Tuesday 12 January 2010
A highly honourable effort
JOHN CARTER and Shane Jones play for the Parliamentary rugby team
in Rarotonga last year. Photo: Cook Islands News
Northland MP the Hon John Carter displayed an unsuspected talent when he snared this lineout win for the New Zealand Parliamentary rugby team in Rarotonga in November 2009, much to the (no one is quite sure what) of team mate, the equally Hon Shane Jones, who might well simply be displaying relief that he did not have to take the Minister for Senior Citizens by the shorts and fling him ten feet into the air.
Just what might have been passing through the two politicians' minds, if, indeed, anything, has been the subject of some speculation, but sources who are not especially close to the Beehive (but know where it is) have suggested that it had nothing to do with Mr Carter's apparent decision to abandon the practice of waxing his legs, an indulgence which Mr Jones, it is rumoured, continues to enjoy.
The theory that Mr Carter is actually trying to identify exactly what it is that has been tossed to him has some appeal, but another, that Mr Jones has just worked out what happened to a couple of his election hoardings in 2008, is officially regarded as a long shot. Rumours that Mr Carter is planning to audition for the role of Gollum in a new LOTR movie is possibly even longer, although he was heard to hiss something that sounded very much like 'Preciousss!' Most commentators would say he is too tall.
His expression reminds one of the mixture of joy and horror that flitted over the countenance of one Gerry Brownlee, playing for the same team at Awanui some years ago, when he received the ball just inside the opposition's half with a clear run to the goal line.
Ten metres into his sprint he flung the ball to the ground, however, clutching at his right hamstring and staggering to a halt. He was assisted from the field, but the moment he crossed the touch line he effected a miraculous recovery. Asked what had happened, he said he had had no intention of running that far. Mr Carter, incidentally, could have scored a famous try that day (against Awanui's Men in Black), but for the unfortunate fact that he tripped over just as the ball was about to reach him.
