Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr stadium is transforming into the House of Pain for rugby goal-kickers, after a series of feeble goal-kicking attempts from world-class athletes have left players embarrassed and pointing fingers in all directions.
During the test match between the Springboks and All Blacks on Saturday September 15, Springboks kicker Moryne Steyn fell victim to the stadium’s quirks. Steyn, who previously held the world record for 41 consecutive successful kicks, only managed to get a pitiful one out of five kicks between the posts.
Wellington scientist Brian Wilkins has suggested that there could be a scientific explanation for Steyn’s dismal performance in the roofed stadium. Wilkins has studied the way cricket balls swerve in the air and believes that the still air in the stadium can change the spin of the ball, causing it to go in an undesired direction.
His theory is based on the lateral Magnus/Robins force, which according to Critic’s best mate Wikipedia is the phenomenon “whereby a spinning object flying in a fluid creates a whirlpool of fluid around itself, and experiences a force perpendicular to the line of motion.”
“Still air encourages aerodynamic effects that become accentuated,” explained Wilkins. “Any kick where it’s not fair and square is going to lead to trouble.”
He also suggested that kickers who come in from the side need to change their method if they want to get their balls between the posts. “It’s entirely about skill these days.”
Other pundits have suggested that Steyn’s shit kicks could be caused by a multitude of other reasons. Ex-All Black Tony Brown told TVNZ that “it could be an age issue”, and other experts say it could be the recent change of ball. However, as the old proverb says, a good workman never blames his tools.
Local rugby player Hayden Parker has proved that it is possible to perform under a roof. During the club final he made a 47-metre drop-goal on the final whistle to take the win. On Tuesday September 18, Parker successfully kicked 10 from 11 attempts at goal. This naturally leads to suggestions that the poorly-performing out-of-towners are just looking for something to blame other than their lack of skills and inability to adapt to different playing environments.
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