Thomond78, the member born to remind us that the All Blacks have lost to an Irish team in their history, just not to the international side.  Thomo blends Irish whimsy with Boer talk and comes out with his won unique stule of posting - usually worth reading his posts, just for the education!  Joined the Fern tribe in July 2004.

Forum member number 959

Describe yourself in 25 words or less:  A Daniel come to judgement, a voice crying in the wilderness, a pain-in-the-arse know-it-all Soutpaddie and Cork to the core.

What international rugby team do you support and why?  Ireland again, now that Comical Eddie’s gone. I’ve a sneaking regard for France when they play like France, and the ABs and Bokke when they play classic AB/Bok rugby. Love watching Argentina get down and dirty, too.

What Super 14 team do you support and why?  Don’t really support any team, but the Stormers would be the closest. It’s like Shakespearian tragedy with a rugby ball. How can you not love it?

What's the biggest challenge facing rugby?  In the pro game, I think there’s three main ones, and they’re all related. Firstly, thinking that there’s only one form of rugby that is entertaining and that we should all play that way. The joy of rugby is the different rugby cultures and styles, and the fact that there’s no one way to win. Second, thinking that to get there, we have to copy models from other sports instead of keeping what’s best about ours, like provincial identities and tours. And thirdly, while trying to achieve the first two, falling into the Politician’s Syllogism – we must do something, this is something, therefore we must do this.
Believe it or not, I reckon we’ll look back in about ten year’s time and realize that the last five years or so has been a golden age for rugby.
Bagging refs for refereeing according to the laws instead of jerrymandering whatever the commentator considers a spectacle is another curse that should be stamped out.
Also, we need to remember that the game is about more than about 3,000 pro players around the world. Rugby is about the guys on the Fern who play just because it’s a brilliant, brilliant game.

Who was the game's greatest ever player?  One of Willie John McBride, Colin Meads or John Eales. Keith Wood would be a contender and McCaw’s getting into the list as well.

How about non-NZ players? Who were/are the greatest?  Leading question about where the world’s greatest came from, then…? Blanco and Sella in their prime, Jean-Pierre Rives, Richard Hill, Dayglo, Axel Foley for being the cutest whoor ever to take the pitch, Fergus Slattery and Tim Horan would all have to be in there.

The best match you have ever seen?  1996 Ireland v ABs, Landsdowne Road. Basically, Keith Wood drew the first half 15-15 with the ABs, because he was playing on his own out there. He played the last ten minutes of that half with a snapped calf muscle as well. Then, in the worst conditions I’ve ever seen, the ABs came out and put together forty minutes of perfect rugby. I’m privileged to have seen it in the flesh.
The 2006 HEC semi between Munster and Leinster would have to be a contender as well, just for being the perfect day.

The best try you have ever seen?  The one the French ran from behind their own line in Twickenham in 1991, Campese making that pass to Horan in 1991 (and even having been there, I still don’t know how he did it), the Try from the End of the World and Stringer’s rat-like scuttle around the blindside in the 2006 final – that last not for intrinsic greatness but because it was a dagger in the heart of those who’d written us and him off for so long.

What position did you play, if you played, in rugby?  Still playing at blindside or tight-head second-row. Have played loosehead, tighthead, second row and open and blind-side flanker. Love tighthead, but was too light for it, love blindside and tight-head second row because you’re right at the heart of things and you can make sure the blouses on the other side will freeze to death.

What do you like about the Silverfern?  On its best days, it combines seriously good analysis and technical stuff with some wonderfully surreal moments like Fuller’s shark fixation, or the thread back in the day where everyone wandered off into this parallel world based on Zulu. That’s what a proper pub conversation is like. It’s also great making contacts across the world, based on loving rugby.

How could the site be improved?  Apart from always remembering that while rugby’s incredibly important, important never means it has to be serious, I’d like more of the nuts and bolts bits. The thread on propping recently was great, but it’s always forwards explaining what goes on and swapping tips, never backs. Surely some backs could actually explain what they’re there for? I mean, outside of the scrummie, there’s six of the buggers. Surely they must be there for something other than dropping the ball and missing tackles…

Who's your favourite poster?  Lots of ‘em. Oom Paarlbok, Redbeard, Fuller’s rampant selachophobia, Ze Most French Man In Ze World (aka PdP), Mogwai on his psycho days, Mr. Mike, Gaillimh, Cormac’s regular descents into Leinster-inspired despair – gotta love it. Met quite a few of the lads and they’re all good fun.

Who's the worst poster?  No-one, really. Granted, every so often you want to plant someone, but not infrequently they’re the guys you get on best with when you actually do meet them.

How did you pick your user name?  Munster 12- All Blacks 0 Thomond Park, 31st October 1978

How could the game of rugby be improved?  Educate the media and then the general public about just what’s involved in being a forward and stop this drip-feed that somehow it’s unfair to win the game up front. I don’t have to let you play pretty-pretty stuff, I don’t have to give you the ball. If you can’t take the ball off me, you don’t deserve to win the game, simple as. Keep that in mind, and the rest flows from there.

What rugby player would you turn gay for?  None of ‘em. I’m a forward. Almost every player I really admire is a cauliflower-eared ugly bastard and/or ginger…

Non-rugby questions now:

Favourite music?  All sorts. Electronica, Nick Cave, Sigur Rós, Tindersticks, baroque, classical, dance, Led Zep, dub – pretty much runs the gamut.

Favourite book?  Can’t answer this. It changes too often. Name of the Rose, Best of Myles and An Béal Bocht are ones I never tire of re-reading.

Favourite Film?  Probably Bladerunner and Casablanca.

Biggest lifetime regret?  Not getting a senior schools medal with Pres due to injury. That’s it, really; love what I do, love where I live and Ms. Thomond is wonderful. I’ve had a great run thus far, and please God it’ll continue.

Greatest hope?  That I keep getting away with it. Wouldn’t mind winning the UK 505 nationals, either.

Finally, your dream XV?  Only of guys I’ve seen play; 15 Blanco, 14 Howlett, 13 2001 edition BOD, 12 Horan, 11 1996 edition Lomu, 10 Carter, 9 Galthie 8 one of Brooke, Dayglo or Foley, 7 McCaw, 6 Michael Jones, 5 Eales, 4 POC, 3 2003 edition Pieter de Villiers or the Claw, 2 Wood, 1 Dowd or Oom Os

BTW, if he plays, I take no responsibility for whatever the Claw does…