Best Dougie Memory

bridgetown1

What match was it when our pack was down to 7 due to a binning (Quinlan?), 5m scrum on our line, Dougie packed down as flanker and we CREAMED the opposition pack??? THAT is my best Dougie memory.

totallegend

The pool game against Northampton in 2011, ROG got all the plaudits (unfairly IMO) for his drop goal but Munster would have been dead and buried if not for Howlett's performance, he was brilliant that day and his try was a thing of genius.

JustinDee

Best kick chaser I've ever seen on-field. Brilliant to watch even if it was playing for New Zealand.

Zzippy

When Dougie first arrived in Munster, having just signed a contract, shortly after the 2007 WC and the car-jumping incident in London. Goes out to watch the team training and get introduced. DOC notices him on the sideline and roars "STEP AWAY FROM THE VEHICLES PLEASE".

Buer

I can't remember the match but he tore his hammer and still chased back to intervene a certain try. It was remarkable determination and dedication.

leakyboots

Buer wrote: »

I can't remember the match but he tore his hammer and still chased back to intervene a certain try. It was remarkable determination and dedication.

That was against Treviso in Thomond, happened in front of me. Incredible.

molloyjh

For all the great things he did on the pitch this still is my favourite Howlett moment....

https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=170365653012227&oid=36613502000&comments

That's the job.

Lelantos

Zzippy wrote: »

When Dougie first arrived in Munster, having just signed a contract, shortly after the 2007 WC and the car-jumping incident in London. Goes out to watch the team training and get introduced. DOC notices him on the sideline and roars "STEP AWAY FROM THE VEHICLES PLEASE".

I thought that was Quinny? Still, it's a great story whoever it was

PhatPiggins

I haven't one single bad memory of him which is testament to his consistently high levels of performance.

brinty

Munster haka without a doubt

And any of the tackles he made...Wasps in Thomond in 2009, he absolutely smashed David Doherty (I think)....but nothing compares to Howlett v Rose (check it out on youtube...don't p1$$ Dougie off)

.ak

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNrTsSOMazo

bridgetown1

brinty wrote: »

Munster haka without a doubt

Pub Quiz Question:


Name the 4 players?!!!

Rua Tupoki, Dougie Howlett, Lifemi Mafi and Jeremy Manning!!)

brinty

Tipoki (former maoris captain) , howlett mafi and manning

Now a hard question...what player missed out on emulating his father through injury for that game? His father was in the 1978 squad....

PhatPiggins

brinty wrote: »

Tipoki (former maoris captain) , howlett mafi and manning

Now a hard question...what player missed out on emulating his father through injury for that game? His father was in the 1978 squad....

For Munster or the AB's?

Lelantos

Earls?

brinty

for Munster
and no it wasn;t Earls..was he not with international squad at that stage??

Buer

brinty wrote: »

Tipoki (former maoris captain) , howlett mafi and manning

Now a hard question...what player missed out on emulating his father through injury for that game? His father was in the 1978 squad....

Axel, I would reckon.

Ger Earls would have come along a bit after that, Lelantos. He would have been on the pitch in the 1992 win against Australia I think.

brinty

Not Foley, he was retired but his dad was 2nd row(i think in 78)

Lelantos

Buer wrote: »

Axel, I would reckon.

Ger Earls would have come along a bit after that, Lelantos. He would have been on the pitch in the 1992 win against Australia I think.

Yep, there was a Foley played against them in 78. Didnt realise it wad Axels father. Earls was a stab in the dark , thought his old fella was a bit older than that
Mick o Callaghan played that day as well, I can't think of anyone else it could be. Someone put me out of my misery please

Buer

brinty wrote: »

Not Foley, he was retired but his dad was 2nd row(i think in 78)

Jayzus. I'm at a loss then without looking it up. Foley would have been retired, you're definitely right on that count! Wasn't thinking.

brinty

Denis Hurley..his father was the reserve hooker in 1978

duckysauce

Amazing moment and a cracking match. Legend

Swiwi

Tribute to Dougie

In June 2000, when Dougie pulled on the Black Jersey for the first time and ran out onto Albany Stadium to face Tonga, few people would have guessed Howlett would go on to become the ABs record try-scorer. On the face of it, blinding speed was his main asset, but that is hardly an unusual characteristic in a winger. No brute power like Lomu, no big fend like Umaga, no fancy pirouetting like Rococoko. When the NZ Herald and its readers decided on the greatest ABs of the modern era, Howlett’s name did not appear. Instead, Kirwan, Williams, Lomu, Wilson, and Umaga made the list. And yet Doug was a genius in his own way – he could be best summed up as a “right man right place” sort of winger.

If you google his myriad of tries, you mostly see Doug taking a simple final pass and flopping over the try-line, or touching down in that 2-handed way of his. What the clips never show is his immaculate reading of the game and unerring positional sense, both on attack & defence, and his high work-rate, all of which brought him so many tries. Goodbye JK at 35, sayonara Lomu at 37, slán Wilson at 44, and finally thanks for the memories Cullen at 46, before calling it a halt at 49. No doubt he would have reached the magical mark of 50, had he not been inexplicably rested for that fateful match against France. When Michalak broke out and set Jauzion away for the winning score, it was ironically down Doug’s right wing side.

Unlike Justin, I don’t think Doug is the greatest kick-chaser of all time (that remains Habana for me), but I’ll always remember him as the consummate professional, a thinking man’s winger. In 2008, I had the privilege to meet Doug in person, when he and some of his Munster teammates visited my workplace in Cork. He was exactly as I expected – down to earth, humble, and engaging. I’m sure Doug will continue to contribute to our great game, and he’ll always be welcome in Ireland or New Zealand, wherever he decides to settle. Doug Howlett – AB legend (62 matches, 49 tries).

Mahatma Geansai

Dougie truly is a modern great of the game. Probably the greatest try-scoring winger of the professional generation when he was with the All Blacks. When he signed for Munster and his pace began to wane, he showed himself to be one of the smartest players and best defensive wingers around.

How he excelled to the completely different cultures of both the Blues and Munster is a measure of the man. Hopefully he'll stay on as a coach as rumoured.

jm08

swiwi - I posted this on the Munster thread:

Cullen: 0.793 tries per Test game
Howlett: 0.790
Sivivatu: 0.688
Lomu: 0.587

I think Dougie is still the Super Rugby's Top try scorer - do you know is that is true. Phenomenal try scoring record anyway:

Super Rugby - 59 tries in 58 games
Air New Zealand Cup 14 tries in 16 games.

Oh and one of only 3 players to have won a Heineken Cup & Super Rugby one.

Swiwi

jm08 wrote: »

swiwi - I posted this on the Munster thread:

Cullen: 0.793 tries per Test game
Howlett: 0.790
Sivivatu: 0.688
Lomu: 0.587

I think Dougie is still the Super Rugby's Top try scorer - do you know is that is true. Phenomenal try scoring record anyway:

Super Rugby - 59 tries in 58 games
Air New Zealand Cup 14 tries in 16 games.

Oh and one of only 3 players to have won a Heineken Cup & Super Rugby one.

Yes, I had to google it, but Doug is the leading try scorer in super rugby, you're right. Anyone vaguely interested in rugby has heard or seen Lomu, but although Lomu was unstoppable in full flight, he wasn't a patch on Doug in terms of work-rate, positional play etc. Lomu could be a lemon in defence at times, whereas Doug was a great defender.

Almaviva

Am I the only one who clicked this thread, unable to think of any Dougie in the game of rugby, and thinking it was a misplaced question about an old TV show about a teenage doctor ?
Maybe I am.

Munstermissy

Almaviva wrote: »

Am I the only one who clicked this thread, unable to think of any Dougie in the game of rugby, and thinking it was a misplaced question about an old TV show about a teenage doctor ?
Maybe I am.

For shame, there is only one Dougie!!!

Fireball07

Almaviva wrote: »

Am I the only one who clicked this thread, unable to think of any Dougie in the game of rugby, and thinking it was a misplaced question about an old TV show about a teenage doctor ?
Maybe I am.

I'm sorry, that is shocking! :P

totallegend

Fireball07 wrote: »

I'm sorry, that is shocking! :P

There now follows an apology from Almaviva:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsBYeZ-W0NE

Teferi

What's the apology for? Never heard of that.