CHICAGO — Since the New Zealand All Blacks arrived in Chicago in preparation for their game against the USA Eagles rugby team Saturday at Soldier Field, they've been doing a bit of training - along with living the tourist life.
"It's my first time to the States," said Patrick Tuipolotu, 21, of the All Blacks, who admitted he's spent most of his free time shopping on the Magnificent Mile. "As a young kid, I always watched movies and [saw] the taxis and the big buildings; to be here now and to see it is quite unreal,"
Cory Jane, a winger for the All Blacks said the team checked out a few of the sites on their off day Wednesday including Willis Tower, the Bear's training facility and, of course, some deep-dish pizza at Giordano's.
Jane and Tuipolotu were among several All Blacks players who met with fans at a special "Kiwi-style tailgate" held at Howells & Hood, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Friday.
Jane said he's also spent time talking to Chicagoans about the NFL and the struggles of the Bears.
"I've been watching [the Bears] and they've been struggling a little bit," Jane said, explaining the differences in fan perceptions of sports in the two countries.
"The good thing about American sports is that the people are famous, and if their teams are struggling, they're still fans. At the All Blacks, if we won but we don't win well enough, people get into us," said Jane, acknowledging Bears quarterback Jay Cutler takes pretty similar criticism.
But how would the All Blacks fare matching up against the Bears?
That depends, say players from both teams.
"They'd beat us in NFL. We'd beat them in rugby," Jane said.
But Tuipolotu wasn't as quick to count the Bears out of a rugby match.
"In rugby, I don't know, they might have a chance, but if we were playing NFL we'd get smoked," he said.
Stephen Paea, a defensive tackle for the Bears who grew up in New Zealand, said the All Blacks didn't stand a chance against the Bears in football - and vice versa in rugby.
"No, there's no chance, and in rugby we have no chance," Paea said.
"In football and rugby, there's so many differences. Their defensive linemen and O-linemen, they're running about 4 miles a game," Paea said. "We don't run close to a mile; we probably run like half a mile to a quarter mile. Their guys are running, so endurance-wise, they're going to win, but strength wise it's probably our way."
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