'Mad Dog' after another All Blacks scalp
BY MARC HINTON IN LONDON
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Lewis Moody is so terrified of spiders he had to take an "arachnophobia course" lest he suffer a perpetual hazing at the hands of his team-mates. All Blacks, it turns out, don't worry him quite so much.
The 30-year-old England flanker, universally lauded as the only form player to emerge from the opening two tests of the season, is a rare Englishman to have tasted victory over the All Blacks. He did so in 2002 at Twickenham and Jonny Wilkinson played in both the '02 and '03 wins over New Zealand.
Hooker Steve Thompson, a reserve tomorrow, also played in both matches while flanker Joe Worsley came off the bench in the '03 victory in the capital.
The rest are either new to facing the All Blacks, or have played their part in a seven-test losing streak at the hands of the New Zealanders since.
Moody, who very nearly quit the game after an 18-month spell out with injury, respects the All Blacks but knows when you get your side of the equation right they can be toppled. He scored his first try on Twickenham in the '02 triumph over Jonah and co and still counts it as a career highlight.
"You know that whatever All Blacks team you face, they're going to be hugely talented, and bring that physicality, that ruthlessness. We know the challenge is huge and we go in as massive underdogs. But I'm just looking forward to the chance to play one of the best teams in the world."
The man they call 'Mad Dog' also has a message to his team-mates on what it will take to send the Twickenham faithful home happy.
"You have to leave everything of yourself on the pitch, every little bit of energy. You can't come off that pitch walking, you've got to be sort of on your hands and knees knowing you've done everything you physically can.
"If we do that and come off then with a win, fantastic. But if we come off and we've lost, yet we've given everything we can, you still hold your head up high."
There's plenty of respect between Moody, who earns his 55th test cap tomorrow, and his opposite Richie McCaw. McCaw several times this week noted the Englishman's reckless disregard for his own welfare and called him a player who "gives it everything".
Responded Moody: "He's a master of his art, one of the best 7s in the world. Just his technique, his ability to get over the ball and constantly be a nuisance is what's kept him there over the years."
Still Moody, who's not a big fan of heights either, will take McCaw any day over an arachnid.
He finally dealt partially with his "irrational" fear when he attended the course a couple of years back and was forced to hold a tarantula. Now the smaller spiders he can deal with... still not so much the big ones.
"I used to hate it, and the lads found it hilarious," said Moody from the England team's Surrey retreat. "They'd find a spider in the changing-room and chase me round with it, or put it in my boots. I had to sort something out, otherwise it was going to annoy me forever."
Now, about those All Blacks...
- © Fairfax NZ News
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Ex All Black fan you are laughable so we didn,t win the world cup and Graham henry kept his job so are you going to spend the rest of your life sulking about it like a pathetic litlle five year old get over it.
Your posts are getting boring in a hurry.
ex all black fan - you are an idiot - ha ha ha ahha aha ah ahaaahhaha you make me laugh - henry for ever
Wow Ex All Black Fan #2 Im sure you'll be sorely missed.Seeya!
only complacency to worry about, ab's should be too strong all over the park. 15-20 point win. To the ex all black fan, move on. Graham henry is the coach and robbie deans isnt. You cant change that, presumably your a kiwi, so support your team. I still find the wayne barnes effort in 07 disgraceful, but the reality is it cant be changed, just like the hand of frog. So flush the dunny and move on!!
Maybe EABF is a White Knight supporter having a groundhog day delusionally re-living circa 2002-2003 which, despite being like a boil on the backside of rugby history, grows grander by the passing year?
Bit like the 66 Soccer World Cup really.
#2 ExAllBlackFan, Looks like you have a big chip on your shoulder and maybe you are still bitter because Robbie did not get the job. Henry will finish the season with the ABs in the number 1 spot on the IRB rankings. Will see who is laughing then
Growing up playing sports you learn that to underestimate anyone is a mistake that can cost you dearly, and also that no-one is unbeatable. You get plenty of chances to be on both sides of that coin and learn the lesson well. The Poms know that and so do the All Blacks. It will be another great contest at the huge ground the Poms like to think of as rugby headquarters. I hope the boys get their attack to click. It's time for some tries.
Dan #1 -Many international rugby fans consider it 'laughable' that NZ (under Graham Henry) always have an excuse when they lose...either the Ref is incompetent or the opposition is 'cheating'...or if its South Africa they are playing 'boring, negative rugby'...despite the fact that they score more tries than the precious All Blacks do! Now Graham Henry fans are what I'd consider'laughable'!!!! P:S no mention of 2003 win over NZ Dan?
It is so funny how whenever England lose there is always an excuse; they had players injured (because that only happens to England), they didn't bring their best team, its the end of a long season, it's the middle of the season, it's the start of the season etc etc.
However, even though the 2002 team that Mitchell took north was an experimental 'B' side, the Poms rate that as a great victory. Moreover, even though it was not New Zealand's best side they still cringe at how they lost to a team as pathetic as England. Laughable.
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Im no fan of Englands rugby side, but Henry is up there as an excuse master. In fact every time the ABs lose he waxes on about wanting yet another rule change. He wants all the rules tailored to the ABs style rather than using his vast coaching experience to adjust his own teams style of play. He and his coaching team have moaning about the Italian scrum, if it had been the other way round he would be saying his props were playing smart, tricks of the trade etc. Castrogiovanni gave the ABs front row a lesson.