A Few More Photos

An old fashioned aftermatch at San Francisco Golden Gate Rugby Club
The Boys
The Bay Bridge
The view of San Francisco from Treasure Island

More Photos

Teddy Taylor showing perfect form
Junior Manase shows a clean pair of heels
Mat Gordon scythes through the SFGG defence on his way to a hatrick of tries
Bauro Kairaoi attempts a conversion
Butters is happy with the result

Game v San Francisco Golden Gate

Apologies for the delay in posting on the final game of the tour. A combination of exhuberant celebrating, a long shopping list and family duties on return to NZ meant this was a bit late in going to press.

The game against the US Super League Champions San Francisco Golden Gate Rugby Club kicked off at 1.00pm on Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay.

Straight away, the team knew that this was going to be a different kettle of fish compared to the first two games of the tour. SFGG were made up of some big boys with a fairly liberal sprinkling of ex-pat New Zealanders and Pacific Islanders.

The competition at the collision area was fierce with both teams flying into contact, not always legally. NZU were on the wrong end of a number of penalties early on and consequently were under pressure for the opening stanza.

However, once NZU maintained their composure, their superior speed and back play paid dividends. With Nick Annear running the ship extremely well at 9, NZU began to exert pressure on SFGG with immediate results. Tries to Peter Butterworth, Niki Dow and a brace for Mat Gordon meant that NZU lead 22 - 5 at half time.

In the second half, SFGG again started strongly and pulled within 8 points with the score at 27 - 19 after Guy Schwikkard scythed through the SFGG defence on an angled run. NZU's superior fitness told in the end with Mat Gordon snaffling an attempted chip kick and running the ball in from halfway. Gareth Pottinger crossed late in the game in the left hand corner to end the scoring.
Final Score: 39-19.
Matt Martin scaring the locals
Josh Prendergast lays down the challenge
The backline on it's way

Day 12 - 9th Jan 2010

Short post about the game today as the management team have an appointment at Fisherman's Wharf.

A hard, physical game against the US Super League champions San Francisco Golden Gate but NZU came away victorious 39 - 19.
Points:
Mat Gordon - 3 tries
Guy Schwikkard - 1 try, 2 conversions
Gareth Pottinger - 1 try
Peter Butterworth - 1 try
Niki Dow - 1 try

A more detailed post on the game with photos tomorrow, hangover permitting

Day 11 - 8th Jan 2010

Training day in San Francisco. We bus to Treasure Island which is an old US Navy base in the middle of San Francisco Bay. To get there you get on the Bay Bridge and head toward Oakland. Halfway across you exit and drop down onto the island. The view looking back towards the city would have to be one of the better sights anywhere.

A very shape training at San Francisco Golden Gate Rugby Club. Backs and forwards were switched on and everything clicked.

After training, back to San Fran and more shopping. This time it was the coach's turn to be a one man stimulus package. The list provided was ticked off in good time. Will have to leave a number of old items on US soil so that everything will fit in.

Day 10 - Jan 7th 2010

Early rise for most of the touring squad and a quick walk down to the waterfront to check out the World War II aircraft carrier USS Midway. It is now a museum although the decommisioned warplanes on it's flight deck would probably outgun the NZ Airforce. A huge ship but dwarfed by the brand new aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan that was being outfitted across the bay.

Got to San Diego Airport nice and early but were greeted with the news that San Francisco was fogged in and we would be delayed. Eventually got underway about an hour late.

Arrived in San Fran and the change in temperature was quickly apparent. A drop from about 25 degrees C to around 10. The bus driver was delighted to have a rugby team on board. He was from Samoa and gave us a running commentary of the sights on the way in. Wanted to be our waterboy on Saturday.

It was an eye-opener for the boys to drive through the industrial and lower class suburbs south San Francisco. The driver wanted everyone not to get caught South of Market Avenue (SOMA). The hostel is on Post Street between the suburbs The Tenderloin and China Town. The facilities are really good and only 4 of 5 blocks from Union Square, the heart of the city's financial and shopping district.

After a hearty (and hefty) meal at Lefty O'Touls, the management team went for a walk around the CBD and came across an ice skating rink in Union Square. No one was game to take a shot.

Training tomorrow on Treasure Island. Day of work ahead.

Day 9 - 6th Jan 2010

Last day in Santa Barbara. An early morning training run to iron out any kinks inflicted on the body by Downesy's gym session the day before followed by breakfast and a clean up of the accommodation block.

The four hour bus trip down to San Diego passed quickly with the scenery alternating between stunning sea views and endless strip malls.

Accommodation is in the USA Hostel which is slap bang in the middle of the entertainment district of San Diego - The Gaslamp. The boys scattered to take in the sights and get some dinner. Off on the plane to San Francisco tomorrow. A change of scenery and temperature in the offing following day after day of stunning weather in Southern California.

More Photos from NZU v USA

Richard Taylor hits the line at pace
Sam Kilgour getting up in the lineout
Reinforcements awaiting the call
NZU front row gets down to business
The coaching staff pondering what to have for dinner.....

Day 8 - 5th Jan 2010

Back to work today. A team training in the morning followed by a weights session in the afternoon.

Downesy ran the boys hard in the weights session and a couple of the boys saw their lunch again. Great facilities available to the athletes here in UCSB.

Last night in Santa Barbara before heading south to San Diego. Will be sad to be leaving as we have had a great time here and the locals have been extremely hospitable. Will have to check numbers on the bus to make sure that everyone is on board.

Day 7 - 4th Jan 2010

Rest day after a hard game in the heat. Some sore bodies and heads trudged down to the Pacific Ocean for a recovery session. Water pretty cold but no more so than mid-Summer in Island Bay.....

A free day for the team after the splash in the surf. Most travelled into Santa Barbara again. Another trip to Abercrombie and Fitch by the more fashion conscious of the management team. They love us there.

The UC Santa Barbara students got back from their xmas/new years break today. The fraternity and sorority houses are just as you would imagine if you have watched any movie containing a US college.

Day 6 - 3rd Jan 2010

Game day. Conditions – perfect. Following a rousing rendition of the God Defend New Zealand, the team, led by Michael Ruru, performed an excellent haka to the delight of the crowd. After NZU muffed the kick-off reception, it was déjà vu all over again as the USA under 20’s ran in a try after 2 minutes following a number of missed tackles on the blindside. After some stern words from captain Ben Koch, NZU re-gathered itself and on their first trip into the USA 22, Gareth Pottinger scored wide out on the right after been put into space by Henry Yortt. Guy Schwikkard converted from the sideline to put NZU in front 7-5. After 30mins NZU began to get some return from it’s possession and territorial superiority. Willy Tuikolovatu finished off some powerful driving play from when he dived over the line after NZU had stretched the USA from side-line to side-line with wide passes from touchline to touchline. The try was unconverted. 6 minutes later Bauro Kairaoi scorched into the backline, busted the USA defence wide open after a slick backline move and dotted down under the bar. Guy Schwikkard duly supplied the extra points and the score was now 19-11. With time up in the first half, NZU called a lineout move on the USA 22. Guy Schwikkard sniped down the blind side and Josh Prendergast scored in the left hand corner. The conversion went wide and the score at half time was 24-11. After 5 minutes of the second half, a USA penalty kick missed touch. After stretching the defence to one touchline, the ball was hooked back the other direction and after slick handling by Michael Ruru, Henry Yortt, Willy Tuikolovatu and Gareth Pottinger led to a fine try by Andrew McWhirter. Guy Schwikkard slotted a fine conversion and the score reached 31-11. Twenty minutes into the second half, the game was marred by a serious leg injury to one of the USA players. A halt was called and 30 minutes elapsed before the injured player was removed from the stadium by ambulance. On resumption of play, Richard Taylor charged down an attempted clearing kick from the USA first five and, after gathering the ball on the run, touched down wide out on the left side of the field. The try was unconverted. Score: 36-11. USA dominated possession for the next ten minutes and was unlucky not to come away without any points. After an 80m counterattack, NZU took their opportunity following a drive from a lineout and halfback Nick Annear scored on the blindside after an extremely fast snipe down the blindside. The try was good but the follow through was better with Nick doing a forward somersault in the act of scoring. The try was unconverted and the score was 41-11. With the game into injury time, tired NZU defenders fell off a couple of tackles and USA scored a well deserved unconverted try after sustained pressure. Final score: 41-16. Points: Guy Schwikkard 6 (3 con) Gareth Pottinger 5 (1 try) Willy Tuikolovatu 5 (1 try) Bauro Kairaoi 5 (1 try) Josh Prendergast 5 (1 try) Andrew McWhirter 5 (1 try) Richard Taylor 5 (1 try) Nick Annear 5 (1 try)
Jersey Winners:
Yellow Jersey Henry Yortt
Green Jersey Andrew McWhirter
White Jersey Mitchell Graham
Polka Dot Jersey Drew Hill
Michael Ruru leading the haka Guy Schwikkard attempts a conversion Bauro Kairaoi Alex Tuala Sam Kilgour

Day 5 - 2nd Jan 2010

Recovery day for the boys and they need it. Some very sore bodies after the first game of rugby for a number of months. A short walk to the beach and a dip in the Pacific was the order of the day. By all reports, a rather chilly experience.

The rest of the day was spent in Santa Barbara proper with a number of the boys indulging in some retail therapy.

The management spent their fair share of greenbacks with Paul Downes standing out. There was the memorable sight of him standing in the ladies section of Abercrombie and Fitch furiously texting his partner requesting size and colour preferences.

A quiet evening for everyone. Management had the opportunity to have a few refreshing beverages with their USA counterparts. A good opportunity to make contacts and talk about the game.

After a number of injuries to the loose forwards, the team for the test match against the USA is as follows:
1 Mitchell Graham
2 Henry Yortt
3 Andrew Hill
4 Ben Koch
5 Sam Kilgour
6 Willy Tuikolovatu
7 Tyler Hammond
8 Andrew McWhirter
9 Michael Ruru
10 Guy Schwikkard
11 Bauro Kairaoi
12 Alex Tuala
13 Sam Hall
14 Gareth Pottinger
15 Josh Prendergast

16 Richard Taylor
17 Junior Manase
18 Matthew Martin
19 Mathew Gordon
20 Nick Annear
21 Jesse McLay
22 Niki Dow

Sam Miller, Sione Taufa and Peter Butterworth were not considered for selection due to injury

Day Four - 1st Jan 2010

A new year and an early start to the rugby season for the players. Everybody reported ready for duty at breakfast and the feeling of anticipation within the team was palpable.

The game v US under 20's was held over 4 20min quarters and kicked off at 3.00pm local time.

The US team came out of the blocks with all guns firing and lead 5-0 after as many minutes courtesy of a fine long range try. NZU ground there way back into the game and took the lead after 10mins when Guy Schwikkard slotted his second successful penalty goal. The game ebbed back and forth until Sione Taufa scored a try following a lineout drive. Guy Schwikkard duly converted and NZU went into the first break 13-5 ahead.

In the second quarter, NZU began to show some dominance at scrum time and in general play. After getting close to scoring on a number of times, Guy Schwikkard crossed the line for a well taken try after an excellent backline strike off a 5m scrum. After coverting his own try and slotting another penalty, Guy's personal points tally was 18 and NZU lead at the break 23-5.

NZU started the 2nd half in the same vein as the end of the first and the points began to mount up. Mat Gordon scored an excellent team try after a midfield bust by Niki Dow and Sam Kilgour dotted down next to the posts following some a well executed lineout move. Guy Schwikkard converted the first and Bauro Kairaoi the second of the tries.

As the US team began to tire, NZU began to dominate all facets of play and the game was capped off with a try out wide to Henry Yortt after some skilful interplay between backs and forwards.

The final score was 47-5.

Points
Guy Schwikkard - 20 points (1x T,3x P,3x Con)
Mat Gordon - 10 points (2x T)
Sam Kilgour - 5 points (1x T)
Sione Taufa - 5 points (1x T)
Henry Yortt - 5 points (1x T)
Bauro Kairaoi - 2 points (1x C)
The Team
Captain Ben Koch
Sione Taufa and Peter Butterworth
Peter Butterworth and Sam Hall
Sione Taufa
Jersey Winners:
Yellow Jersey (Player of Day) - Tyler Hammond
Green Jersey (Defensive Player of Day) - Junior Manase
White Jersey (Young Player of Day) - Niki Dow
Polka Dot Jersey (Off Field Acheivements) - Guy Schwikkard

Day Three - 31st Dec 2009

Daylight lets the team see the University of California Santa Barbara properly for the first time. The uni caters for 20,000 students and the facilities are top notch. The campus is parked on cliffs right on the sea and the views are spectacular.

The rec centre area at UCSB contains a couple of 25m pools, about a dozen tennis courts, a gym containing 3 basketball courts, an artificial turf about the size of two rugby fields and an enormous weights room. There is also a stadium on campus where the UCSB basketball and volleyball teams play. Harder Stadium, where we will play the US team seats 11,000. Very impressive place.

After the rain of yesterday, the weather is clear and warm and the boys tear into their two training runs. The morning session is held on a grass pitch and the afternoon one on the artificial turf. The enthusiasm and skill levels are very impressive.
Meal time
Downsey getting the boys to lie about the place in an orderly manner
Catch and pass
Willy T modelling the always fashionable polka dot jersey

Day Two - 30th Dec 2009

A long, long, long second to last day of the year for the team. Arrived at Auckland International Airport at 7.00pm in order to book in and clear the upgraded security measures for flights to the US. Everyone arrived on time although one player, who shall remain nameless, left his passport in the car that dropped him off. A panicked phone call got the car turned around and dropped the passport off. The flight left at 11.00pm local time.

The flight went reasonably quickly and we arrived at LAX at about 2.00pm. As the plane was taxiing to the gate, the stewardess got on the PA and announced to the plane that we were on the flight and wished us luck for the tour. The news was greeted with a round of applause by the other passengers.

Customs was no problems and after gathering up our baggage, we walked out onto US soil proper to be greeted by heavy rain.

Willy Tuikolovatu was the first winner of the coverted polka dot jersey for losing his luggage within 5 minutes of entry into the US. Luckily one of his team mates had taken his trolley to the bus while Willy wasn't looking.

The bus ride, which usually takes approx 2 hours ended up taking 3 and a half due to the weather and traffic jams on the freeway north.

We eventually arrived at our accommodation at about 6.30pm after travelling for 19 and a half hours.

After tucking into a hearty meal, everyone fell into bed to get some well needed rest.