What makes Eden Park so special?
-
@Mr-Fish said in What makes Eden Park so special?:
The All Blacks play out of their skins to maintain the record.
It's the same reason why Ireland struggled to beat NZ for so long... The weight of history. Now that monkey's off their backs, it's a lot easier for them to win against the All Blacks (and of course the fact that Ireland are at arguably the strongest point in their history helps too). Similar story for Argentina - and it'll be the same when Scotland, Wales, Japan, Italy etc get a win.
Very interesting to think about. I suppose the weight of pride can give a team a whole new level of determination. Great point!
-
@MajorRage said in What makes Eden Park so special?:
It’s the home really, is all it’s go going for it.
Not a bad place but all the Euro and UK stadiums I’ve been too are better and more intimidating. It’s not a great stadium at all by global standards.
But it’s hard to beat anybody at home these days.
Very interesting to hear that you think UK stadiums are more intimidating, I would love to know which ones you've visited?
-
@TheDummyRunner said in What makes Eden Park so special?:
@MajorRage said in What makes Eden Park so special?:
It’s the home really, is all it’s go going for it.
Not a bad place but all the Euro and UK stadiums I’ve been too are better and more intimidating. It’s not a great stadium at all by global standards.
But it’s hard to beat anybody at home these days.
Very interesting to hear that you think UK stadiums are more intimidating, I would love to know which ones you've visited?
Twix, Murrayfield, Principality, Stade de France & Lyon (although not for a NZ France game).
I''d argue all those stadia lift their teams than Eden Park.
-
@MajorRage NZ crowds are pretty passive generally.
We tend to sit and grumble about why we're playing shit, or even why we're not winning by more.
Honestly think our record at EP just reflects our relative strength in World rugby since 1994 rather than any sort of hoodoo or special vibe.
-
-
@sparky said in What makes Eden Park so special?:
My theory is that All Blacks get a great week of undisturbed training before they play in Auckland, whereas elsewhere they end up doing more civic and community stuff in the build-up.
interesting idea, hadnt thought of that but might be a contributor
another thing being the NH teams tend to have a national stadium, "all" their games there both easy and hard, we've had home losses at other grounds that cant purely be down to the ground, there might be some luck of the draw
-
@Machpants said in What makes Eden Park so special?:
It most certainly isn't the beer
Steinlager
Mmm, Steinlager.
Joe Wood says you're wrong
https://toastmag.co.nz/beer/brewer-q-joe-and-christina-wood/ -
@sparky said in What makes Eden Park so special?:
My theory is that All Blacks get a great week of undisturbed training before they play in Auckland, whereas elsewhere they end up doing more civic and community stuff in the build-up.
You don't think they do that stuff in Auckland? They seem just as busy as at any other location
-
@mariner4life said in What makes Eden Park so special?:
It's the most kiwi stadium ever. It looks like a DIY project of mismatched stuff in a weird shape.
This and it used to be even worse! And even now, in about 80% of the "covered seats", you aren't actually guaranteed of keeping dry if it rains.
-
@nzzp TBF he was asked what he would skull immediately after mowing the lawns on a blisteringly hot summers day.
Unlikely to nominate a DIPA.
Drink and food options at EP have improved enormously since I started going. Irvines pie and whatever you could smuggle in.
'What's that you've got in your bag son?"
"Nothing"....
clink - clink
I reckon the reason my old man started taking me to games is coz they never searched the ten-year-old. Gave me my first introduction to whisky
-
@dogmeat said in What makes Eden Park so special?:
@nzzp TBF he was asked what he would skull immediately after mowing the lawns on a blisteringly hot summers day.
Yep.
He rates it though. Apparently often used to serve it to people withouth them knowing - and then telling them after they compliemnted the craft pilsner
It's a very good beer I reckon. Fresh. And not in a shitty plastic bottle for $$$.
