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Hero image for Men of the Silver Fern - Trouble in the Engine Room (1925 - 1956)

Men of the Silver Fern - Trouble in the Engine Room (1925 - 1956)

Television (Full Length Episode) – 1993

The second episode of this 1992 celebration of New Zealand rugby looks at the period from 1925 - 1956, as depression and war affected the national game. Scrum rules changed — outlawing the wing forward position, pioneered by the Kiwis — and NZ found itself chasing the pack: the no-longer-invincible All Blacks regularly came out losers playing against South Africa. The Springbok was finally felled in a series by the Kiwis in 1956 (played at home in front of huge, manic crowds). All Black Peter Jones famously summed it up the achievement post match: “I’m absolutely buggered”. 

We tried to play it open, we tried to play it decent.
– Kiwis coach Charlie Saxton

Key Cast & Crew

Profile image for Peter Coates

Peter Coates

Writer, Producer, Director

Profile image for Lloyd Scott

Lloyd Scott

Narrator

Profile image for Keith Quinn

Keith Quinn

Interviewer, Producer

Generic Profile image for Ces Blazey

Ces Blazey

Producer

Generic Profile image for Ivan Vodanovich

Ivan Vodanovich

Producer

Generic Profile image for Grahame Thorne

Grahame Thorne

Interviewer

See all 20 credits

Produced by

Spectrum Communications