This is it. The Big One. The day New Zealand and Australia would play a Bledisloe Cup match outside of their home countries for the first time in history. And what a day it would prove to be(The Nav’s Ed Note : Rugby Union's Bledisloe Cup is contested by Australia's Wallabies and New Zealand's All Blacks. It is named for Lord Bledisloe, the Governor-General of New Zealand who donated the trophy in 1931. Once played irregularly every few years, Bledisloe Cup matches now happen annually, and include 'Tri-Nations Rugby Tournament' fixtures between the two sides)
And what a location. Hong Kong. The city of lights, dodgy ‘dai pai dongs’, and never say die taxi drivers
(The Nav's Ed Note : a ‘dai pai dong’ is a local HK open air Chinese food stall. They come in all shapes, sizes, and Chinese cuisine types but they do have one common thread - lashings of Monosodium Glutamate or MSG for short)
After a night on the tiles celebrating Halloween, The Nav awoke to a raging hangover, a mouth that felt like a quarry, and a sense of trepidation about the drinking ahead, because like theatre, rugby is about 4 hours of imbibing in a pre-match build-up, 80 minutes play on the field, and then 8 hours of imbibing afterwards
Having managed to scrounge a ‘Gold Ticket’ to the game from his South African mate - hereto named ‘Yahps’ - who had a high profile in HK rugby, The Nav also managed to scrounge his way into "The Long Lunch" at the Hong Kong Football Club (HKFC) through his other high profile Irish mate hosting the event - hereto named ‘Murphs’
And it was a very long lunch. Almost four hours of beer and rugby stories and banter, interspersed with quite a bit of bad language and as always a magnificent buffet put on by the HKFC. Barbs flew, banter was sharp, and generally good-natured abuse was the theme for the event. But all in all rugby and the Hong Kong food service industry were the winners on the day.
After “The Long Lunch”, The Nav scrounged his way into the New Zealand ‘Sacred Hill Winery’ hospitality VIP area through his good mate ‘Gav’ - a doyen of high living in HK; he of the beige Chinos, first class air travel, and the mantra "Style is Everything!" Several speakers and more beers later, it was time. Time for The Nav to wander his way up to his seat. His mate ‘Yahps’ had said "Great seat man! It’s right on the half-way line so you'll have a great view!". What ‘Yahps’ had forgotten to tell The Nav was to bring oxygen! Up stairs, then escalators, then walkways, through a long tunnel a la the Rome coliseum, then even more stairs climbed, and there it was - section 308, row 29, seat 13. Several hundred feet up
Although The Nav didn't have that telescope normally carried with all of his global navigation maps, equipment, and paraphernalia, the view was stunning and the atmosphere electric. What made the game even better was the banter The Nav discoursed with his new mates Isaac, Patrick, and Benjamin from the Rainbow Nation - late of the Pretoria Rugby Footbal Club. Membership 480
These fab lads had flown up Thursday that week just to see history made, and were flying back to South Africa on the following Monday. A lot of general rugby talk happened, analysis of pros and cons of each of our home nation's rugby playing capabilities - but mostly admiration for the others sporting prowess. We did agree on one thing. Both our countries hate losing to the Aussies. It also transpired that they also knew ‘Yahps’ and had got their tickets - sans that oxygen - through him as well. During the banter The Nav enquired about how these lads were enjoying Hong Kong's legendary night-life
The Nav"Did you have a big night out last night?"
Isaac
"Yes."
The Nav
"What time did you get home?"
Isaac
"I don't know, I didn't look."
The Nav
"Was the sun shining this morning?"
Isaac
"I don't know I didn't look?"
And so the game commenced. Backwards and forwards, across and over, the game swayed from end to end. Until after 80 minutes the mighty All Blacks proved victorious 19 - 14 over the magnificent Wallabies. And then it was on for dinner at the world famous Fung Shing Chinese Restaurant, Ground Floor, 30 Leighton Road, Causeway Bay. Previously named 'The Pine and Bamboo', but called 'The Rat and Cockroach' by one of The Nav's dining buddies because of its great food, dodgy kitchen, and low ceilings
Several hours later, the wine rack emptied, a Maori Haka performed and scaring away all the Cantonese custom, with conversations completed that would never be remembered, this band of rugby roustabouts enjoyed that one thing that brings all rugby-heads together - a sing-a-long. Thankfully the restaurant staff had all gone home and there was just the poor security guard hiding in the back alley. Being a table of Kiwis, Aussies, English, and Irish, the singing was passionate but at times bellicose, with at one stage one wag calling -Wag
“Sing Mick, Sing!”
Mick
"Oh no, but I'm making sh*t up."
Wag
“But you're an Australian! You make alot of sh*t up!"
Finally the meal was finished, the diners were done-in, and we all made our way home to the four corners of Hong Kong. Tomorrow was another day and another story about life in this town of “Buzz”. But this night The Nav would sleep well knowing that the All Black’s had vanquished the Old Wallaby foe, and life would again be fine on the morrow
This is The Nav. Happy to have knocked those Ocker buggers from their high chairs
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