Rugby Union is a magnificent sport, made special by traditions like the one that sees opponents sharing a beer after the game, no matter what went down on the field.
Richard Knowler wrote the following classic story on the Stuff website about opposing hookers in Saturday’s Crusaders vs Highlanders game, Corey Flynn and Andrew Hore, squabbling like “Cantankerous hermits”, but later laughing about it over a beer:
While the Crusaders prevailed 24-8 in a dour match against the Highlanders last Saturday night it was the bickering between hookers Flynn and Hore that lit up the chilly evening’s atmosphere.
If a lineout throw wasn’t straight, or a scrum bettered, their verbal barbs were publicly aired through referee Garratt Williamson’s microphone.
Flynn and Hore warmed up when meeting for a coffee on the morning of the match.
“He’s a big one for having a lot of fun when he is working,” said Flynn, who was in the All Blacks’ 2011 World Cup squad with Hore.
“It is all in jest. We have a dig at each other and then afterwards we have a laugh about it over a beer.”
But Flynn admitted he had to concede to Hore when the Highlanders skipper unloaded his sharp wit upon Crusaders lock Sam Whitelock.
“Sammy was having a bit of whinge about something and ‘Horey’ just gave it to him.
“It was just too good. I couldn’t say anything to back Sam up. I was still laughing when we were getting ready for the next scrum.”
And that is why I sometimes sound like a stuck record when seeing the game change so much in this professional era … Long live the Rugby Union traditions people …
