On Saturday the 9th of April, me (Well I am an Alternative Rock type of person but Pops thinks that I like Heavy Metal so fair enough) and Pops left Wanganui to go to the Windy City of Wellington (The capital of New Zealand) but 1st we had to go through towns such as Kaitoke, Whangaehu, Turakina, Bulls, Sanson, Himatangi, Foxton, Poroutawhao, Levin, Ohau, Manakau, Otaki, Te Horo, Waikanae, Paraparaumu, Mackay, Paekakariki, Pukerua Bay, Plimmerton, Mana, Paremata, Porirua and Johnsonville and after 3 years (Well I have never been to Wellington since 2013) we have finally reached Welly (Well Pops hasn't been to Wellington since last year).
So 1st up we went John & Lim's to stay for the night (Well I saw a relay for life event that they ran for 24 hours as well as seeing the movie set for that upcoming Scarlett Johansson movie but no it is a remake of the 1981 film Goodbye Pork Pie as the whole city was in lockdown at the moment) but 1st we went to the St James Theatre for lunch where I had a Salmon with bread before we went back to their apartment to watch the Crusaders play the Western Force and the Crusaders almost lost the game with their 20 points to 19 and after that we went for a walk to see both the Thai festival and the relay for life that I mentioned before but an Argentinian rugby fan saw my Lionel Messi Argentina football/soccer jersey saying vamos Argentina or vamos Jaguares, well I laughed about it. Then me, Pops, John and Lim had a look at the giant orc then I had a quick look at EB Games then it was dinner time because we had a feed at Little Penang (Well I had the mee goring because I really like noodles). And then back to John and Lim's apartment to prepare our formalities such as putting the FC Barcelona scarf round my neck as well as getting my new All Black jacket on then Lim drove us to the railway station all the way to the game (Although we made buns with mustard so John had to get the ham) and we were at Westpac Stadium (My 3rd visit to that venue and 1st since 2013 during the Better Home and Living was held where I had lunch there) already but John has got 3 e tickets that required to be scanned and so here we are by finding our seats on halfway to watch my 2nd super rugby match, this time it's the Hurricanes taking on the Jaguares of Argentina so let's see how it unfolds between the 2 sides in the 2016 Super Rugby competition:
1ST HALF
START: The away side, wearing orange jerseys, start the game.
2ND MINUTE: Sanchez appeals for a penalty to the 22 after a Canes player joins the ruck incorrectly.
1 MINUTE LATER: A promising build-up comes to nothing when a carrier is caught not releasing as the Jaguares definitely look as though they have come to play.
2 MINUTES LATER: Neither side has managed to respect possession very well so far, but we're almost going end-to-end.
3 MINUTES LATER, MISSED + PENALTY: A relatively simple one for Beauden Barrett, who is central-ish and not too far from the try line, but it is hooked.
2 MINUTES LATER, TRY: And Beauden Barrett scores! Ardie Savea picks up the ball from a turnover, poor recycling from the Argentineans, and it is collected on the slide by Barrett whose momentum and greasy surface takes him over the line.
1 MINUTE LATER, CONVERSION: Barrett from close to the left sideline has no problem with the more difficult shot of the two so far.
5 MINUTES LATER: Jaguares continue to show their intent to go at the Canes. A (slow) scrum on their own 22 is an obvious chance to clear, instead they run the ball through the backs.
1 MINUTE LATER: They get well over the half-way before spilling the ball, though an offside advantage was looming.
1 MINUTE LATER, YELLOW CARD: Uh-oh! Ardie Savea is sent for 10 minutes for collapsing a maul in a dangerous situation.
1 MINUTE LATER: Jaguares' first attacking lineout is promising, it brings a penalty and maybe wasn't too far away from being a penalty try. The second is messy, but they'll get a third shot on the edge of the 22.
2 MINUTES LATER, TRY: Leonardo Senatore emerges from a pile of bodies, he managed to force his way over from the back of the ruck.
1 MINUTE LATER, CONVERSION: Sanchez nails it from the left sideline.
2 MINUTES LATER: Matias Moroni hacks forward a loose ball that TJ Perenara cannot control. He leads the chase and traps Jane inside his 22, but the promising moment goes to waste when the chasing defenders fly off their feet at the breakdown.
5 MINUTES LATER: Boffelli gets his hand to a Laumape pass, he really should have held the intercept. He would have been away and not many would have the speed to catch him with a start.
2 MINUTES LATER, TRY: This time they do manage an intercept try! Moroni seizes a pass from Perenara, who was under pressure and should have held on.
1 MINUTE LATER, MISSED CONVERSION: Sanchez can't curl this one back from the right flank.
5 MINUTES LATER: Perenara makes a break but can't find any support...it is dealt with for now...
1 MINUTE LATER, TRY & CONVERSION: Barrett sends Blade Thomson through a hole and the big man's long, looping pass for Julian Savea brings a try in the corner. Some rare lapses from the Jaguares as Barrett's left sideline conversion sneaks in at the near post.
1 MINUTE LATER, TRY: Perenara breaks down the short side and dinks the ball forward. Chasing is Savea and he slides over the line with the ball in his grasp. Almost a carbon copy of Barrett's try! Lethal!
1 MINUTE LATER, CONVERSION: Barrett keeps his cool from the left sideline. What a swing at the end of the half!
HALF-TIME: That will be a bitter pill to swallow for the tourists on their first experience of Super Rugby in New Zealand. They were the better side for much of the half, but were hit by sucker punches.
And it was half time (During the 1st half I had some ham with buns with mustard) so I had to go to the toilet and guess who I saw, Nehe Milner-Skudder because his right arm was injured during a game against the Blues as he was walking with a broken arm and after I went to the loo, the 2nd half was about to start so let's see how it unfolds during the 2nd half:
40TH MINUTE: 2nd half kick-off
4 MINUTES LATER: Scrum penalty against the Hurricanes. The Jaguares have had some success already from punting the ball to the corner, what can they conjure here?
1 MINUTE LATER: Not much momentum on that attack, and the Jaguares turn it over.
3 MINUTES LATER: A great opportunity goes to waste for the Jaguares when the ball goes wide. Pablo Matera drops it cold with an overlap.
1 MINUTE LATER, PENALTY: Dane Coles and Savea combine down the left to break up-field and the Canes almost go all the way. The ball trickles in touch eventually under the arm of a supporting player before Sanchez reduces the deficit after a break in play.
4 MINUTES LATER, NO TRY: Could that be the pivotal moment of the night? Landajo runs away from the ruck and attempts an inside-ball, but it is telegraphed and intercepted by Brad Shields. He has just enough momentum to get over the line. But! The TMO overrules because of a foot in touch from a Jaguares player a phase earlier. Controversy!
2 MINUTES LATER, TRY: Barrett drops off Coles and he shows his speed to sprint over from 20 metres.
2 MINUTES LATER, CONVERSION: Beaudy Barrett drills it, midway between the posts and the right touch.
2 MINUTES LATER: Some pushing and shoving between both sets of forwards here. It came from innocuous penalty. This is a theme of the Jaguares' games it seems! It's nothing more than handbags.
1 MINUTE LATER: The infringement is deemed to be a Jaguares one. The Hurricanes kick to the corner.
2 MINUTES LATER, TRY: A scrum won against the head, on the Jaguares' line! The ball is spread to Halaholo, who launches a beautiful spinning pass out to Julian Savea for the hat-trick. Welcome back, Julian!
1 MINUTE LATER, MISSED CONVERSION: Barrett hooks it from the left edge.
2 MINUTES LATER: Jaguares turn it over in a good position, can they put themselves back in the hunt for at least a bonus?
4 MINUTES LATER, TRY: Landajo darts to the blind side from the scrum after Julian Savea moved in-field. Clever.
1 MINUTE LATER, CONVERSION: Straight as a dye from Sanchez, from the right flank.
2 MINUTES LATER: Sanchez with an uncharacteristic mistake. He goes for the corner flag with a big touch-finding penalty, but he can't make it. Savea pats it back in.
1 MINUTE LATER, TMO
1 MINUTE LATER, NO TRY: Sanchez puts Paz through a gap from a scrum and he looks destined to score. He reaches out, but the ball is dislodged. Credit Otere Black.
1 MINUTE LATER: Landajo pops up a ball from the back of the scrum, it is a mile forward. Boffelli thinks he's scored.
3 MINUTES LATER: With that decision going against the away side (correctly), their challenge looks to have fizzled out.
1 MINUTE LATER, TRY: Bonus point restored! Ben May crashes over Landajo from the back of the ruck to score.
1 MINUTE LATER, CONVERSION: Barrett adds some gloss to the scoreline.
FULL-TIME: It sounds comprehensive, but this game really could have gone either way 10 minutes ago. A harsh lesson for Jaguares on their New Zealand debut.
And after that, we walked all the way to the apartment to spend our night there, then the next morning we headed to Drexel's for breakfast (Well I had to visit the film set once more) where I had pancakes with bacon, scrambled eggs and hash brown before we headed back to the apartment and said goodbye to both of them and then we headed off to Murray Gray's in Johnsonville to see him and his Filipino partner Viluz and we had a chat there just before we headed back home (We filled some petrol there in Bulls while I bought a diet coke because I was getting thirsty) and we headed to 15A Kells Avenue (AKA Poppa's place) where we had noodles for lunch before I went back home to end a beautiful trip it was.
P.S. Some Great news: Pops told me that we are coming back to Wellington to see the world champion All Blacks (They are the best in the rugby world) play against 2015 Rugby World Cup quarter finalists Wales (Who lost to South Africa then they lost to the AB's) coached by New Zealander Warren Gatland (And man, these tickets are totally expensive than the Hurricanes one but this should by my 1st All Black game that I'm going to and for Pops, it's his 1st in 2 years where he and the late Nan went in Argentina to see them play against Argentina) and what about the lunch & dessert that I had as well as winning last card by getting a massive clean sweep for the very 1st time in the series it was.
