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Former All Black would rather pick up dog s*** than watch England play
By Ian Cameron
A former All Black has said he’d rather have picked up dog excrement at his local park than have watched England’s Rugby World Cup semi-final against South Africa.
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The Springboks edged past Steve Borthwick’s men in sodden conditions in the French capital, a game which was dominated by aerial brinkmanship, a high-stakes kick chase game and plenty of forward grunt.
Yet while it was low low-scoring affair, the consensus on the ground was that it was a tense, edge-of-your-seat thriller which was hard to take your eyes off, right up until the final whistle was blown.
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However, not everyone was happy.
Former New Zealand scrumhalf Steve Devine, speaking on SENZ radio in New Zealand, said he felt sorry for fans who paid ‘good money’ to watch England’s 1-point loss to the defending world champs.
“I hate England. Their whole game,” said the ten cap All Black. “I honestly would have rather gone down to my local dog park and picked up s***.
“That’s how exciting I found that. If that wasn’t the World Cup semi-final, that would have been the worst game of rugby ever played,” continued Devine.
Devine was asked how much interest there would have been in the semi-final in Paris if it hadn’t been a World Cup match and he said: “There wouldn’t have been any. I feel horribly disappointed that people paid good money for those seats.”
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Devine’s hatred of England seems very real and a quick check of his Test career might point to an underlying cause.
In his ten Test career, Devine had just two losses, and they both came against – you guessed it – England.
He made his debut as part of an All Blacks end-of-year tour back in 2002 against England in Twickenham and lost to Clive Woodward’s side 31-28.
He got his chance for revenge when England toured New Zealand and Australia a year later in June 2003. Unfortunately for Devine, he lost that one too, with the All Blacks going down 15-13 in Wellington. England went on to win the Rugby World Cup, a tournament which also saw the end of his own journey as an All Black.
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It leaves the former Blues player as maybe the only New Zealand test player ever to have played more than one test against England and still have a 100 per cent losing record against them.
It’s certainly an opinion. Not that anyone here feels that is worth the ‘paper’ it was written on.
England is boring. He pointed out the obvious.
Sorry. All that stories, Rugbypass offers are such a rotten cheddar cheese. I really dont know, what some authors aim. Poorest level. I am loking forward for a huge final and I was surprised about England. They did what they can do in the semifinal very well. I spported SAF for that match in the stadium, but it was 80 minutes crimetime with a lucky winner, but not undeserved. Wheather wasn't easy. England managed it better. A lot of Newzealander was in the stadium too. They were very fair. Good sport spirit. Really a lot of french and England supporters was awkward. Thats what I saw and heard in the stadium. I saw all knockout games in Paris 1/4 and 1/2 finals. All that rugbypass-stories, you can forget. P.S I am european..
Is he related to Matt Williams or Ben Smith?
Another trash comment from an All Black. New Zealand geographically is isolated, and apart from Australia,has very little in common with it’s neighboring countries. They pine for mother England, as is evidenced by their adherence to King Charles and the British commonwealth. Insulting England is just a cry for attention, and New Zealand and Australia cling stubbornly to their “Britishness” ! In fact, South Africa rejoined the commonwealth in 1994, and embraces rugby, cricket and colonialism! All this current online tirade against the “northern hemisphere “ is a cry for attention!
Not sure who is worse. The all black who made a stupid coment, the author who gave the comment volume, or you for your anti new world comment.
Maaaaan clickbait is annoying… we all know it’s tripe but we all keep clicking.
As a side, it is amazing how the NZ and SA rhetoric has changed since France and Ireland were knocked out… tails are up and the trash talking begins… Yawn…
The trash talk was going on already: Both Ireland and France were “arrogant” and also “shite”. When we lost it was “go home and let the big boys play”. Hopefully, NZ/SA will have more respect in the next world cup where there could be 5-6 contenders. You might get away with it when you are alone at the top. Not with other witnesses there and it hurts you when other rugby nations witness it.
Nobody in Ireland will again take seriously the “All Blacks” world rugby masters arrogant BS. They are just cocky New Zealand now.
If I was a dog in New Zealand and thought there was a chance an All Black would pick up my shit I’d be really excited. But if I then found out it would be a total nonentity like Steve Devine I’d be very sad. Come on England, hurry up and play something more to little Steve’s liking please….
Does Steve Devine even have a dog? Whose dog shit is he picking?
Actually sounds like a classless and crass individual, listening back to it. Give me Eggchasers and Two Cents any day of the week!!!
The guys a nobody, this is just stirring up nonsense.
I love how rugby has so many different formulae for victory. Whilst I prefer the running rugby of NZ, Ireland or France the set piece dominated style brings a different flavour to the game
Amazingly, in his very brief All Black career, little Steve Devine managed to play England twice. Those two losses have obviously festered ever since. He did, however, manage to play in an AB team that beat Canada. So presumably they’re ok. But really the only thing that’s dogshit here is little Stevie’s international record (Played2, Lost2) vs. England…
His comments have almost as much value as that of our dear friend Matt Williams, in fact, I’d rather go down to my local park and pick up dog s*!t than listen to any of this…
Another prat with a platform…
Guy likes rugby.
Honestly the lack self awareness of NZ media is incredible.
Piously bullshitting on about keeping their ‘heads down’ and ‘respecting’ opponents when they and their team do the exact opposite.
(Foster chipped in earlier in this vein with his ridiculous comparison of SA-IRE versus NZ-ITA).
Now this righteous fool showing utter disrespect to the England team who were unlucky not to make a final with an excellent perfoemance. Maybe he was in the park picking up dogshit when England hammerred NZ 4 years ago?
All during the world cup NZ continued their fake narrative since the series in NZ that Ireland were arrogant and disrespectful. Substantiation was sledging from POM in the series. Now it was excellent sledging and the victim, NZ captain Cane, was subsituted later in that match. But those poor righteous NZ souls especially McCaw and Fitzpatrick would never dream of sledging! (Both Sledging Masters, I applaud them)
After the whistle was over one of their players mocked the Irish crowd then he and others mocked retiring captain and (whether they like it or not) rugby legend Johnny Sexton. If Sexton mocked the NZ crowd in Wellington he would likely have been tried and sentenced to death in a NZ court!
When the NZ players behaviour to the crowd was put to NZ, all they could manage was more attacks on Sexton. Pitiful shit. When they don’t have Brand All Blacks managing their PR we see the truth.
NZ may not realize it but they will be surprised at how many neutrals will be supporting the Boks on Sunday.
Before any Kiwis call me a bad loser recollect your citing the sledging and cards etc etc before and after the QTR in a match you series 2 years ago.
Tulog you are such a poor loser and you don’t know when to stop. I kindly suggest that you take a break from posting here. All this antagonism can’t be healthy. Meanwhile the rest of us look forward to a great game sat night.
Had any sleep since the ABs put the Paddies away Turdlow?
I didn’t think so…..
I want to know who appointed New Zealanders as the guardians of exciting rugby. They keep on opening their arrogant mouths making enemies all over the world to the point where there will be retaliation and a return of disrespect shown to them. I can see the crocodile tears in their eyes if for example their boring Haka is denied air time because people are sick of it then only to have their players mock the paying spectators after matches.
That's actually a good idea to arrest Sexton when he next tries to visit NZ and not release him until he spends several seasons training our young flyhalfs.
Steve Devine is just being honest, England made not a single linebreak the whole game, not one. The English water carriers made more linebreaks.
The Boks had to sub Libbok off early because he literally had no idea what the English were playing, they'd completely baffled him with their refusal to play any rugby.
Fek me. Do you have to your greiving process on line?
While the game was exciting due to the tension, I cannot stand the cynical way England resort to in games, with Itoje and co the main antagonists. They celebrate winning a scrum or a penalty as if they have won the World Cup. Ridiculous. Their ambition to play ‘rugby’ is nowhere, and they always find fault with someone else. I hope Borthwick builds a team which plays rugby that is decent.
As an Englishman I can confirm a lot of us are fed up with everything you just mentioned too. The problem is English rugby is dominated by Saracens and Borthwick, Earl, Itoje, Farrell are/were all Saracens players and as such England play and behave like Saracens which is to say tedious and arrogant.
That’s Borthwick, but I think the idea is to reinforce moral. It’s disrespectful perhaps to opponents but I think if you’re a NZ supporter you can’t really go there!
You know what was a boring semi-final rugby game?
6-44
Watched every second of 16-15, every second of 28-29. Watched every second of 24-28 too.
At 60m of 6-44 turned over to a rerun of Star Trek Voyager. Made tea several times during 6-44.
??????
100%. Recall also Foster’s rant after the classic Ire-Sa game: a brilliant game that could have gone either way.
That’s inappropriate language to use about any sporting opponent. He’s a nobody. Just given a media platform to sprout nonsense.
Haha he’s wrong of course as RWC knockouts are all about winning good, bad, or ugly but good on him lol. Now cue all the self righteous perfect people . . .
You mean half the NZ rugby watching population?
Who is this guy? And why should we care what he thinks?
Maybe he really likes ***t?
It was a close semi final which made it watchable at the time, but it otherwise it was god awful and a waste of talent.
Not the sort of game you’d bother watching again or at all if you knew the result beforehand.
Semi’s are played to be WON, not to entertain.
Steve who? Is he the guy who played 7s for Oz and then, when the ABs had an opening for a journeyman 9, petitioned the IRB to allow him to be eligible because, y’know, he wasn’t? And then, of course, he was pronounced eligible because we make the rules we break the rules and FU.
Well, Steve-o, please go pick up the dog sh*t. It’s a job tailor-made for you.
Oh can’t wait to hear all the comments about kiwi arrogance here. LOL. I will preempt it he is just one guy not a nation all saying this.
I watched the game it was wet weather rugby. England played within their and those limitations. Not a great game but rugby comes in many forms and it was certainly tense and close in the RWC knockout tradition, which offset it’s rather dour flow. Well done to the Boks for getting through it.
Exactly! Just one guy. This article is just designed to get comments lol.
Btw, this is how I feel as an Englishman. Someone says something and then we all get tarnished with the same brush as one individual.
I do remember Steve Devine back in the blues days. I quite enjoyed watching him play, and he could easily have got more caps if from another's nation.