The All Blacks reclaimed the Dave Gallaher Trophy after defeating France 43-17 in Wellington.
The French team left before the trophy presentation, with coach Fabien Galthie criticising the refereeing.
Dave Gallaher was the captain of the “Original” All Blacks and died fighting at Passchendaele.
When they defeated France last weekend, the All Blacks were justifiably proud to have won back the Dave Gallaher Trophy.
It’s customary – polite, even – for the vanquished side in these affairs to hang about and watch the victors receive and raise the trophy. The Frenchteam, who had held the trophy since 2021, did not hang around for the presentation in Wellington.
After the match, French coach Fabien Galthie pointedly paused his press conference as the All Blacks’ victory song echoed down the corridors of the Wellington stadium. He has since spoken out about perceived injustices in the refereeing of the match. One seasoned observer said there was “saltiness” in the French mood.
In their disappointment about the result, perhaps the visitors forgot the reason Gallaher’s name is on the trophy. He was the first man to captain the All Blacks, and he died defending France.
The disrespect shown to both the All Blacks and the Dave Gallaher Trophy last Saturday reflects poorly on the French regard for the contribution of Gallaher and thousands of other Kiwis in two world wars, who fought and died in the aid of our badly bruised ally.
We might reflect, 107 years since Gallaher died at Passchendaele and 40 years since the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior, on the complexities of France’s attitude to its friends. We might also hope to see them accept the result of tonight’s test match in Hamilton in better spirit.
