we were on a special charter rugby bus which was taking us to Auckland Harbour where we would board a specal charter rugby boat. I took no notice of who he was, I guess I'd seen him on telly but he wasn't that greatly important to me, besides I was caught up in the excitement of the moment and what lay ahead re the Boks. He and his wife were sitting to the side and towards the front of the bus, little did I realise how our paths would later cross.
It was at breakfast one morning the day before that critical quarterfinal when we bumped into each other. So I'm in my Bok jumper and without any introduction he walks up to our table and tells me the Boks were going to lose. Piss off I said, no way in Hell that was going to happen, the Boks were going to beat the Ozzies. There is of course only one way to settle those kinds of arguments and that is for the loser to buy beers to which we agreed. His Ozzie loyalties aside he seemed a nice enough fella and a bit more friendly than my next door neighbour.
It's all history now, I was totally pissed off, a disallowed try, injury to our Fetcher early in the piece, the Boks frustrated by the Ozzies...an inept Ref by the name of Bryce. I couldn't come to terms with why and how the Boks could lose a game they had so dominated for almost all of 70 minutes.
Brekkie was a no go that Sunday morning, I struggled through a coffee and I was in no mood to listen to any smart-arse comments. I spotted him in the lounge room but like I said I was in no mood and I was determined to avoid him but as I made my way out hoping to find something stronger than coffee I heard this voice behind me say "See I told ya"....it was him, turning, I countered with the poor decision on the disallowed try, poor referreeing etc to which he retorted "Oh there you go, you bloody South Africans just won't cop it on the chin, always looking for excuses. The try was off a forward pass." Look, I had had enough, I was in no mood to argue and after some discussion we shook hands and parted company.
Months later I saw him again, this time I had more reason to take notice, he was escorting President Obama through the Australian War Museum in Canberra. This down to earth, unassuming rugga lover who could have had his breakfast served in the privacy of his cabin but instead chose to dine incognito with common people and to the side, had a bet and some banter with a SAFFA he did not know.
I have never met a more down to earth and humble person who happens to be a fair dinkum Rugby man.
His name.......General Peter Cosgrove....tipped to be our next Governor General.
