Wallabies vs All Blacks

Look what I found in the elevator on Thursday evening on my way to the gym to take a hot shower:

 

Totally didn't deface this at all...

Anyway, on to the Wallabies and All Blacks game (in case you're wondering, New Zealand is called the All Blacks because they wear, well, all black. It's not an uncommon thing to call a team based on their uniforms, especially in soccer).

Mastering my low light setting

A big group of us went, maybe around 12 or so, and sat in two sections. Here's my seat.

To start the day off, I wasn't feeling too bad (this was Saturday) but I was shivering by the end. But it was a lot of fun to see a game in person. However, the Wallabies played terribly (turned the ball over all the time it seemed) and the All Blacks stomped all over them.

The cool thing about seeing New Zealand play is getting to see the haka. It's a Maori warrior dance that they traditionally do before each match. It's like an intimidation thing, I guess. The NZ team faces the other team before the game and performs it. The other team just kind of stands there (feel free to look up YouTube videos. No way I was going to get any kind of photo from my phone). Little awkward for the other team, I suppose. Apparently, in the past, teams haven't quite known what to do. I guess one team, maybe it was the Irish?, once kind of walked towards the NZ team during the haka, forming an arrow. I guess that was deemed poor form and the ruby governing body fined them. So now teams just stand there.

Anyway, here are some shots from my seat.

First row!

The camera guy in from of me... half blocking the haka (see NZ on left and Aus on right)

The NZ fans turned out in full force and seemed to be more dressed up than their Wallabies supporting counterparts. We sat directly in front of a bunch of guys dressed as cows (helped us get on the jumbotron). These guys were pretty happy about the game's outcome:

This post is a little rush, but I suppose better late than never. I'm just about to work (writing this on my 45 min train ride). Tonight I head off to Melbourne. I plan on taking it easy while I'm there. See some stuff and be able to say I've been there. I'm still improving, but not all better yet.