Keith Quinn: The 'rainbow day' - 1987 World Cup final

You may not have noticed this but Monday 20th June 2011 was a significant rugby anniversary worth noting.

It was the 24th anniversary of the day the All Blacks won the Webb Ellis Cup at the first ever Rugby World Cup tournament. The day therefore also becomes the anniversary of TVNZ's biggest sports telecast to that point in time.

In the final at Eden Park in Auckland the All Blacks won the final by 29-9 over France.

I remember the day and the lead up days of TV coverage as if it were yesterday. It was tense time for a lot of people involved in the background.

In the previous weeks before the Cup's grand finale the three TVNZ rugby commentators in particular were on serious edge. Before the tournament had started myself, Grant Nisbett and Brendan Telfer were advised by the TVNZ sports bosses of the day that in the pool games and semi-finals each of us would do about ten games of commentary and then there would be an announcement as to which of us would call the final, who would do the third place game and who would not be involved beyond the preliminaries.

Each of us worked keenly over the four weeks of pool play and each of us clocked up a million miles of travel and spoke a zillion words. Grant and I were assigned to split the games which were played in New Zealand, Brendan and his producer Murray Allison departed to Australia to cover games there.

I cannot speak for the either Grant or Brendan but I know I was on an irritable edge as Monday morning of the final week approached. On that day, just six days before the final, each of us was to be advised as to what our tasks would be for the following big Saturday.

In the end it was my good fortune to be awarded the commentary task of calling the first ever Rugby World Cup final. I took a phone call at home in Lower Hutt from Deputy Head of Sports Bill McCarthy. He passed on the news and then excused himself to inform the others of what would obviously disappoint them.

A memo was then written by McCarthy to all staff advising that Quinn had got the commentary call but the rider was then added 'this in no way reflects badly on the wonderful work done by Grant Nisbett or Brendan Telfer.'

The 'expert' commentator was named as the former All Black five-eighths, and later All Black coach Earle Kirton. He edged out the colourful staff member Grahame Thorne.

There was a similar edgy and nervous background concerning which of TVNZ's rugby producers would direct the coverage of the final. This was to be the 'plum' job of those years.

DUNEDIN 25 KAIKORAI 29 | The Dunedin Rugby Football Club (Inc)

Strong defence pressured Dunedin into errors and gained Kaikorai an upset win against last year’s champion at Bishopscourt.

Dunedin looked to have the game in the bag when it played with the wind in the second spell with the scores level, 15-15, at the break.

Dunedin camped inside the Kaikorai 22m for much of the second spell but could only score one try because of strong defence by the Kaikorai forwards and pressure from the backs.

When No 8 Joe Dobson scored after seven minutes, Dunedin led 22-15 and had the game in its grasp because it had the advantage of a 10-point wind.

Dunedin appeared to have the game in control until breakouts after 30 and 38 minutes led to tries by lock Noa Soqeta and No 8 Kensak Palepoi and gave Kaikorai a narrow win.

First five-eighth Cam Rutherford kicked accurately and controlled play efficiently and was the best of the Kaikorai backs.

Wing Richard Cowley had the spark that led to the two breakouts while Soqeta, Palepoi and flanker Lee Allan played well in the forwards.

Halfback Robbie Smith was the only Dunedin back to end the game with credit but forwards Gareth Evans, Andrew Mackintosh, Richard Thompson and Will Henry had rugged games in the pack.

Kaikorai 29 (Mark McGregor, Cam Rutherford, Kensak Palepoi, Noa Soqeta tries; Rutherford pen, 3 con), Dunedin 25 (Joe Bradley, Joe Dobson, Gareth Evans, Richard Thompson tries; Robbie Smith pen, con).

Halftime: 15-15.

Referee: Tim Baker.

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