull finished It was a pleasure to be in his the top table. company because we have a very runners-up again in 1984, before strong bond that goes back to his The players are called one by one falling to Wigan 28-24 in arguably time in the Kiwis in 2005 when to receive their test jerseys, and of the greatest ever Challenge Cup I was the footy manager, and of course this particular dinner will final in 1985, with Leulaui scoring course at the Warriors. be a very special one for our four two tries. debutants. I was mightily impressed by the He scored 20 tries through that number of fans who turned up It is a moment they will never season and in 1986, along with to see the boys go through their forget, that is for sure. O’Hara and Kemble, Leuluai paces at the training session. forced a change in the rules that KIWIS TEST DINNER meant long-serving “imports” no We were also lucky enough to be longer counted as overseas players. the guest of Hull RLFC at their ENGLAND TOUR, 1ST TEST 150 year anniversary dinner, MATCH But by the time his initial stint where the club had flown in one NEW ZEALAND KIWIS with Hull ended, the club had of their favourite sons, the great v slid down the competition table. James Leuluai. It was a fantastic ENGLAND He switched to Leigh on loan for night and a privilege to be includ- most of the 1986/87 season, before ed. JAMES LEULUAI returning to Hull and then played 51 games over two seasons at Kiwi No. 547, 29 Tests (1979-86) Test Dinner Was Awesome Event Wakefield Trinity. Before every Kiwis test a special James Leuluai was born in 1957 test dinner is held, and before the and played his junior football at Continued on next page... first test James Leuluai was our centre/fullback for Mt Wellington. Mad Butcher Club Newsletter Page 2 Continued from previous page... I spent a bit of time chatting to in the camp is good and we have him, and when I left, and went to the chance to redeem the situa- In 1990/91, Leuluai moved to pay, he said there was no charge. tion, with two tests to come. Ryedale-York, before ending his “We can’t charge this man,” he told UK career at Doncaster and re- his staff, “he is too nice.” We have a fair bit of work to do turning to New Zealand, where he that is for sure, because England helped Wellington defeat Auck- It absolutely floored me. I am a won comfortably, and it was a land for the first time in 75 years. 71-year-old man and I have never great performance from them, known a specialist treat me and coming from 10-0 down at one Turning to coaching, he guid- refuse payment before that is for point. ed the Junior Kiwis in 2002 and sure. assisted Daniel Anderson with the Test two is at the Olympic Stadium Kiwis between 2003-05. To be fair, I have had my share in London and England will be of medical problems and you do coming in on a high, and looking He applied for the head coaching meet the odd specialist who is a to wrap up the series. role in 2005, but withdrew for bit toffee-nosed, but Mr English personal reasons and Brian Mc- was completely down to earth. But that is the beauty of sport, Clennan duly led the national side It was a pleasure to meet such a there is always a chance to set the to Tri-Nations success (with me as wonderful man. record straight. manager). Test Fails To Go To Plan Rugby Cheers Us Up In 2007, Leuluai applied again, but lost out to his old team-mate Despite the fantastic build-up the To be fair, there was only one Kemble, who he then assisted. first test just did not go to plan, game at the weekend that captured the Kiwis starting well but wilting the imagination of the nation and in the second half when England that was the Rugby World Cup came out fired up, to run out 26- final, and what a game it was. 12 winners in front of a sold-out Back to back rugby world champi- KC Stadium. ons after our All Blacks smashed Talk about the highs and lows of the Wallabies 34-17. sport. I was so delighted for Dan Cart- Everyone in the Kiwis camp was er. Four years ago he was cruelly over the moon for the All Blacks ruled out of playing the final at English Sort My Ears! after their sensational Rugby Eden Park by injury, and even World Cup final win the day be- though he won a World Cup Such is my bond with Motu Tony fore, but did we come back down medal, the fact he did not play that that he organised something that to earth with bump. final clearly niggled at him. blew me away. I had been having trouble with my ears. It was quite But if Australia taught us some- And he was sensational. painful and I was moaning about thing after that rugby game, it I do not profess to know anything it to him. was to lose with good grace and about rugby, but even I know humility. Well I saw him one morning and knocking over penalties from he said: “In the car Butch.” Before England were the better side and halfway, sideline conversions, I knew it I was being introduced we looked off the pace, that is all impromptu dropkicks and making to an ear, nose and throat special- there is to it. more tackles than any first-five ist named – rather appropriately should have to, made him a stand- - Mr English. The traditional blame the ref thing out. happened pretty quickly, with lots The Kiwis team doctor had done of fans unhappy with the perfor- Wonder where all the knockers all he could for me, but this was mance of the ref, who caned us in are now, you know the ones, those a top local specialist in a private the penalty count, but I thought who were all over Radio Sport clinic.