All Blacks v South Africa: Beauden Parrot’s feathered fiasco at the Rugby World Cup 2023

The world of sports has seen its fair share of unusual methods for predicting match outcomes. From psychic octopuses to clairvoyant cows, animals have long been recruited to offer their ‘bird’s eye view’ on who will emerge victorious. But at this year’s Rugby World Cup, the Herald’s very own Beauden Parrot has taken the limelight, and it’s been a rollercoaster ride filled with more twists and turns than a scrum.

In previous years, we’ve had our animal oracles – Richie McCow and Richie the Macaw – attempting to tap into their inner rugby pundits. But this time, Beauden Parrot swooped in to predict the All Blacks’ fate at the World Cup. With his striking green plumage and undeniable charisma, Beauden has been ‘winging it’ in the prediction game, aiming to outshine his predecessors.

However, Beauden Parrot’s performance so far has been nothing short of a surprise – and not necessarily in a good way. His predictions have left many scratching their heads. Let’s dive into an exclusive interview with the feathered forecaster, where sports reporter Luke Kirkness asked the questions and Beauden Parrot answered with the wit and charm that only a parrot can bring.

Luke: Beauden, mate, you’ve certainly been a bit plucky with your predictions in this Rugby World Cup. Can you tell us why you thought New Zealand would beat France in the opener and what went wrong?

Beauden Parrot: Well, Luke, I have to admit I had high hopes for the All Blacks. I saw them soaring to victory, but it turns out I was as wrong as a Kiwi trying to take flight. I might have underestimated the French.

Luke: No worries, Beauden. We all make mistakes. But what about your prediction for Italy beating New Zealand? That one really ruffled some feathers.

Beauden Parrot: You’re absolutely right, Luke. I flew into that one headfirst and ended up with egg on my beak. It was a bit of a ‘fowl’ prediction. The All Blacks really showed their ‘roost-rugby’ skills that day.

Luke: You did manage to predict the wins against Uruguay and Namibia, so not all was lost. But then, you picked Ireland to beat New Zealand in the quarter-finals. That one was a ‘hoot,’ wasn’t it?

Beauden Parrot: Oh, Luke, that was a tough nut to crack, I’ll admit. I had a ‘bird’s eye view’ of the match, and I thought the luck of the Irish would pull through. But the All Blacks gave it their all and proved me wrong. It just goes to show, even the wisest of parrots can have off days.

Luke: You’re certainly taking it all in stride, Beauden. And you did manage to pick New Zealand to beat Argentina in the semifinals. Was that a case of your ‘feathers of fortune’ returning?

Beauden Parrot: Well, Luke, I think I got a bit of my groove back with that one. It’s like I found my ‘flight path’ again. Argentina played a great tournament, but I had a feeling the All Blacks were ‘beak’ in form for that match.

Luke: So, Beauden, here we are, at the brink of the World Cup final against South Africa. You’ve chosen South Africa, but you also made quite a statement by destroying the sign. What’s your final take on this matchup?

Beauden Parrot: The final is a tough one to call. I picked South Africa, but when I had that little sign incident, maybe it was a sign of something else. Who knows? Perhaps I believe the All Blacks will ‘plummet’ South Africa’s hopes in the match. It’s all in good fun, isn’t it?

And there you have it, folks. Beauden Parrot, the charismatic and unpredictable feathered forecaster, has taken us on a wild ride through the Rugby World Cup. Will his prediction for the final come true, or will the All Blacks prove him wrong once again?

One thing’s for sure; Beauden Parrot has certainly added a dash of ‘feathery’ flair to this year’s tournament. We’ll be watching the final closely to see if he truly has the ‘talons’ for prediction success.

Luke Kirkness is an Online Sports Editor for the NZ Herald. He previously covered consumer affairs for the Herald and was an assistant news director in the Bay of Plenty. He won Student Journalist of the Year in 2019.