NPR

All Blacks great Andy Haden died in Auckland on Wednesday after a long illness. He was 69.

A spokesperson for Haden’s family said the former lock died at around 7am on Wednesday at his home surrounded by his family.

His funeral will be at 1.30pm on Monday at Eden Park, where he played so many memorable matches for Auckland and the All Blacks.

Haden played 117 matches, including 41 tests, for the All Blacks in a long and distinguished international rugby career from 1972 to 1985.

He captained his country on eight occasions and was a controversial figure at times, on and off the field, but earned his place as a fixture in New Zealand’s second row once he finally made his test debut in 1977 against the British and Irish Lions in Wellington.

Haden had been seriously ill for a long time and was recently sent home from hospital for palliative care after his health took a major turn for the worse. He confirmed in 2003 that he had been diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

As well as playing more than 100 times for his country, Haden racked up more than a century of appearances for Auckland at provincial level and for Ponsonby in the club game. As a manager, he also represented supermodel Rachel Hunter early in her career.

Haden’s first appearance for the All Blacks, at the age of 21, was on the 1972 tour north against New York Metropolitan in New York, though it was five years before he would make his test debut against the touring Lions. He and Frank Oliver were fixtures in the second row for the 3-1 New Zealand series victory.

He was a central figure in the 1978 Grand Slam tour of the UK and Ireland. His “dive” from a lineout late in the 13-12 victory over Wales in Cardiff becoming a major talking point. The All Blacks were awarded a match-winning penalty, goaled by Brian McKechnie, though it was later clarified as being for an obstruction on Oliver, and not Haden’s dramatic plunge.

“They climbed over me all day, that’s why we came up with the remedy we did,” Haden explained of his much-talked-about ploy.

In a stoppage before the lineout, Haden told captain Graham Mourie he was going to dive.

It was a bitter defeat for Wales, with their legendary fullback JPR Williams claiming Haden should have been sent off “for ungentlemanly conduct”.

Haden’s final test for the All Blacks was on the 1985 tour of Argentina and he retired from the game the following year.

Always outspoken and often controversial, Haden was considered a forerunner of the professional era with his progressive approach to payments for players. He once stated that his intention was to become “rugby’s first millionaire”.

His test career was briefly halted when he was suspended while an investigation into his amateur status was undertaken, though he was subsequently cleared on the charge.

Late in his playing career, he set up a promotions and management company which became his major post-rugby undertaking. Among a host of Kiwi celebrities and sportspeople, he represented Hunter at the height of her career.

Even after his playing career, controversy remained close at hand. He had to resign as a Rugby World Cup ambassador after comments that upset Polynesians and women.

FujiKiwi wrote: ↑Wed Jul 29, 2020 5:30 am A good player. I didn’t care for him much as a person. Never showed much grace or class in public.

Kiwias wrote: ↑Wed Jul 29, 2020 6:09 am

FujiKiwi wrote: ↑Wed Jul 29, 2020 5:30 am A good player. I didn’t care for him much as a person. Never showed much grace or class in public.

He was several steps up from being a "good" player. He was a genuine star, the Retallick of his era. As for the rest, he was a jafa, what do you expect?

Andy Haden's dive was a great Welsh rugby injustice but he'll be remembered as a legend

Graham Price has led the tributes to Andy Haden, the All Blacks legend at the centre of the controversial diving incident which robbed Wales of victory against New Zealand.

The funeral of 69-year-old Haden, who passed away in Auckland, will be held next Monday at the Eden Park stadium which hosted the 2011 World Cup final.

The former New Zealand captain and lock partner Frank 'Filthy' Oliver were involved in the dive out of a lineout which saw Wales wrongly penalised and beaten 13-12 by a last minute penalty at Cardiff Arms Park in 1978.

Haden, who played 117 matches and 41 Tests for the All Blacks between 1972 and 1985, had admitted: “Frank and I practised it the day before.”

English referee Roger Quittenton fell for their gamesmanship, awarding a kick at goal which replacement full-back Brian McKechnie nailed to deny Wales’ stars of the 1970s of an historic win.

Haden said: “I don’t have any regrets and I don’t think there are any among the rest of the team that played that day. There’s certainly not been any about the final score.”

Wales full-back legend JPR Williams later wrote Haden should have been sent off for unsporting conduct.

But fellow Lions and Wales great Price puts the blame firmly and squarely on referee Quittenton.

“He was the problem, he was naive. Nothing different happened at that lineout to what had gone on in the previous ones in the game except for one thing, Haden blatantly dived out of it," said Price.

“Everyone talks of it robbing us of victory, but Oliver was actually the main culprit.

“He’d been barging Geoff Wheel in the lineout the whole game. Given this was the last minute and we had to win the ball to secure victory, Geoff held out his arm to hold him off.

“Oliver, ‘Filthy Frank’ they called him in New Zealand because he would kick anything that moved and was a dirty player, was clever and fell over.

“Haden was theatrical behind him and Quittenton fell for it hook. line and sinker, giving them the winning penalty.

“It was unfair and left a bitter taste but we should have been way ahead of them at that point.

“It was probably the only time the Wales pack had got the better of the All Blacks forwards. We had nearly total territory and possession but failed to take the opportunities we had.

“It would have been nice to have won and to have it taken away like that by two blokes diving out of the lineout still rankles.

“That aside, it’s terribly sad news. Haden was 69, which isn’t an old age.”

Ironically, the following year Haden and Price were teammates in a star-studded invitation team captained by Oliver and which played in South Africa.

“It was effectively the All Blacks with me packing down at tighthead prop. Brian Lochore, another All Blacks legend, was our coach,” recalled Price.

“Haden wasn’t just a character, going on to become an agent and successful businessman, but also a great player.

“The lineout incident against Wales will always be brought up when his name is mentioned but he also deserves to be remembered for more than that because he was a wonderful lock.

“Andy was so athletic and certainly wasn’t a second row who plodded around the pitch.

Ali Cadoo wrote: ↑Thu Jul 30, 2020 12:41 pm Lovely comments from Graham Price, I thought - from one vicious hard nut to another, perhaps, but nice nonetheless.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rug ... h-18680428

Andy Haden's dive was a great Welsh rugby injustice but he'll be remembered as a legend

Graham Price has led the tributes to Andy Haden, the All Blacks legend at the centre of the controversial diving incident which robbed Wales of victory against New Zealand.

The funeral of 69-year-old Haden, who passed away in Auckland, will be held next Monday at the Eden Park stadium which hosted the 2011 World Cup final.

The former New Zealand captain and lock partner Frank 'Filthy' Oliver were involved in the dive out of a lineout which saw Wales wrongly penalised and beaten 13-12 by a last minute penalty at Cardiff Arms Park in 1978.

Haden, who played 117 matches and 41 Tests for the All Blacks between 1972 and 1985, had admitted: “Frank and I practised it the day before.”

English referee Roger Quittenton fell for their gamesmanship, awarding a kick at goal which replacement full-back Brian McKechnie nailed to deny Wales’ stars of the 1970s of an historic win.

Haden said: “I don’t have any regrets and I don’t think there are any among the rest of the team that played that day. There’s certainly not been any about the final score.”

Wales full-back legend JPR Williams later wrote Haden should have been sent off for unsporting conduct.

But fellow Lions and Wales great Price puts the blame firmly and squarely on referee Quittenton.

“He was the problem, he was naive. Nothing different happened at that lineout to what had gone on in the previous ones in the game except for one thing, Haden blatantly dived out of it," said Price.

“Everyone talks of it robbing us of victory, but Oliver was actually the main culprit.

“He’d been barging Geoff Wheel in the lineout the whole game. Given this was the last minute and we had to win the ball to secure victory, Geoff held out his arm to hold him off.

“Oliver, ‘Filthy Frank’ they called him in New Zealand because he would kick anything that moved and was a dirty player, was clever and fell over.

“Haden was theatrical behind him and Quittenton fell for it hook. line and sinker, giving them the winning penalty.

“It was unfair and left a bitter taste but we should have been way ahead of them at that point.

“It was probably the only time the Wales pack had got the better of the All Blacks forwards. We had nearly total territory and possession but failed to take the opportunities we had.

“It would have been nice to have won and to have it taken away like that by two blokes diving out of the lineout still rankles.

“That aside, it’s terribly sad news. Haden was 69, which isn’t an old age.”

Ironically, the following year Haden and Price were teammates in a star-studded invitation team captained by Oliver and which played in South Africa.

“It was effectively the All Blacks with me packing down at tighthead prop. Brian Lochore, another All Blacks legend, was our coach,” recalled Price.

“Haden wasn’t just a character, going on to become an agent and successful businessman, but also a great player.

“The lineout incident against Wales will always be brought up when his name is mentioned but he also deserves to be remembered for more than that because he was a wonderful lock.

“Andy was so athletic and certainly wasn’t a second row who plodded around the pitch.

obelixtim wrote: ↑Fri Jul 31, 2020 9:10 am It would have served him right to be sent off, because it was certainly bad sportsmanship, and embarrassed both the ABs and their fans. Scumbag behaviour.

Gumboot wrote: ↑Fri Jul 31, 2020 9:30 am

obelixtim wrote: ↑Fri Jul 31, 2020 9:10 am It would have served him right to be sent off, because it was certainly bad sportsmanship, and embarrassed both the ABs and their fans. Scumbag behaviour.

Think you're being a tad harsh. One man's bad sportsmanship is another's cheeky gamesmanship. What should he have been sent off for, the heinous crime of not actually touching anyone at all?