Top 10 injury blows

Henry Cooper vs Muhammad Ali, 1963. Photo / Supplied

In 1924, there were 'The Invincibles'; in 1987, there were 'The Inaugurals' (the first All Black team to win the World Cup); in 1996, there were 'The Incomparables' (first to win a series in South Africa); in 2003, there were 'The Indecipherables' (though that refers mainly to then coach John Mitchell); in 2007, there were 'The Inadequates' (worst showing ever at a World Cup); and now, in 2011, we have the worst injury list of any World Cup to date - 'The Invalids?'. Here, in the fond hope the injuries do not deter the All Blacks from claiming another Cup, the Herald on Sunday sports team look at other instances of tragedy by injury.

1 - Kiwi
1984 Melbourne Cup
In 1983, an entire country swelled with pride as it watched a relatively unknown New Zealand gelding come from second-last at the final turn to win the Melbourne Cup in a truly unbelievable finish.
The voice of the incredulous Australian television commentator - "And here comes Kiwi. . ." - lives long in the memory.
Kiwi, trained on Snow Lupton's farm in Waverley, arrived in Melbourne as one of the favourites the following year. However, he was ruled out on the eve of the race by a Victoria racing veterinarian, judged to be lame because of a scratchy action, despite Lupton's insistence that the horse was fit.
"If they had vetted all the horses like Kiwi," rued jockey Jimmy Cassidy, "there wouldn't have been a runner left."
Some compared it to the underarm cricket delivery but either way, it was a cruel missed opportunity for a horse at its peak; a few weeks later, Kiwi ran sixth in the gruelling Japan Cup. In 1985, Kiwi returned to Flemington and bravely ran on late to finish fifth but was then eight years old; the moment had passed.
- Michael Burgess

2 - Martin Crowe
1992 Cricket World Cup
The inspirational skipper was guiding New Zealand towards what many considered unthinkable before the tournament - a World Cup final.
Crowe and his "young guns" - in the marketing-speak of the era - were on the verge, having posted 262 for seven after winning the toss at Eden Park. That was a whopping total in those days - with Crowe run out for 91 - but disaster was afoot.The batsman and player of the tournament had torn a hamstring and did not return for the New Zealand fielding effort, leaving the side (and bowling change instructions) in the hands of John Wright.
Still, Dipak Patel's opening overs of spin and the medium pace efforts of Dibbly, Dobbly and Wibbly (Gavin Larsen, Chris Harris, Willie Watson) with Wobbly (Rod Latham) left out, gave the local crowd confidence they'd see it through, especially when Pakistan needed 123 off 15 overs. However, a youthful, slim version of Inzamam-ul-Haq seized his chance, pounding 60 from 37 balls. That allowed the eventual tournament champions to get home with an over to spare.
New Zealand is yet to make a World Cup final 19 years on.
- Andrew Alderson

3 - Pele
1966 World Cup
This was meant to be a coronation. After winning the World Cup as a 17-year-old in 1958 in Sweden, Pele was invalided out of the 1962 tournament in Chile with a leg injury.
He arrived at the 1966 World Cup as the undisputed best player on the planet. He scored in the first game against Bulgaria - which made him the first player to score in three consecutive World Cups - but was also subjected to numerous vicious fouls.
He missed the next group match through injury and Brazil fell to Hungary, their first loss at a World Cup since 1954. Pele returned for the final group match against Eusebio's Portugal. The Portuguese were ruthless, in the face of some compliant refereeing, with defender João Morais particularly culpable.
Opponents were almost queuing up to hack him down. With no substitutes allowed, a hobbling Pele played on as Brazil lost 3-1 and exited the tournament. Pele vowed never to play in the World Cup again but later changed his mind to return in triumph in 1970 as part of a Brazilian team many consider the best in football history.
- Michael Burgess

4 - Rob Waddell
2008 Olympics
The 2000 Olympic singles sculls gold medallist suffered heartbreak quite literally in the third and final trial against defending world champion Mahe Drysdale to determine New Zealand's entrant at the Beijing Games.
In the country's biggest pre- Olympic story, it was 1-1 going into the event on Lake Karapiro. In unprecedented scenes at a rowing trial, media and spectators flocked to witness who would earn the coveted oars.
On first sight, Drysdale produced a performance of super-human proportions, winning by 12 lengths. However, Waddell said 300m into the race his heart went from beating normally to going irregularly at over 200 beats a minute and it felt like "rowing in mud".
He had suffered a recurrence of atrial fibrillation - a condition which caused him to move into a single scull boat after 1995 to avoid potentially letting down future crewmates.
Medication eventually sorted out the problem and Waddell moved into the double sculls with Nathan Cohen. They won their pre-Olympic races but fell short of a Games medal with fourth.
- Andrew Alderson

5 - Andy Dalton
World Cup 1987
Hookers don't have hamstrings - but Andy Dalton felt his go in no uncertain fashion in training.
It famously and tragically cost him even one match in the inaugural World Cup, for which he handed over the captaincy to David Kirk.
He was also superseded by the man who replaced him in that tournament, Sean Fitzpatrick, whose stellar career had started with his 'Baby Blacks' debut against France in 1986.
A gentleman's gent, Dalton never complained. "You get pretty pragmatic," he said in one interview when asked how an injury shatters dreams. "But in true Kiwi style, you dust yourself off and deal with it and move on."
- Paul Lewis

6 - Rafael Nadal
Wimbledon 2009
No wonder he is agitating for a less punishing schedule. Rafael Nadal's chagrin as he limped out of Wimbledon 2009 - becoming only the fourth player in history not to defend the title - was palpable.
He had been beaten in a warm-up tournament by Australia's Lleyton Hewitt with shots Nadal would formerly have dispatched easily. His tendinitis-strewn knees were too painful - and Nadal's mood can hardly have improved by the knowledge that Hewitt was drawn to meet him again in the second round at Wimbledon.
So he withdrew - allowing the prospect of another thriller with Roger Federer to pass, after beating him in an epic in 2008. Federer beat Andy Roddick in the final before Nadal came bursting back last year to beat Tomas Berdych but lost to Novak Djokovic this year. It means Nadal may never catch Federer's total of six Wimbledon crowns (Nadal has two) but the Spaniard still gets testy if anyone suggests his knees, restored after PRP therapy, will constrict his future.
- Paul Lewis

7 - Steve Price
2004 NRL Grand Final
After 10 years of loyal service to the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, it was announced midway through the 2004 season that Price would be leaving to join the Warriors in 2005.
There was a heady mix of hype and hope that the Belmore club would send Price out a winner.
Expectation mounted when the Bulldogs finished joint minor premiers, then accounted for the Storm 43-18 to reach the preliminary final. Canterbury trumped Penrith in that match but Price tore the medial ligament in his knee. After exhausting every possible medical avenue during grand final week, Price was eventually ruled out and had to watch from the sidelines. After the Roosters were defeated 16-13, stand-in skipper Andrew Ryan invited Price on stage to lift the trophy and he was visibly holding back the tears.
In a selfless gesture, Johnathan Thurston gave his NRL premiership ring to Price.
- Michael Burgess

8 - Nancy Kerrigan
1994 Winter Olympics
The figure skater suffered a clubbing with a police baton just above her right knee on January 6, 1994, seven weeks before the Lillehammer Olympics in Norway. The attack was set up by Jeff Gillooly, ex-husband of Kerrigan's key rival Tonya Harding.
Harding was said to have known about the event. She was sentenced to three years probation, 500 hours community service, a fine of $100,000 and a donation of $50,000 to the Special Olympics. She has endured a jack of all trades career since as a boxer, wrestler, actress and performer in a celebrity sex video with her ex-husband. She also had another three-day stint in the slammer for throwing a hubcap at her boyfriend and punching him in the snoz in 2000.
Kerrigan missed the United States Championships in 1994 but qualified for the Games when rivals agreed she should be awarded the team's second spot on merit (behind Harding).
It set up a bitter rivalry which saturated the sport in bad publicity. Kerrigan eventually took silver; Harding finished eighth.
- Andrew Alderson

9 - Henry Cooper vs Muhammad Ali
1963
Who can forget 'Enery's 'Ammer' - that devastating left hook that floored the then Cassius Clay in 1963 in London.
Unluckily for Cooper, later to become Sir Henry, the punch landed just a few seconds before the end of round two - giving Ali time to recover.
His corner infamously gained him more time by splitting Ali's gloves, meaning new ones had to be fetched. Cooper reckoned the extra time won Ali the bout.
So did Cooper's famed eyebrows - having sharp bones under his brows meant Cooper frequently had fights stopped because of the blood flow; which is what happened when Ali cut him and ended the fight in round five. But, if we are talking tragedy, perhaps Ali's was greater. Cooper's left hook could have added to the cumulative effect of blows taken by Ali which brought on his Parkinson's Syndrome.
Cooper said Ali's doctor had personally told him that the cause was Ali taking frequent punches to the back of his neck; killing brain cells which trigger the release of an important chemical.
- Paul Lewis

10 - Sean Marks
2002 Basketball world championships
This was dream time for New Zealand basketball fans but a personal nightmare for Sean Marks.
The Tall Blacks made waves early at the 2002 world championships in Indiana, beating Russia and Venezuela to qualify for the second round. In their final pool match against Argentina, Marks received an accidental poke in the eye; he returned to the court but after the game was examined by an eye specialist who found a scratch on his iris and some bleeding. His NBA team, the Miami Heat, ordered him to take no further part in the tournament and Marks, at the peak of his powers, was forced to acquiesce.
The men in black singlets, inspired by Pero Cameron and the innovative tactics of Tab Baldwin, were the cinderella story of the tournament. They overcame a 20-goal deficit to beat Yao Ming's China 94-88 and then squeaked past Puerto Rico 65-63 in a quarter-final thriller. In the semifinals, New Zealand went down to Yugoslavia 88-79. The Europeans went on to win the tournament but there was a lingering sense of what might have been.
- Michael Burgess