Suspended Thorn takes to soccer
Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:23
Suspended All Blacks lock Brad Thorn has made a cameo soccer appearance in Dunedin at the weekend.
The veteran dual international missed the All Blacks' 28-30 Tri-Nations loss to the Springboks at Carisbrook last Saturday through suspension, following a vicious spear tackle on Bok captain John Smit the previous week in Wellington.
Thorn decided to turn out for a lower division soccer club in Dunedin last Saturday, the same day that the All Blacks faced the Boks in the South Island city.
Thorn, who is an international in Rugby Union and Rugby League, played for the Northern club, a Fifth Division side, playing half a game in goal.
Northern club captain Colin Hillerby says he acquitted himself pretty well. Hillerby says they did not get anything past him, but his kicking style is very much a toe-poke, like most rugby players.
Northern won the game against Roslyn Wakari 5-0.
Thorn, following his rather lenient one-week ban for the tackle that has ruled Smit out for the remainder of the Tri-Nations, will be available to play for New Zealand when they tackle Australia in a Tri-Nations/Bledisloe Cup double header in Sydney on July 26.
