All Blacks saviour Colin Slade says bitter loss to Waratahs ‘still kills me’

COLIN Slade has plenty of happy memories from playing at Suncorp Stadium. But there is one loss he can’t get out of his mind. And that won’t be changing anytime soon.

Colin Slade is ready to return to Suncorp Stadium. Picture: AFP Photo

IT was described as “the kick that changed the world”, but Colin Slade’s return to Suncorp Stadium more than three years after kicking the All Blacks to a post-hooter win over the Wallabies will also have an eye for revenge.

Because as much as Slade relished nailing the pressure kick that sealed New Zealand’s famous 29-28 Bledisloe win over Australia in October 2014, a game earlier that year still causes him to flinch.

“That still kills me,” Slade says, referring to the Crusaders’ loss to the NSW Waratahs in the Super Rugby final.

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Slade started at five-eighth in that decider, with Dan Carter at No. 12.

With two minutes to go the Crusaders led 32-30, but Bernard Foley’s 43-metre penalty goal at the death sealed NSW’s first and only Super Rugby premiership.

It is perhaps fitting then, that in his first match at Suncorp since 2014, Slade will take on the Waratahs when they face French side Pau in their opening game of the Brisbane Global Tens on Friday afternoon.

Colin Slade celebrates after kicking the winning goal against the Wallabies. Picture: Darren England

“That’s my biggest disappointment in rugby,” said Slade, who has been Pau’s playmaker since leaving the All Blacks aged just 27 after the victorious 2015 World Cup campaign.

“It will be nice to play the Waratahs again.”

Slade, 30, will forever be etched in folklore for his conversion of Malakai Fekitoa’s try in the final Bledisloe Test in 2014, not only for the way the Kiwis pulled out the win having trailed 28-22 with the hooter about to sound, but for what transpired next.

Half an hour after full-time, Ewen McKenzie announced he was resigning as Wallabies coach in the bowels of the Brisbane stadium, heralding the appointment of Michael Cheika days later.

Had New Zealand lost the game, it would have been the first time coach Steve Hansen had suffered consecutive losses.

Instead, Australia lost the game and their coach.

In context of what had transpired, Kiwi media labelled Slade’s conversion as “the kick that changed the world”.

“We were happy to win, in the next few days you felt for the other team, but in the moment you’re a pretty happy bunch, you put in a big effort to win Test matches,” Slade said.

Colin Slade in action for the Crusaders. Picture: Getty Images

“I remember having a few beers afterwards, a few high fives, back slaps and bum pats and all the rest of it.

“It was an important night for Australia, but it’s all part of the game, there’s always going to be consequences for not winning.

“During that time the All Blacks had developed a reputation for never giving up, and getting out at the last minute, that was no different.

“They’re certainly good memories, it was great for the position to work into a position to give me a shot after scoring a try — Malakai it was — and I just had to my job.

“That’s why the All Blacks are so good; guys can step up at the right times and thankfully, the kick went between the sticks.”

Originally published as All Blacks saviour Colin Slade says bitter loss to Waratahs ‘still kills me’