The Police

**Hitcher** · 19th July 2007, 19:31

Giant steps are what you take.

**Hitcher** · 19th July 2007, 19:33

Oh, can't you see
You belong to me
How my poo hole aches
With every step you take

**Usarka** · 19th July 2007, 20:17

Originally Posted by NZsarge

Thats what I like about it, Particularly Sting. You go to one of his concerts and you don't get a carbon copy of the CD

Sign of someone who appreciates music. if u want it to sound like the cd then stay at home and listen to the music. buy a hundy bag and smoke up large with the money u saved unless you are the police then you can get it from bashing the hippies and potheads and stealing their weed.

**kro** · 19th July 2007, 20:24

The Police are awesome. That jumped up shit Sting should never have left, his solo stuff is crap. Very similar situation with Lee Roth and Van Halen, yet another travesty.

**heyjoe** · 19th July 2007, 22:48

Gotta say they definitely have a place in music history though at the height of their fame which I guess is in the 80's.

Anyone going to the Heaven & Hell Black Sabbath (Dio years) concert in Auckland on 16 Aug 07? Should be a good one as they did some awesome stuff in their time after Ozzie departed.

I spose if we all know these music people in the height of their years then we must be getting old...(ha ha).

Enjoy the concert Sarge.

**AJ** · 19th July 2007, 22:51

Sting is on tv2 right now.. playing a lute!!

(on some trashy American drama show)

**Sully60** · 17th January 2008, 21:33

We're just sitting back watching telly and Number One says can you hear that?

Yeah, It sounds like one of the next door neighbours big V8 4WD's idling away, but different.

Go outside and it sounds more like music.

It's the Police concert at the stadium.

I live in Grenada Village (10 or so k's away) and I can tell what song they're playing WTF?

The residents of Thorndon must really enjoying this part of the concert!

**FlangMasterJ** · 18th January 2008, 07:36

Originally Posted by Sully60

The residents of Thorndon must really enjoying this part of the concert!

LOL! Just moved into the Stadium Gardens apartment building a week ago. It was awesome. We could hear every song.

Fergie did a few covers including Led Zep. Not that I like Fergie

**Pex Adams** · 18th January 2008, 07:56

Who the heck is Fergie???

Your not talking about the Fergie McCormick?!?! What the hell is he doing opening for the Police?

**FlangMasterJ** · 18th January 2008, 08:07

Originally Posted by Pex Adams

Who the heck is Fergie???

Your not talking about the Fergie McCormick?!?! What the hell is he doing opening for the Police?

**Sully60** · 18th January 2008, 08:57

She could "open" for me anytime

**Usarka** · 18th January 2008, 09:14

What a skank.

Fuck the police!

**Pex Adams** · 18th January 2008, 09:53

I didn't think it'd be Fergie Mc - unless of course you all went to the concert to purchase some real estate before hand.

Fergie McCormick
Fergie McCormick was a notable All Black fullback from 1967-71, but probably achieved greater legendary status as an icon of Canterbury teams, for whom he had a phenomenal career, making a record 222 appearances for the union between 1958 and 1975.

McCormick at 1.71m may well have lacked the height for an ideal fullback in the modern game. But in his heyday there were few more indomitable figures in the game and the stockily built pocket battleship became celebrated for his fearless tackling. He was also one of the first running fullbacks, possessing a startling turn of pace and successfully adapting his style when the restricted kicking into touch laws were introduced in the late 1960s.

A stalwart of Christchurch's Linwood club, McCormick played his first matches at representative levels in the 1958-59 seasons as a first five eighths in Canterbury B sides in Queen's Birthday fixtures against Mid Canterbury. But in the 1959 season he switched to fullback and in only his second match for Canterbury A he played in a side which upset the touring British Lions 20-14.

He impressed in that match with his defence and courage, both of which were to become his trademarks. He progressed even further in the 1960 season, making the first of his 10 South island appearances and making a New Zealand XV which played a match against West Coast and for the Rest who played the All Blacks on their return from South Africa.

Despite his outstanding matches for Canterbury McCormick had trouble breaking into the All Blacks in the early to mid 1960s. Don Clarke was the dominant fullback of the time and as his successor McCormick encountered fierce rivalry from Wellington's Mick Williment.

When Clarke was forced out of the game through injury after the 1964 season Williment was preferred through till the 1967 Jubilee test against the Wallabies.

McCormick only made the All Blacks for the 1965 fourth test against the Springboks when Williment was spelled because of an injury he'd received playing for the NZ Universities against the tourists.

McCormick was 28 and appeared to be in the twilight of his career when he was unexpectedly chosen ahead of Williment as the only specialist fullback taken on the 1967 tour of Britain. McCormick responded positively to the coaching of Fred Allen and proved to be one of the stars of the tour both with his defence, which the eminent critic tour Terry McLean compared to the idol of the 1920s, George Nepia, and even his goalkicking.

McCormick remained the All Blacks' first choice through the 1968 season, on the tour of Australia and then the series against the touring French, and reached a sublime level playing in the two tests against the touring Welsh in 1969. In the second test at Eden Park McCormick scored 24 points, which at the time was a world record for an individual test tally.

He made the 1970 tour of South Africa and played with all his usual zest despite some goalkicking woes and controversy for a head-high tackle on the Springboks' wing Syd Nomis. He took a physical and mental battering and as a result was left out of the the fourth test, though typically he volunteered to start at halfback if needed because of injuries to Chris Laidlaw and Sid Going.

He wasn't needed with Going recovering sufficiently. But he returned for the first test against the touring Lions in 1971. However, after he had been made a special target by Barry John with his surgical boot he was dropped for the rest of the series and was never again an All Black. In all, he played 43 matches for the All Blacks including 16 tests and some of the good form he showed in subsequent years suggested he may have been discarded from the international scene a little too early.

McCormick continued to play at representative level until 1975, by which time he was 36. In his final season he scored the winning try in Canterbury's win that year over the touring Scotland side, one of many highlights of his long and illustrious career with his province.

He played for Canterbury in eight international matches: against the Lions in 1959, 1966 and 1971, the Wallabies in 1962, the Springboks in 1965, England in 1973 and Scotland in 1975. Of these the 1959, 1962, 1973 and 1975 matches were won. He also played in a successful Ranfurly Shieid challenge against Hawke's Bay in 1969, a season in which he was the outstanding New Zealand player of the year. A year later his late dropped goal allowed Canterbury to hold the shield with a 3-all draw against Wellington.

In 310 first class points McCormick scored a total of 2065 points, including 121 points in his 16 tests. He was the first New Zealand player to exceed 2000 points in first class rugby, having been overtaken in subsequent years by Grant Fox, Andrew Mehrtens, Matthew and Greg Cooper, Kieran Crowley, Robbie Deans and Warren Johnstone. Of this elite group McCormick has the less impressive scoring rate per match, but it is remarkable that he should be in this company. For McCormick was never a natural goalkicker and often took on the job for both Canterbury and New Zealand reluctantly. For many seasons, indeed, McCormick never kicked in Christchurch club rugby because for most of the time he was playing for Linwood where there was a superior kicker in the team in Peter Jellyman.

McCormick's father, Archie, played for Ashburton County and Canterbury and was an All Black on the 1925 tour of Australia. His son, Andrew, was also a fine player and played as a midfield back 84 games for Canterbury between 1986 and 1992. He was a New Zealand Colt in 1988, appeared for the Development XV in 1990 and played five matches for New Zealand XVs in 1991-92 against Romania, Soviet Union and England B.

The McCormicks thus came close to matching the feat of the Barry family in having three generations of All Blacks. Andrew McCormick, indeed, did become a full interanational playing and captaining Japan for many years and at the 1999 World Cup.

Fergie McCormick represented the South island at softball whilst his mother, Helen, was a national hockey representative.

Profile by Lindsay Knight
for the New Zealand Rugby Museum.

FULL NAME William Fergus McCormick BORN Monday, 24 April 1939 in Ashburton AGE 68 PHYSICAL 1.70m, 83kg POSITION Fullback LAST SCHOOL Christchurch Boys' High RUGBY CLUB (First made All Blacks from) Linwood PROVINCE Canterbury ALL BLACK DEBUT Saturday, 18 September 1965 v South Africa at Auckland aged 26 years, 147 days INTERNATIONAL DEBUT Saturday, 18 September 1965 v South Africa at Auckland aged 26 years, 147 days LAST TEST Saturday, 26 June 1971 v British & Irish Lions at Dunedin aged 32 years, 63 days ALL BLACK TESTS 16 (0 as Captain) ALL BLACK GAMES 28 (0 as Captain) TOTAL ALL BLACK MATCHES 44 (0 as Captain) ALL BLACK TEST POINTS 121pts (0t, 23c, 24p, 1dg, 0m) ALL BLACK GAME POINTS 332pts (10t, 91c, 40p, 0dg, 0m) TOTAL ALL BLACK POINTS 453pts (10t, 114c, 64p, 1dg, 0m) ALL BLACK NUMBER 653