Richie the Macaw has picked Argentina to win over Ireland in the quarter final of the Rugby World Cup. Photo / DEAN PURCELL
Richie the Macaw has picked Argentina to win over Ireland in the quarter final of the Rugby World Cup. Photo / DEAN PURCELL
Richie the Macaw was having a tough day. After confidently picking the Springboks over Wales and the All Blacks over France in the first two knockout games of the weekend - played this morning at 4am and 8am - Richie hesitated when it came to the third quarter-final between Irelandand Argentina.
From his perch at the Bird Barn Pet Store in Henderson, he is our parrot pundit - the Herald's 2015 Rugby World Cup prophet.
But the macaw lost his early assertiveness and instead was clearly deliberating on which direction to move first.
Either side of him were two bowls of nuts, seed and fruit - one with the Irish tricolour and the other bearing the flag of Argentina.
And still the 2-year-old winged wonder refused to pick.
Eventually he moved to his left and, standing over the Pumas' bowl, nibbled on the flag. He continued to hang around the Argentinian bowl, but wouldn't cement it by eating a seed or nut.
After returning to the middle again, still buying time, Richie momentarily looked towards the Irish bowl - heart-in-the-mouth stuff for the Emerald Isle.
But with the game still anybody's to win, late in the second half, the cocky macaw finally chose South America - the land of his ancestors.
