taniwharugby2 years ago
#1
Sid was my first Rugby hero along with Beegee Williams. I read an interview once with an English Player who said that their whole gameplan for a test against the All Blacks was 'stop Sid Going'. That's how good he was at controlling and dominating a game. "Going, Going, gone" (if you know, you know). RIP Legend.
Oh no.
My first rugby hero. Which was probably because he was my brother's... and that was probably because he was from Northland.
My memory of him playing is very restricted to kicking a huge penalty v the Boks in 76 and scoring in the first test Lions 77. Just a but too young to remember much else.
Halfback for the Team of the Century IIRC.
Maybe his pass wasn't exactly Laidlawesque but gee he could sniff a gap.
@Daffy-Jaffy
Great effort put into the tries by the ABs, almost as much as the suppression of happiness and reluctance to congratulate your teammates after the scores. Funny times.
Oh that's really sad, bad news. Amazing player and arguably the best running halfback I've ever seen- lethal 10m from the tryline. Hard as nails too.
@booboo said in Sid Going, RIP:
Maybe his pass wasn't exactly Laidlawesque but gee he could sniff a gap.
When he was dropped for Lyn Davis against the '77 Lions, some wags in the media ascribed Doug Bruce's fumbling of his first few balls to being shocked at actually receiving a decent pass from the new 9..
He was an awesome player who was seriously fast - check out from 7:30 below. Watch the whole 20+ minutes and you'll see him taking Gareth Edwards to the cleaners around the scrum and ruck.
@booboo said in Sid Going, RIP:
Oh no.
My first rugby hero. Which was probably because he was my brother's... and that was probably because he was from Northland.
My memory of him playing is very restricted to kicking a huge penalty v the Boks in 76 and scoring in the first test Lions 77. Just a but too young to remember much else.
Halfback for the Team of the Century IIRC.
Maybe his pass wasn't exactly Laidlawesque but gee he could sniff a gap.
Actually, I now recall watching him live. Northland v Romania 1975.
Sid kicked the only penalty in a 3-nil win.
Like others on here Sid was also my first rugby hero. Unsure why. (My other sporting hero was smokin Joe Frazier). I supported North Auckland (as a child) because of Sid but also his brothers too.
RIP Sid
@taniwharugby said in Sid Going, RIP:
You can always rely on Phil Gifford for a completely over the top article about any All Black from that era ( a physique envied by Arnold Schwarzenegger ? Good god, who approves this rubbish ? ) but it does sound like Going was quite the player.
Talking to older family members at a function today they mentioned him and Laidlaw would have been a brilliant one/two punch in today’s game.
@MN5 said in Sid Going, RIP:
Talking to older family members at a function today they mentioned him and Laidlaw would have been a brilliant one/two punch in today’s game.
I think he was one of those players, like Bruce Robertson, who would excel in any era. Tough little bastard too.
Can vaguely remember watching a couple of games at Athletic Park. Was in awe of Sid. Super tricky and hard to tackle. Went home to the Hutt Valley and practiced the back handed reverse pass ala Sid for the next couple of years.
@Victor-Meldrew said in Sid Going, RIP:
@booboo said in Sid Going, RIP:
Maybe his pass wasn't exactly Laidlawesque but gee he could sniff a gap.
When he was dropped for Lyn Davis against the '77 Lions, some wags in the media ascribed Doug Bruce's fumbling of his first few balls to being shocked at actually receiving a decent pass from the new 9..
He was an awesome player who was seriously fast - check out from 7:30 below. Watch the whole 20+ minutes and you'll see him taking Gareth Edwards to the cleaners around the scrum and ruck.
Edwards says best 9 he played.
13 days later
cid:32D964D1-918F-4FF8-9F36-43F8E1EB2DA9@mohikamo said in Sid Going, RIP:
Hmmm. I saw lot of Edwards and Going back in the olden times, I just say this - thru out the early-mid 70's every team the ABs played had a "stop Going" plan - but the ABs never felt the need for a "stop edwards" plan
I had a chuckle at that "and for a time was a serious rival to the global scrum-half supremacy of Gareth Edwards." line too. The only time I saw Edwards outplay Going was the 3rd Test in '71. Most other times it was the other way round.
@mohikamo said in Sid Going, RIP:
Hmmm. I saw lot of Edwards and Going back in the olden times, I just say this - thru out the early-mid 70's every team the ABs played had a "stop Going" plan - but the ABs never felt the need for a "stop edwards" plan
Probably because you always beat Wales anyway...
@Catogrande Ouch
22 days later
@dogmeat said in Sid Going, RIP:
"his fellow Maori, Bryan Williams".
Pretty poor from the Torygraph
The Telegraph used to be known for its sports coverage - which was always a cut above the rest. No more.
@pakman
I agree with Sid. He had the better of all his opposites.
For you young types he was a bit like Aaron Smith (with zero yap!). Never seen a better ball runner. Quick, low centre of gravity, and very strong. I sometimes wonder how olden time players would go in the modern game. Have absolutely no doubt Going would be a sensation.
Halfbacks are nearly always the best natural players on any team. They have to be, they are the smallest. Going was a natural, could have given a good account in any position. Played fullback for NZ once, and was an occasional goal kicker. And he could hit in the tackle.
As for Going verse Edwards.
I remember the ’71 tour. I think it was the first ever live TV test series in NZ.
Going played six times against the Lions, and five times against Edwards. At one point they faced each other twice in one week.
Thought the ABs edged the series even tho they lost. Drawn series probably a fair result.
Lost the first test cos Fergie couldn’t kick straight.
Dominated the second—awesome all time great Kirkpatrick try, run in from half way. Kirkpatrick and Going had great combo. A Going snipe and offload to Kirkpatrick—classic.
Definitely lost 3rd test. Sir Brian came out of retirement—nah. And the Lions scrambled a draw in the fourth.
But maybe the best game of the whole tour tho, was the week before the fourth test. Versus NA in Whangarei.
The 70’s were the great days for the Taniwha. Awesome team. They ran on to field back then super confident they could beat anyone.
The Lions fielded pretty much the same team that ran on in the Fourth a week later.
From what I recall of the game, it was “rugged.” NA dominated for stretches, the Lions held on, steadied, and finished with a try late. Probably the superior touring team fitness telling.
Of the players; I can recall David Duckham scoring at a crucial point, a bit against the run of play; and a great tackle by JPR Williams on Brian Going when he was sure to score. Williams was one of the best front on tacklers I ever saw. Perfect technique.
Of the others; I have zero recollection of Edwards, the “greatest,” or of Barry John, or any of the others.
After the the game John Dawes (Lions capt.) made the comment that this was the only game on tour that he became anxious about stopping the opposition.
I checked the Taniwha line-up for the game;
six ABs (C&F); Sid and Ken Going, Joe Morgan, Murray Jones, Richie Guy, Bevan Holmes;
two AB reserves (so would have been ABs now days), Dennis Panther and Frank Colthurst;
an AB Junior, Zukov Marinkovic;
two AB trialists Rod Jones (brother of Murray) and Les Bradley;
two Maori ABs (Laly Haddon and Brian Going), Haddon was a Jonah type, could play wing and No 8;
with Jim Kirtlan and Craig Poynter, locking.
Great great team! And a great coach, Ted Griffin, 25 years in charge.
It’s for another thread, but that lineup is probably a reason why we are not engaged with top class NZ domestic rugby any more.
In the pro era I would say the majority of the above players are not even in NZ.
That was the amateur days, star players everywhere!
There must be five or 600 top class NZ players plying their trade OS now. In olden times they were all still here.
Never happen now, but imagine the standard of the local competition if they were.
I remember him vividly when I was at primary school , he was a bit of a cult hero with all the kids.
Tough little bugger that didn’t mind mixing it with the forwards , and that running game was dynamic, great allblack but watching him team up with his brothers Bryan and Ken at the next level down was always a special treat .
@kiwiinmelb Yeah. Always a big argument in the backyard over who was going to be Sid Going!
And tough. I can remember a front-on tackle on the huge SA flanker Klippies Kritzinger in ’76. A 20 stone plus SA flanker—some things never change. I remember that I laughed when I saw him do it. Soooo cool.
Big brother Ken was the hardman. Any winger who stepped inside him knew what was coming―coathanger...their choice.