watching the tri-nations game between the all blacks and wallabies was just great (baru dapat tgk ulangan..sedey2). great start by the wallabies as they ransacked the all blacks forwards and shattered daniel carter and co. it was the kind of rugby where heroes are born and culprits are blamed.but what a comeback by the new zealanders, being led 13-0 early in the first half, they bounced back and scored 3 great tries through piri weepu, joe rokocoko and richie mccaw. wallabies never recovered from their own lapse and succumbed to a dissappointing 30-13 defeat.
looking back, i was once involved in an all blacks team as well, mc all blacks that is.malay college all blacks..what a name.what a team we were then.honestly, we were never the best team ever produced, but somehow we were great in our own way.. i'll brag a little more later on.
1996, we started as a bunch of kids curiously to know how the hell do we play with an oval-shaped ball.after hundreds times of running around the small prep school field, introductions to the very basics of rugby; mauls, rucks,l ineouts, scrums, knock-ons, etc.., we still couldn't figure it out..dumbasses, no wonder we lost heavily during the form 1-form 2 carnival by 58-0.early on,there were about 50 of us started playing.over the years,the numbers dropped at a sudden rate.i'll keep you updated on that.
1997, nothing much to say other than a few of us got selected to play for the u-15 team coached by the legendary mr.harrith(more to come about him).gadap,kebau,imy,petet,kadak and shoul got the nod..if my memory is correct.We also had the F1-F2 carnival which we won by 57-0.could have won it by a bigger margin had it not caused by the lack of accuracy from my kicking boots..at the time,we had about 30 players still willing to be part of the team.
1998, from 15 a side mode we switched to the 10's and 7's.most of us had quit playing by now,some reasons or another.a few stuck to their guts and trained under mr.harrith's guidance.what a regime it was,since most of us also trained with the u-18 team and we were their punching bags.on a high note, kebau, stretch, kadak, imy and occasionally,petet,shoul, and acai began to collect their u-18 caps..kebau and imy even played full time against vajiravudh college(thailand's premier boarding school).on the other hand, the u-15 team never shone much during the year.lost in the semifinals of smss 10's and semsas 7's to stj and sas respectively.however,we did score a victory against so-called rivals kys in the annual MC-KYS match.we won 10-3 in a full-blooded 15's match.little did i know i'll be involved with one of the cutest girl from kys through mail every single week..keep reading,more to follow..
1999, rugby was the passion..the team was one of the best,if not the best, ever to grace malaysian rugby scene.great year of rugby for the school and old boys as the team,comprised of some of the best players in every position, beat the mighty Vajiravudh at home ground.13-7 the final score.throughout the year some of us were involved greatly with the team,most made it to the first XV.the team were just invicible,especially in 7's as they swept aside all rugby 7's titles(jonah jones and semsas 7's).it turned out to be the swansong season for mr.harrith as he will step down as head coach and moved to another school at the end of the year.what a mentor he has been for all of us.his guidance and cruel,harsh trainings were the reason we grew as players.the u-16 team was sent to kys to compete the annual match,still we won it by 16-3..they were no match for us...we put on a gritty performance and made them eat our ashes..enough said..
2000, penultimate season.we were coachless early on,experiences from us fellow senior players were crucial. but we still managed to win the UKM 10's,beating SAS on sudden death drop kicks.our first title of the year.it certainly boosted our morale for the coming season.ali tahar was introduced as our new coach,brought in by mr.amir,an old boy and a successful lawyer.JJ,as we call him,brings a new approach to the team through a fitness program he wickedly called 'makanan harian'.the best thing about him was he treated us as if we were a club-based team,always there watching our backs and even help us sneak out at nights for dinner...from coach he turned out to be our best friend,on and off the field.
we went on to capture manjung 7's title,against king edward in the finals.from there,the team grew stronger with some new faces joining the force.however,we had less luck in the 7's throughout the year as we lost in 2 finals, the semsas 7's and royal 7's,both to our arch rivals,SAS.however, we reversed it by winning all 10's tournaments, beating them in the UKM 10's and SMSS 10's convincingly.
just so you know,the team set a record of reaching the finals of every single tournament we participated.yeah,all of them.from 7's to 10's to 15's..we were the team to beat.we won the lot,lost a few..we were only defeated 4 times all year,all 4 losses cost us elusive titles..SAS was our only closest rival,others were there to make up the numbers.sad but true.however,15's was our greatest testament of teamwork and brotherhood proved prevailed.oh,not to forget we also did the famous haka in every 15's game..
being on the field with 14 other guys and 15 more on the sidelines,it made me proud to say i was playing with my brothers in arms.it was a sense of pride to wear the blacks jersey,occasionally the waikatos.every time we step on to the field,home and away,we knew we can count on others..every player was a genius in their own fields..masters of brawn,guile,and tricks.in props,we had mache,butcher,vajie..the heavyweights..the ones who burst relentlessly into packs of bigger forwards..lifting lineouts with ease as if picking up lollipops..then we have shoul and pondar as hookers..they hooked scrums and threw lineouts with such pure class you have to see to believe it..gaban,fidz and bean, the locks..steadied scrums and although always shorter than their counter parts,never the ones to lose the ball in lineouts..it was exciting to see the formidable loose forwards in kebau(captain),baeng and stretch..strong,agile,awesome tacklers and effectively hardworking guys..they'll be all over the field just to protect the loose ball..kebau is famously known for his robust 'kamikaze warrior' style..baeng and stretch were just happy to do their jobs ever so well..in kadak,we had our very own justin marshall..he'd marshalled the forwards and backs like a shepherd..not to mention his speedy breaks..decision maker,whether to play the ball to the forwards or use the lightspeed of the backs..as flyhalf,petet dictates play and a mastermind of all tactical moves..his kicks are sometimes questionable,but his ability to turn a game around shows what a great visionary he is.. as for acai,playing as inside center,petet and i will start a move that awed opponents and spectators alike..hopefully i'll be remembered for my drop kicks,flicking passes and crunching tackles at the center of the field..rudy possessed some of the best skills an outside center could hope for..he'd sidesteps and dummies opponents with ease and together,we formed a midfield that breaks others play and feeds the ball down the wings,where either ash,eddie or jimi will be waiting..all 3 of them are the school's 4*100m runners..start wondering how fast they can be..jimi and eddie are almost identical.. physically well built with tremendous pace to match..ash stands out more for his incredibly weird sidesteps and running pace..he can change gears in a second and easily make others wrongfooted.in fullback,we have our superman..the mighty imy..also a member of the 4*100m team..voted MVP in SMSS 10's,he's the catalyst of the team,the talisman..when we desperately need a try,pass the ball to him and he'll bulldoze his way to the try line..sleek as an eel,fast as a bullet..also a brick wall in defence.
the year went on..medals and trophies filling up our small lockers..our holy grail arrived in the form of a trip to bangkok,against the Vajiravudh boys..it was an evenly contested game as we were cancelling out each other..3 tries for each teams,only for us to miss the last crucial convertion..at the end we lost 17-19..great performance,not the result we hoped for..considered by many old boys as the best away performance by any mc all blacks to date; most tries scored and lowest margin of defeat..still,we didn't win..however,we did explored the wonderful world of thailand..vinmanmerk,chatuchak and patpong to name a few..
we were the undisputed champions of perak in the premier cup..had a tough trip against la salle sabah at kota kinabalu but came back as victors,as usual..standing in our way in semifinals was SAS Jerks,weird name..the game was postponed twice due to SPM trials but went ahead third time lucky..playing on hometurf,we showed our class in defence by outclassing their heavy forwards..13-8 the final score..our one and only meeting against SAS in a 15's match..they were good,but we were better..final assignment,against KSAH for the National Premier Cup title..they truly outsized us in all positions..reigning champions,national players almost in all positions...we lost..heartbroken,what a finale it could have been for all of us..playing in front of our home crowd for the very last time..stretch was seriously injured he had to be taken to the hospital..we accepted the defeat as a team,just like we celebrated the titles we won..
what an end to a promising year..still this is the best team i've ever played with..we bonded as brothers,fought as warriors,walked away as victors..we made everybody associated to the school proud,more importantly made ourselves proud..tributes to our coaches mr.harrith and JJ for having belief in us..some still ply their trades at various clubs and institutions,while others,including me,are happy to build fats rather than muscles..in my heart,we're always the best in our very own special way..for all the blood we bled,for all the tears we shed,thank you guys for making it a wonderful experience..
1999, rugby was the passion..the team was one of the best,if not the best, ever to grace malaysian rugby scene.great year of rugby for the school and old boys as the team,comprised of some of the best players in every position, beat the mighty Vajiravudh at home ground.13-7 the final score.throughout the year some of us were involved greatly with the team,most made it to the first XV.the team were just invicible,especially in 7's as they swept aside all rugby 7's titles(jonah jones and semsas 7's).it turned out to be the swansong season for mr.harrith as he will step down as head coach and moved to another school at the end of the year.what a mentor he has been for all of us.his guidance and cruel,harsh trainings were the reason we grew as players.the u-16 team was sent to kys to compete the annual match,still we won it by 16-3..they were no match for us...we put on a gritty performance and made them eat our ashes..enough said..
2000, penultimate season.we were coachless early on,experiences from us fellow senior players were crucial. but we still managed to win the UKM 10's,beating SAS on sudden death drop kicks.our first title of the year.it certainly boosted our morale for the coming season.ali tahar was introduced as our new coach,brought in by mr.amir,an old boy and a successful lawyer.JJ,as we call him,brings a new approach to the team through a fitness program he wickedly called 'makanan harian'.the best thing about him was he treated us as if we were a club-based team,always there watching our backs and even help us sneak out at nights for dinner...from coach he turned out to be our best friend,on and off the field.
we went on to capture manjung 7's title,against king edward in the finals.from there,the team grew stronger with some new faces joining the force.however,we had less luck in the 7's throughout the year as we lost in 2 finals, the semsas 7's and royal 7's,both to our arch rivals,SAS.however, we reversed it by winning all 10's tournaments, beating them in the UKM 10's and SMSS 10's convincingly.
just so you know,the team set a record of reaching the finals of every single tournament we participated.yeah,all of them.from 7's to 10's to 15's..we were the team to beat.we won the lot,lost a few..we were only defeated 4 times all year,all 4 losses cost us elusive titles..SAS was our only closest rival,others were there to make up the numbers.sad but true.however,15's was our greatest testament of teamwork and brotherhood proved prevailed.oh,not to forget we also did the famous haka in every 15's game..
being on the field with 14 other guys and 15 more on the sidelines,it made me proud to say i was playing with my brothers in arms.it was a sense of pride to wear the blacks jersey,occasionally the waikatos.every time we step on to the field,home and away,we knew we can count on others..every player was a genius in their own fields..masters of brawn,guile,and tricks.in props,we had mache,butcher,vajie..the heavyweights..the ones who burst relentlessly into packs of bigger forwards..lifting lineouts with ease as if picking up lollipops..then we have shoul and pondar as hookers..they hooked scrums and threw lineouts with such pure class you have to see to believe it..gaban,fidz and bean, the locks..steadied scrums and although always shorter than their counter parts,never the ones to lose the ball in lineouts..it was exciting to see the formidable loose forwards in kebau(captain),baeng and stretch..strong,agile,awesome tacklers and effectively hardworking guys..they'll be all over the field just to protect the loose ball..kebau is famously known for his robust 'kamikaze warrior' style..baeng and stretch were just happy to do their jobs ever so well..in kadak,we had our very own justin marshall..he'd marshalled the forwards and backs like a shepherd..not to mention his speedy breaks..decision maker,whether to play the ball to the forwards or use the lightspeed of the backs..as flyhalf,petet dictates play and a mastermind of all tactical moves..his kicks are sometimes questionable,but his ability to turn a game around shows what a great visionary he is.. as for acai,playing as inside center,petet and i will start a move that awed opponents and spectators alike..hopefully i'll be remembered for my drop kicks,flicking passes and crunching tackles at the center of the field..rudy possessed some of the best skills an outside center could hope for..he'd sidesteps and dummies opponents with ease and together,we formed a midfield that breaks others play and feeds the ball down the wings,where either ash,eddie or jimi will be waiting..all 3 of them are the school's 4*100m runners..start wondering how fast they can be..jimi and eddie are almost identical.. physically well built with tremendous pace to match..ash stands out more for his incredibly weird sidesteps and running pace..he can change gears in a second and easily make others wrongfooted.in fullback,we have our superman..the mighty imy..also a member of the 4*100m team..voted MVP in SMSS 10's,he's the catalyst of the team,the talisman..when we desperately need a try,pass the ball to him and he'll bulldoze his way to the try line..sleek as an eel,fast as a bullet..also a brick wall in defence.
the year went on..medals and trophies filling up our small lockers..our holy grail arrived in the form of a trip to bangkok,against the Vajiravudh boys..it was an evenly contested game as we were cancelling out each other..3 tries for each teams,only for us to miss the last crucial convertion..at the end we lost 17-19..great performance,not the result we hoped for..considered by many old boys as the best away performance by any mc all blacks to date; most tries scored and lowest margin of defeat..still,we didn't win..however,we did explored the wonderful world of thailand..vinmanmerk,chatuchak and patpong to name a few..
we were the undisputed champions of perak in the premier cup..had a tough trip against la salle sabah at kota kinabalu but came back as victors,as usual..standing in our way in semifinals was SAS Jerks,weird name..the game was postponed twice due to SPM trials but went ahead third time lucky..playing on hometurf,we showed our class in defence by outclassing their heavy forwards..13-8 the final score..our one and only meeting against SAS in a 15's match..they were good,but we were better..final assignment,against KSAH for the National Premier Cup title..they truly outsized us in all positions..reigning champions,national players almost in all positions...we lost..heartbroken,what a finale it could have been for all of us..playing in front of our home crowd for the very last time..stretch was seriously injured he had to be taken to the hospital..we accepted the defeat as a team,just like we celebrated the titles we won..
what an end to a promising year..still this is the best team i've ever played with..we bonded as brothers,fought as warriors,walked away as victors..we made everybody associated to the school proud,more importantly made ourselves proud..tributes to our coaches mr.harrith and JJ for having belief in us..some still ply their trades at various clubs and institutions,while others,including me,are happy to build fats rather than muscles..in my heart,we're always the best in our very own special way..for all the blood we bled,for all the tears we shed,thank you guys for making it a wonderful experience..
"BLACK IS THICKER THAN BLOOD"
(previously written on August 19, 2005)
