NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Rugby / Rugby World Cup

<i>Patrick Gower:</i> Where was the droppie?

By Patrick Gower
8 Oct, 2007 12:36 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Opinion by
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Photo GalleryView photos

KEY POINTS:

My first words after the All Blacks shock loss yesterday: where the hell was the droppie?

Why didn't someone take control and get in there and bang the pig-skin over?

Droppie, drop goal, drop kick, DG, pot, field goal - call it what you like, it is a
key tool in the matchwinner's toolbox.

So why didn't someone - anyone - get in the pocket behind those slow grinding pick-and-gos deep in French territory, stand back, advise the halfback of his honourable intentions, call "yup, now", get the ball, set himself, and drop kick the ball? Preferably over the posts. 21-20 to the All Blacks. Run back to halfway, punch the air - a swing of the foot has made you a legend.

But no. I say preferably over the posts, because I would have been happy to see that a drop goal was even attempted; because it wasn't. It wasn't attempted at particularly opportune times of 77 minutes and 26 seconds or 78 minutes and 50 seconds (not that I was counting). Instead, there was a late, disorganised, long-range attempt by Luke McAlister, who probably didn't care because he was a few seconds away from playing for English club Sale anyway.

Droppies are not rocket science. I even nailed one myself in a game for my Poneke club in the late 1990s - and I was playing in the forwards.

Every other New Zealand rugby fan who has nailed a droppie should be feeling the same way - if we can do it, why can't the best and most-prepared All Black team ever? Kids dream of it, why can't the best rugby players we have do it.

I was so riled I nearly rang radio talkback. Thankfully I managed to compose myself. I know being an armchair critic is not a good look. But I was genuinely disappointed by the result and the whole lack-of-a-droppie-thing had sent me into a tailspin.

I had steeled myself to be blasé about another All Black early exit. I probably could have dealt with the whole choking thing. I could have handled the spectacular - and predicted - failure of the rest and rotation policy. Shocking refereeing decisions - they happen. The silver jumpers were a sideshow. The fact we had 72 per cent of the possession and France 28 per cent hurt, but I still could have recovered.

But no droppie? Foxy and Mehrts were so quiet in the commentary box and the pocket so empty I thought one or both may have run out there.

Do the All Blacks even know what one is? If they don't they need to get onto YouTube and type in "Martin Johnson+Wilko+2003 Rugby World Cup" to see how to set one up. They could have watched it on their laptops while sunning themselves in Corsica or Marseilles.

In fact, it is hard to believe they didn't work through a player-by-player drop kick scenario during all the time they had off the Super 14 or the NPC or mowing their own lawns so they were "fresh" for knock-out rugby.

Yes, Carter was off and Evans too. But McAlister could have nailed it and MacDonald too. Where was the much vaunted "leadership group" set up to prevent these meltdowns?

Did they forgot to appoint someone to the portfolio of "remind-everyone-of-the-droppie-option-in-a-tight-game" in the rush to choose what music is on the team bus?

They were either too arrogant that they thought they could win by a try or they didn't think of it. Either way, a shocker.

If only Graham Henry had an emergency red button with a lid on it he could have pulled open and hit drop goal.

For me, the lack-of-a-droppie is the fissure where I can vent my Webb Ellis frustration. Like "Suzy" in 1995, the French-fried forward pack in 1999 or MacDonald at centre in 2003.

So where the hell was the droppie? For me, anyway, an open-ended question and personal obsession that will get me through another four years. And, hopefully, if there's a close one, someone will bang the pigskin over.

Discover more

Opinion

Why do you think the All Blacks lost?

11 Feb 02:37 AM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rugby World Cup

New Zealand

'Two bits of gold': How ballet and sumo transformed the All Blacks

New Zealand

Watch Live : Scott Robertson live with Jason Pine

Watch
New Zealand

'Never felt so alone': Foster lifts lid on battles with NZ Rugby bosses


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rugby World Cup

'Two bits of gold': How ballet and sumo transformed the All Blacks
New Zealand

'Two bits of gold': How ballet and sumo transformed the All Blacks

The All Blacks learned to reduce 'turf toe' from the Royal New Zealand Ballet.

12 Jul 05:00 PM
Watch Live : Scott Robertson live with Jason Pine
New Zealand

Watch Live : Scott Robertson live with Jason Pine

Watch
29 Jun 12:06 AM
'Never felt so alone':  Foster lifts lid on battles with NZ Rugby bosses
New Zealand

'Never felt so alone': Foster lifts lid on battles with NZ Rugby bosses

17 Jun 05:00 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP