ROSEMARY ABBOTT | Sport
SMOOTH SAILING
Mick Sherlock, 58, enjoyed a calm, relaxed Sunday morning today, even though he watched a full 80 minutes of All Blacks rugby. This was out of the ordinary, as nowadays test match rugby is something that generally causes his blood pressure to approach dangerous levels.
The All Blacks opened their Rugby Championship campaign with a solid win over Argentina in Mendoza. With a very reasonable New Zealand kickoff time of 7.10 am, Sherlock’s heart rate remained steady throughout their 41-12 win, in a game where the Pumas were barely allowed into the game at all.
“Every time they’ve played the past few years I’ve been a bundle of nerves. My heart races and blood pressure goes through the roof,” he said anxiously.
“But when we went up 17-0 after 13 minutes this morning, I felt oddly relaxed, and remembered that this is how it is supposed to feel to watch the All Blacks” he said as he watched a full match replay, reliving all the tries he had seen this morning.
The Pumas were never really in the match at all, with the ABs coasting out to a 31-0 halftime lead. This made it near impossible for them to ever threaten that scoreline, effectively ensuring good cardiovascular health for dads across New Zealand.
“I was nervous as hell with it being a World Cup year, especially with Damian Mckenzie starting at first-five and having that kick charged down. But as time went on, I felt I was no longer at risk of having a cardiac event.
“Even when my wife entered the living room and asked “Whose winning?” I said with confidence ‘We are’, fully knowing we were about to finish them off without incident.”
More to come.
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