Several members of the world champion All Blacks turned up to relive their finest hour at a special movie screening last night.
The All Blacks arrived at the Hoyts Wairau Park cinema on Auckland's North Shore, greeting a few starstruck onlookers before heading inside to watch The Kick.
Unassuming centre Conrad Smith joked that seeing himself onscreen would be the "least favourite" part of the screening. He and teammates Kieran Read, Richie McCaw, Jerome Kaino and Ma'a Nonu appeared in an upbeat mood.
The Kick is a telemovie based around the extraordinary run of injuries during the 2011 Rugby World Cup, leading to Stephen Donald being called away from a whitebaiting trip to substitute in for the final. The All Blacks beat France by one point after the man nicknamed "Beaver" — wearing a jersey a few sizes too small — slotted a last-minute penalty goal.
The movie was scripted by Tom Scott and Philip Smith and directed by Danny Mulheron, who also worked on Meet the Feebles and Fresh Meat. Christchurch-born actor David de Lautour portrays Donald.
