The 1982 side: What I remember part 2

I don’t remember hearing Moss Moss cause any controversy in the school in 1981 but it should have. It was clear where Dave Andersons’ heart was. We had a brighter newer kit (although it couldn't be maroon because we were NOT the official school side). If we were not having a game somewhere we would be watching rugby videos of the 5 Nations internationals at the music hall or even Andy guy’s house (if my memory serves me right).

The big worry for us fourth formers on the side were the rapidly approaching national exams. Rugby seasons also happened to be the season for the mock exams which usually ended up making a mockery of many. I don’t know what the other guys did but I woke up by 4 am to get in some extra work towards my exams. It must have been much easier because we were so physically fit and besides it was a small price to pay for rugby.

To be honest few of us saw this as a build up to 1982. We were just having fun playing, talking and living the game we all loved so much.

Why were there so many Kirk guys in Moss Moss and ultimately in the 1982 side? I have seen the question asked again and again in many threads and here is my controversial personal opinion which I am sure many may not agree with. I think it had something to do with 1977 when there was a terrifying head of house in Kirk and a reign of terror that has remained legend for years. Surviving that year in Kirk as a first former was quite something from the stories I heard then and in fact the real horror stories I have read in some threads right here in Facebook. Indeed those stories made going thru Lanet for 6 months military boot camp and training look like a walk in the park in comparison. I kid you not. That tradition was carried on for many years after 1977 albeit in a lesser degree but Kirk was always a feared house, if you know what I mean.

Rugby has to do with being tough and fearless, your size is not very relevant. Being tough means you can take a knock or two that others would cringe even thinking about. It means that you do not hesitate going for a loose ball even if the other guy is much bigger and more menacing than you are. Without this basic trait even the best technical advise and skill will be useless on the pitch. I saw this clearly in the career of one of the Mean Maroon and Kenyan rugby all-time greats fly half Dave Madara. In ’79 I feared for him when Lenana faced the burly Armed Forces. I told myself that there was no way he would take the hard knocks. I was wrong I watched Madara play for many years after that and being a fly half there would always be those towering wing forwards and back row guys out to hurt this fly half who was doing them so much damage. After all it is a man’s game. He would take the knocks and get up like nothing happened. Only once did he not get up and that was a special case. It was in a Kenya team game in Bulawayo against the top rugby province (Matebeland??) in Zimbabwe. Two hefty, heavily built guys who would make Arnold Schwarzenegger look small sandwiched him between themselves with force. Madara was carried off in a stretcher, unconscious. But a few weeks later he was back on the rugby pitch.

Now the guys who were a year ahead of me were some of the toughest guys I have seen on a rugby pitch and I believe that is why they made up most of the team and played with distinction too. Let’s hear what you guys have to say about that, am keeping an open mind on this.

There are many ways of getting this toughness which may not have been clear at the time but there is a lot you can see looking back at stuff that happened many years ago. My personal story was that I used the rugby pitch to get “revenge” against bullies in the house. One guy in particular (who also played full back) had a tendency of using me as his personal punching bag. Days after I learnt the basics of rugby we were in a house practice and he came charging. I remembered that we had been told that you simply take the man low and hard and no matter how big he was he would come down. I did just that and he landed so heavily that he pointed at me threateningly; “you!” People laughed and he never came charging carelessly at me again. His threats and those of other less skilled bullies did not stop me. Many of them would hurriedly pass the ball when they saw me. I have to buy this guy a crate of beer at the very least next time I meet him because I would never have developed my reputation for crash tackles without his “help.”

Every member of the 1982 side has his own personal story of how they developed their toughness and I can assure you that each and everybody on that side was much tougher than they look on that photo and this had to be the basis and foundation of such a great side. Indeed all rugby players from Lenana over the decades (and I have had the pleasure of meeting many who were there even before my time) were extremely tough guys and ultimately they have always played their rugby differently and done their things differently. More so when you compare them to another less tough boy’s school that we all know pretty well. My two cents!