Start with Cully as this popped up on my FB feed today.
Obviously he was a freak, sublime timing, running lines, strength that seemed to bely his 82kg frame, coupled with that pace and ability to step and swerve to just glide past defences....awesome, shame some of these older clips are such shit quality...but man others that were around him too. Funny though, how baggy thier jersies were back then.
It's hard to fathom he was only around for one world cup. 
I first saw him in a NZ Schoolboys game and he was good, but weirdly enough he looked better as a test player.
And I just got extra angry around 8:44 because Jeff Wilson is in 15 and Cullen is in 14. Excuse me while I go outside and punch the first Australian I see.
Yeah, James Small.
The thing about that Cullen clip, also highlights the ability of that team to pass into space. So many of those assist passes seem to be thrown to nowhere, then Cullen appears at full tit which puts him straight through the line.
Cullens signature try, the Bledisloe one where the Aussies were playing in the vomit jumpers, is just as much down to a great read/pass from Zinny, as it is Cullen.
@MajorRage said in Highlight Clips:
Yeah, James Small.
The thing about that Cullen clip, also highlights the ability of that team to pass into space. So many of those assist passes seem to be thrown to nowhere, then Cullen appears at full tit which puts him straight through the line.
Cullens signature try, the Bledisloe one where the Aussies were playing in the vomit jumpers, is just as much down to a great read/pass from Zinny, as it is Cullen.
Hmm suspected as much from James Small. I remember him as being a dirty prick. Racist sledging etc, too.
Your comments about the rest of the team are completely correct - they created space. Pretty much everyone of them had serious ball skills. Quite some names in those teams too.
Everyone knew how smoothly Cullen ran but I never noticed the length of his stride. Completely different to every other player (usually chasing him).
@MajorRage yeah some of those passes from Merhts were so good, but as I mentioned in the OP, the timing of Cully's run or the angle at express pace was so damn good it made the passes look even better.
Imagine having to choose a team to include that Cully, wouldnt be too many arguments for Ben Smith to 14 huh....
The other incredible thing is how well those back lines played from a shitty first pass from Marshall. Merhts was a magician given how often he had to reach skyward for the ball.
I've mentioned it before but it wasn't until I watched Cully live in that club match at Upper Hutt that I realised how much ground he would cover in the blink of an eye to be in the right place. So many "how the fuck did he get there?" moments.
I blame Deans.
Cullen was my first genuine man-crush. I farking loved that guy and couldn't believe how he was treated by Mitchell. Win/lose/draw, pretty much any game he was in had something memorable.
BB gives me the same feeling. Hope he kicks on a little longer than Cullen, who was effectively gone from NZ aged 27. Fark you again Mitchell/Deans.
Oh yeah that 13, 14 crap was kneejerk bullshit to the 98 season. Apparently Cullen needed to touch the ball more and Goldie was a better fullback. Dickheads.
@Rancid-Schnitzel said in Highlight Clips:
Cullen was my first genuine man-crush. I farking loved that guy and couldn't believe how he was treated by Mitchell. Win/lose/draw, pretty much any game he was in had something memorable.
100% same for me. I wasn't raised in a rugby family and Cully is the reason I started watching rugby, and it seems to consume a lot of my life these days.
@Rancid-Schnitzel at the time I was working in a sports shop, we had a picture of cully on the wall, I don't know that my boss ever realized the poster was for Mizuno boots that the ABs wore at this time, cos we didn't sell Mizuno gear haha
Watching the documentary from earlier on the year on Sky about the 1996 AB series win in SA.
Cullen was in his first year in the team and was just insanely good. Pre-knee injury, he was a monster.
I must try and find those rugby matches in full on YouTube -- there were just all black and springbok greats. Mark Andrews for the Bokke was off the charts good - as good a lock as you'd ever see. Combined with Joost vdw and their monster pack (Os Du Randt), it was a hell of an achievement.
Also amazing to see Zinny kicking a 35 m droppie at a critical time in the series decider ... that guy was just incredible. Skill levels up the wazoo
1 year later
Loved what passed for a big call at the time:
Well, Lee Stensness has played ... good rugby, in my mind.
1 year later
I grabbed this from PR-too good not to share...
Springbok defeats to help you through self isolation
0-57 vs. NZ, 2017:
3-53 vs. England, 2002:
0-49 vs. Australia, 2006:
15-57 vs. NZ, 2016:
and the fights:
@Daffy-Jaffy I like how Howlett was worried that Ralph wouldn't be quick enough to get the ball so ran him and the English defenders down to score the try. 
@taniwharugby said in Classic Rugby Vids:
@Nepia Ralph woulda got there is Dougie wasnt offside
Camera angle man, and he got checked going through.
Sometimes forget how good Mils was as a running fullback back in those days.
@Nepia said in Classic Rugby Vids:
Sometimes forget how good Mils was as a running fullback back in those days.
really? how do you forget this?
@mariner4life said in Classic Rugby Vids:
@Nepia said in Classic Rugby Vids:
Sometimes forget how good Mils was as a running fullback back in those days.
really? how do you forget this?
I just do (early on-set dementia?), maybe because I compare him with the gold standard Rangi (I'm not @Chris-B) Cullen, and remember him as the solid all round fullback he was more than the attacking dynamo.
@Nepia said in Classic Rugby Vids:
@mariner4life said in Classic Rugby Vids:
@Nepia said in Classic Rugby Vids:
Sometimes forget how good Mils was as a running fullback back in those days.
really? how do you forget this?
I just do (early on-set dementia?), maybe because I compare him with the gold standard
Rangi(I'm not @Chris-B) Cullen, and remember him as the solid all round fullback he was more than the attacking dynamo.
Mils is our 2nd best FB is have seen. Great runner, really good at bringing his wingers in to the game. He's the man. One of my favourite ABs of the past 20 years (probably 2nd behind Kaino)
@mariner4life said in Classic Rugby Vids:
@Nepia said in Classic Rugby Vids:
@mariner4life said in Classic Rugby Vids:
@Nepia said in Classic Rugby Vids:
Sometimes forget how good Mils was as a running fullback back in those days.
really? how do you forget this?
I just do (early on-set dementia?), maybe because I compare him with the gold standard
Rangi(I'm not @Chris-B) Cullen, and remember him as the solid all round fullback he was more than the attacking dynamo.Mils is our 2nd best FB is have seen. Great runner, really good at bringing his wingers in to the game. He's the man. One of my favourite ABs of the past 20 years (probably 2nd behind Kaino)
I'd probably go Cullen, Kipper, Mils of the ones I've seen.
Agree with you on Kaino for favourite AB of the last 20 years.
