A most unsavoury incident occurred on the Monday evening that would have serious ramifications for the remainder of the tour, unfortunately coming so soon as it did, the tour having only really begun in earnest. The AB's were guests of the Four Home Unions at a formal, welcoming dinner at their hotel. Ernie Todd, entering the foyer of the Britannia from Grosvenor Square, spied a group sitting in a circle, which consisted of Murdoch, Sutherland, Wyllie, Toby Macdonald and Moose Whiting.

  With a fixed look on his face, he moved into the group and began offering it's members (Murdoch particularly, but also Wyllie and Sutherland) ultimatums regarding infraction of discipline, which would in turn be dealt with by the severest of punishments - expulsion from the tour.

  Todd mentioned his disapproval of Wyllie's rugged approach to the game, an unfortunate incident involving Sutherland during the internal tour earlier in the year and another in South Africa in 1970, which had involved Murdoch. Keefy had gotten into a fight with the Springbok Piet Visagie, or some of his mates and severely injured an ankle which sidelined him for several weeks.

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"It was disgraceful. What Todd did ended our respect for him. After that, we mostly ignored him."

Hamish Macdonald (They Missed the Bus) 1973

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"No-one's ever told the truth about it. Ernie Todd was dying of cancer. He was a bit of a nightmare. Hell of a nice guy, but the man's dying of cancer. But we were never told, if we were we may have had a more sympathetic view. Unfortunately he drank too much and he said a few words he shouldn't have. We weren't kids. You don't come in and abuse guys, some of us had families, we actually knew how to behave, we always were responsible."

Alan Sutherland (Stuff, Peter Jones, 2013)

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  Alan Sutherland particularly was incensed by the act. Keefy expressed disappointment that he'd been picked on and that he hadn't even had a chance as yet. He told Todd that if he didn't want him on the tour, he'd go straight away. He couldn't see the point of staying and playing/touring under a cloud.

  But it wasn't just Ernie Todd. Simultaneous with the All Blacks arrival in the UK, Keith Murdoch was already being portrayed in the press as the 'wild man' and the knives were seemingly out for the gentle giant from Ravensbourne on the Otago peninsula. British speculation seemed preoccupied with the notion that Keefy was a caged Gorilla.

  It was seemingly unorthodox for them to accept that just such a neanderthal had not the intelligence of the Irishman Ray McLaughlin, nor the bravado of Barry Llewellyn, the alleged strong man of Welsh rugby. Keefy was just a ticking time-bomb and they were hell bent on lighting the fuse.

  It was Sully who offered the group involved an ultimatum of his own. "We'll play like buggery and show this joker up," he said. "We'll make the bastard eat his words!"

  Tuesday's training session was followed by a reception for the All Blacks at Jeff Butterfield's newly-established Rugby Club - a reception tendered them by the well-to-do Rugby Writer's Club, which included Danny Hearn (who was paralysed attempting to tackle Ian MacRae in a match at Leicester in 1967) and the great Welsh fly-half, Cliff Morgan, recovering from a recent stroke.

  Another parochial Welshman and rugby fan, the great British actor Richard Burton, had in fact offered to help with Morgan's recuperation, by offering to pay his medical expenses. It is said that Morgan folded the letter into his heart and while he did not accept the actors offer, he knew he had but to ask and Burton would have given him the earth. Such is a Welshman's passion for the sport and why - post this particular tour - New Zealanders and Welshmen have such a deep respect for one another.

  On Wednesday, the NZ High Commissioner welcomed the team to the UK and the following day they set off by coach from London along the M4 & M5 for Cheltenham, in preparation for their first match against Western Counties. The All Blacks would be transported around the British Isles by T. H. Hamer and Company of London, the usual contractors for rugby tours through the UK.

  Besides the New Zealand contingent of 32, three others constantly travelled on the coach with the team; RFU Liaison Officer, Stanley Couchman, baggage master (and general factotum) Graham Short and Ted Howard, the managers secretary.

  Couchman had played for the Old Cranleighan's club, made 46 appearances for county Surrey and was an uncapped Lion on the 1938 tour to South Africa. He would become the RFU President in 1977-78.

  A second coach that travelled with the team contained seven pressmen (five writers and two photographers) from New Zealand. Included in this illustrious group - TP and his NZ Herald contract aside - Bob Howitt (editor of Rugby News and the New Zealand Rugby Annual) and Hedley Mortlock (sports editor of Truth) and with him, the doyenne of Kiwi sports photographers, Peter Bush.

  At Cheltenham, Alan Sutherland -  acknowledged as another of the team’s humorists - was appointed the touring party judge for the weekly mock-court sessions, a tradition in which players and press were fined for various misdemeanours committed during the week.

  On Friday 27th, the All Blacks trained at the Cheltenham club, where the 1905 side had played and won by 18-0. Harold 'Bunny' Abbott ran in three tries, as he had against Hartlepool clubs and Munster. Showing scant regard for the history component, Andy Haden proceeded to smash one of the crossbars, when he booted the ball into it. Sid Going sprained an ankle at the training session, but because there was no ice on hand, the ankle swelled up more than it should have. By chance, this would play exactly into the AB's hands the following afternoon.

  Then it was down to the very serious business...a rugby tour of the United Kingdom and France. Vivian Jenkins had already warned that the All Black's initial schedule in the UK was going to be a tough assignment and - with a combination of the '71 Lions success in NZ, modern coaching techniques and just being plain English - they were warned of an imminent defeat in match one.

  The first engagement was indeed a tough prospect, a regional side made up from the Western Counties of England, which included many players from the 1971–72 Rugby Union County Champions, Gloucestershire. For the record, although they only had three members listed in the replacements, Somerset was the only other county included in 'Western Counties'.

  Gloucestershire were the crowned English county champions, having defeated Warwickshire in the final in Coventry in March, by 11-6. To further boost rugby union in England, the RFU had introduced (in 1971) the John Player Cup, a knock-out competition, which quickly emerged as England’s premier Rugby Union club competition event (with there being no official league table for clubs). The first final, held on April 29th, 1972 was also won by Gloucester, defeating the Jan Godfrey Webster (1946-2019) led Moseley side from the West Midlands by 17-6.

  The Western Counties side to face the All Black's included seven players from the Gloucester club, six of whom had played the John Player Cup Final, four of them also playing in the county final. Bristol were the other club side well represented, seven also. Half-back, John Cannon from Clifton was the only player not to come from either Bristol of Gloucester.

  Bristol, beaten finalists in the 1972-73 JPC final, had amongst their ranks, 1971 Lions hooker, John Vivian Pullin (1941-2021) (also the current England captain), No. 8, Charlie Hannaford, who had won three caps in the 1971 Five Nations series, Alan Morley, who had made his test debut, scoring the games only try in England's big upset 18-9 win over South Africa in Johannesburg in June and the man who would captain Western Counties, Dave Watt.

  Gloucester would provide prop Mike Burton, also a member of the winning team in SA, later to return to the Republic with the 1974 Lions, plus Robin Cowling, Alan Brinn, Dick Smith, John Watkins and John Bayliss of the JP Cup winning side.

  There was excitement in the air in Gloucester itself, as was usually the case on day one of a long tour. The weather was ideal, with a light south-west wind blowing down the ground at Kingsholm and the sell-out crowd of 16,000 were as enthusiastic as the press contingent (who had arrived from all over Europe), whom Bryn Thomas described as 'bursting at the seams'. The Gloucester club was in it's 100th year and the anticipation of an All Black scalp was recognised by the England selectors, also in attendance. Interest in fact, was considerable, not only in Gloucester and Bristol, but also Bath and Stroud. 

  Trevor Morris and Sid Going were named in the programme, but neither would take part in the match. Morris' calf muscle had not mended sufficiently and his place was taken by Clock. Going was a late withdrawal owing to his ricked ankle and Lin Colling was plucked from the reserves to take his place.

  At 3pm on Saturday, October 28th, 1972...the long awaited All Black tour of the United Kingdom kicked off.