Memories of Bledisloe

In 2000, in front of 109,874 spectators jammed into Sydney’s Stadium Australia, Jonah Lomu landed the tenth try in a nerve-racking Bledisloe match beating Australia 39-35. Swerving in towards his wing opponent, Andrew Walker, drawn infield in defence, stepping wide again and surging over for the final score of the game, asked how he felt, Lomu whispered: “Relief more than anything else. Hopefully, we did the country proud.” He did, and also the game. It was, as the headline writer penned: “The Night Heaven came to Earth.” In 1931, New Zealand’s Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe, presented the ornate, metre-high silver trophy for perpetual rugby battles between the Anzac nations. New Zealand won the first, 20-13.