A holiday - hooooray. Well not really when you don't have to go to work. We have a new Governor Generals flag to celebrate this years Queens Birthday. The previous one was designed in 1931 however, me being me, who believes our country's national colour is BLACK, is unimpressed that our colour BLACK does not feature.
The Governor General, Anand Satyanand, with the re-designed flag.
More importantly the Crusaders - Waratahs was a great game with the 'Tahs' going outside their usual game plan and deciding to play some high risk stuff that almost paid off. It would have been a travesty if they had won, but still they were certainly the second best team.
One of the more bizarre incidents was at the end when one of the Crusaders' promotional steeds ridden by "knights" before the match, broke from its tether behind the Crusaders' mock castle when fireworks were lit at the end of the game. Cortezz, who normally rides out solo, ran over the castle drawbridge and galloped around the field between celebrating players and team officials.
A bizarre scene developed as people chased Cortezz around the pitch while fireworks continued to explode and players continued to celebrate with one eye warily fixed on the rampaging steed. But he was taken in hand and everything worked out OK.
Leading on from that game was the naming of the new All Black team which doesn't have Keiran Read in it. Odd decision.
The Irish test in in Wellington this week. One would presume one way traffic but on past performance the Irish usually rise to the occasion.
The Vietnam Vets got the welcome they deserved this week. I objected to our decision to support the Yanks in Vietnam and believe I was proved correct in the long run but the way we treated people who did their duty at Government instruction was lousy. The people who should have been abused was the Holyoake Government of the day.
