Shield ’68 – The Ranfurly Shield in Hawke’s Bay 1968
THE 1967 HAWKE’S BAY TEAM – Back row: D. G. Curtis, D. B. Smith, M. S. Reddy, N. G. Smith, A. Meech, D. F. Selby. Third row: T. W. Johnson, G. A. Condon, K. K. Crawford, R. S. Abel, R. L. Stuart, H. Meech, D. R. Bone. Second row: Mr J. J. O’Connor (manager), P. R. Carney, M. G. Duncan, L. W. Cooper, B. D. M. Furlong, I. R. Bishop, F. W. P. Jones, Mr I. Hay (masseur). Seated: W. L. Davis, Mr W. S. Bramwell (chairman), K. R. Tremain (captain), Mr C. M. Le Quesne (selector), I. R. MacRae, Mr J. B. Buxton (assistant coach), N. W. Thimbleby. In front: G. I. Martin, M. A. Thomas, H. J. Paewai, N. R. Armstrong. – Hurst Studio, Napier.
Page ONE
THROUGH mud and rain and on hard, sun-baked ground, Hawke’s Bay fought to keep the Ranfurly Shield in ’68. And it all culminated in another dramatic, last-minute climax as young substitute full-back, Paul Carney, produced that memorable shield-saving penalty goal. Other high points of the seven-match shield season, the French “invasion” and the Hawke’s Bay team’s South Island tour, are recorded in facts and figures, comment and pictures in The Daily Telegraph’s “Shield ’68” …
CONTENTS
Features: Page
H. B. R. F. U. Comments 2
In Retrospect by C. M. Le Quesne 3
The Defenders 5, 6, 7
Shield Bonanza 9
H.B. Statistics, Appearances 10, 11
French Interlude 21
South Island Tour 30
Manager’s Story by J. O’Connor 35
The Hawkeye “Team” 37
Referee’s Viewpoint by H. McNeill 47
Tom Johnson Looks Back 50, 51
Shield History 52, 53
Challenges:
Bush 14
East Coast 17
Poverty Bay 25
Marlborough 38
Counties 41
Bay of Plenty 45
Auckland 55
Written and compiled by K. R. Hawker and R. G. Mulholland.
Photographs by The Daily Telegraph staff photographers, D. C. McLachlan, R. Marshall and D. Alford.
FOREWORD
The Ranfurly Shield remains in Hawke’s Bay till 1969. Yet who would have predicted it would have taken another last-minute kick to save it?
As against Wellington in 1967, Hawke’s Bay’s – team with the shield at stake and only minutes left produced another goal-kicking hero in a moment of truth.
The tense final minutes of the Auckland challenge provided another great climax to another great season for Hawke’s Bay Rugby.
There was criticism early in the season that Hawke’s Bay had a “powder puff” programme. But the team itself effectively answered the charge by taking on two of the country’s best, Canterbury, in a non-shield match on the Southern tour, and Auckland, in the last challenge, and still, emerging unbeaten.
And there was the glorious match against France. Hawke’s Bay did not win, but still took honour from the encounter, and the Frenchmen rated the team as the best provincial side they met on tour.
In the final test, against Auckland, Hawke’s Bay again proved its formidable team spirit could lift its game for the occasion. Again the team effort on the field justified the dedication of selector, Mr C. M. Le Quesne, administrators and players off the field.
And so the era of Hawke’s Bay Rugby supremacy continues. Fourteen challengers defeated since Hawke’s Bay took the shield from Waikato in 1966.
Ahead lies 1969 – another season, other challengers and other heroes.
Page TWO
“Stimulus to sport”
By Mr J. S. COLES, President H.B.R.F.U.
Tenure of the Ranfurly Shield for the past two seasons by Hawke’s Bay has been a stimulus to the sport at all levels throughout the province.
The Hawke’s Bay team has set a high example of sportsmanship, dedication and enthusiasm in all its matches, and the experience of this era and the standards set for the highest achievements in Rugby should serve as a key to success for the star players of tomorrow.
One must express appreciation for the vast amount of work done during the period by the chairman of the union’s management committee, Mr W. S. Bramwell, and his committee – men all of whom have made it possible for 1968 to be another successful season for Rugby in Hawke’s Bay.
By MR W. S. BRAMWELL, Chairman H.B.R.F.U.
This has been the most strenuous season of all times in the history of the Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union and it has placed a tremendous burden on our shield team. It is to the credit of the team, that it has played 18 matches, including seven shield matches and a match against France and acquitted itself so well on each occasion.
As a result of holding the shield, the union is in good shape and although the final analysis of the year has not been made at this stage, I’m sure we will find it has been a financial success.
The union appreciates the difficulties the clubs have experienced as a result of such a heavy representative programme and the union thanks the clubs for their efforts to ensure that club Rugby has been affected as little as possible.
The management committee, members of sub-unions and all Rugby supporters have had a full year and their continued support has ensured the success of the 1968 season.
Now we can look forward to yet another hard season with the Ranfurly Shield at stake with the hope that we can continue to build the game ‘ on the firm foundation which has been laid in the past two seasons.
Page THREE
In retrospect
By
C. M. LE QUESNE
H.B. Selector
The 1968 season has been the most awkward to plan in my time as selector of the Hawke’s Bay side, though there were no doubts in my mind at the start of it that we could hold on to the shield right through.
In the first place, we had to face 18 matches, which constitutes a long playing season by any standard. Into this programme, we had to fit seven defences of the Ranfurly Shield, play France, tour the South Island as well as provide for other commitments players might have throughout the year.
We have been accused of dodging games this season. This certainly was not the case. We were obligated under the rules of the Ranfurly Shield to play the teams we did and there was no intention at any time to dodge any prospective challenger.
It was possible, however, to plan the defences of the shield with each match becoming progressively harder. I think overall the planning of the season worked out very well.
Some problems were: The length of the season and then, of course, the amount of injury the team sustained during the season. Injuries finally caused the withdrawal of Bill Davis and Ian MacRae and, after a long struggle to keep in the game, Tom Johnson, who retired from the game altogether.
The team captain, Kelvin Tremain, was unavailable for four matches. Half-back, Hepa Paewai, was involved in the Maori matches. But it was possible, more than in the past at any rate, to give a lot of the younger players and the reserves more football during the year.
It was because of the tremendous demands on our players that I decided to carry a large body of reserves at all times and I still maintain that having brought players into the team they have to be kept there.
The spirit of the team remained high throughout the season and this was particularly noticeable during the South Island tour, which was a great success for the experience gained and team discipline.
During the season we were able to maintain our basic game and a lot of the younger players were brought into the team’s pattern. We brought forward a lot of What we had learned from 1967.
Shield Rugby is ruthless and if you want to keep the shield, you have to play it that way.
The season did not produce quite the same exciting and entertaining Rugby that we saw in 1967, but then it takes two teams to play a good game of football.
That, in my view, is why the Marlborough game was such a good one. Marlborough, of all the teams, was the only one which tried to do something and endeavoured to attack – this produced the sort of Rugby which the crowd and the players enjoyed.
If there has been any single feature of the year, it has been that all the teams have played like shield holders and, Hawke’s Bay, the only team to play as if it had to win the shield.
We were also accused of not using our backs, but when we came up against what were supposedly the best backs in the
Page FOUR
In retrospect:
country – against Auckland – we were able to beat them in this part of the game.
We scored 27 tries in the backs and 20 in the forwards. This answers the criticism.
Looking at each game, I was particularly pleased with the opening defence against Bush, because it proved that Hawke’s Bay could play wet weather Rugby. I wasn’t so pleased with the way we went against East Coast.
In the middle of all this we played France and this was a beautiful game of Rugby it could have gone either way and there was no disgrace in losing to that French side.
With the exception of the French match, the only other losses were against Otago and Taranaki and in both of these matches we were playing a number of young and relatively inexperienced players. Had we been able to field a full-strength team in these games, I feel we would have won.
We were really only worried about 10 matches this year – the seven shield matches, and those against France and, of course, Wellington and Canterbury.
After the South Island tour we faced the first shield test – Marlborough. This was the brightest shield match of the year simply because Marlborough tried to get the shield from us and they tried through their backs and their forwards.
The Counties defence was the most awkward one to win because they came here determined to defend and a team set in this way is the hardest thing in the world to break. They had no attack at all and their sole objective was to keep the score down.
The Wellington match on Athletic Park was used by us as the training ground and tactical exercise for the defences against Bay of Plenty and Auckland.
It was at Wellington, more than anywhere else, that we were accused of not using our backs, and yet we scored two tries from the backs and one in the forwards.
The Bay of Plenty match a week later was the hardest game of the past two seasons, but once again, Bay of Plenty, as shield challengers, did not attack and really put the acid on us. For all that, it was a wonderful display of forward play and brought the best out in both sides.
We knew, of course, that Auckland would be the toughest of them all and like everyone else I expected Auckland to test us through the backs with our forwards more than holding their own.
As it turned out, things went the other way and it was our backs who showed Auckland how to play.
The fact that we were able to come back and win shows the tremendous team spirit and will to win which has been built up over the past couple of years.
This was the same sort of thing which enabled us to clinch the Wellington match last year, though I felt this time the crowd was behind the boys much earlier than in the Wellington game.
I owe a great deal to Tremain, Johnson and Thimbleby, each of whom led the team during the season and, of course, to our assistant coach, John Buxton, team manager, Jim O’Connor, and Bryan Wilson the physical fitness instructor.
This year the masseur, Ian Hay, did a wonderful job. There was a lot of injury and during the last three weeks influenza hit the team badly. The team is also indebted to the fine support it received from the union and its management committee and also to the public support and enthusiasm created by the Hawkeye Club.
We had greater competition for positions in the team this year than previously. This is a healthy sign and is indicative of the depth of Rugby in the province. The. decision as to who would or would not play rested ultimately with me and this has been the toughest time in this respect that I have had as selector.
I’m reluctant to single out any players because all of them combined so magnicently [magnificently] as a team, but particular mention should be made of Ian Bishop’s goalkicking and his achievement in scoring a points century for the third successive season, as well as reaching the shield centurion mark in only 11 matches.
And then, of course, the play of Paewai who was outstanding in the final three matches. Both he and Aidan Thomas played great Rugby, but it is a good indication of the team morale that they are the best of friends and that there is no ill-feeling because one was passed over for the other.
Blair Furlong also deserves every bit of credit for his great performances throughout the year and, in my view, he would be the steadiest five-eighths in the country today.
Looking ahead to next year, the season does not promise to be as long but the shield series will be as tough as in 1967.
There will be five home matches – Manawatu, Wairarapa, Waikato, Taranaki and Wellington – which will leave the way clear for special challenges. I’ve told the players to rest and relax and then decide what they should do next season. None, at this stage, has indicated they will retire.
If the season is going to be a little less onerous overall, then it will mean the players will have more club Rugby and this will be a good thing.
And as for the shield in 1969, we’ll be doing our best to hold on to it again.
Page FIVE
Defenders, 1968
KELVIN TREMAIN
Flanker: 30, 6ft. 2in., 16st. 6lbs.; Southland 1957, Manawatu 1958, Canterbury 1959, 1961, Auckland 1960, Hawke’s Bay 1962-68; All Black 1959-68. Captained the team in all shield matches; led All Blacks against France; one of the greatest of all loose forwards. Stock agent.
IAN BISHOP
Full-back: 25, 5ft. 11½in., 12st. 7lbs.; H.B. junior 1961-62, H.B. 1963-68. Fourth highest points scorer in shield Rugby; scored century of points for third consecutive season, an outstanding full-back. Engineer’s assistant.
MICK DUNCAN
Three-quarter: 20, 6ft. 1in., 14st. 41bs.; H.B. junior 1965, H3. 1966-68. Originally one of a trio of wingers, but took up centre position after Davis withdrew because of injury. Farm hand.
DOUG CURTIS
Wing: 24, 5ft. 9½in., 12st. 2lbs.; H.B. junior 1959-60; H.B. B 1964-65; H.B 1967-68. Continued fine career in the shield team with especially brilliant play on defence. Stock agent.
DENIS SMITH
Wing: 24, 5ft. 10½in., 11st.: H.B. junior 1962-63; HB. 1964-68. An enterprising player in the shield team at all times. Clerk.
JOHN DOUGAN
Five-eighths: 21, 5ft. 7½in., 11st. 7lbs.; Wellington 1967; Hawke’s Bay 1968; junior All Black 1967-68. Served as understudy at the start. of the season in the five-eighths, but took over second five-eighth role after withdrawal of MacRae. Sales representative.
BILL DAVIS
Centre: 25, 5ft. 11½in., 12st 12lbs.; H.B. junior 1958-60, H.B. 1961-68; All Blacks 1963, 1967-68. Promising his best for the shield team, but troubled with injury and finally gave up the game for the rest of the season. Company representative.
IAN MACRAE
Five-eighth: 25, 6ft. 2in., 14st; West Coast 1961, Bay of Plenty 1962, H.B. 1963-68; All Blacks 1963, 1966-68. Brilliant form until recurring back trouble forced his withdrawal toward the end of the season. Timber company employee.
Page SIX
BLAIR FURLONG
Five-eighth: 23, 6ft, 13st 7lbs; H.B. junior 1961-62, H.B. 63-65; Bay of Plenty 1967; H.B. 1967-68. The general of the backline with his fine tactical kicking; established as a dropped goal specialist. Clerk.
AIDAN THOMAS
Halfback: 21, 5ft 6in, l0st 7lbs; King Country junior 1965; H.B 1967-68. Played in early shield matches, but later Paewai took over No.1 position behind the scrum. Bank officer.
HEPA PAEWAI
Half-back: 20, 5ft 6in, 11st 7lbs; H.B. 1966-68. Made a great impression toward the end of the season after an initial setback through injury. Especially dangerous when running from the scrum. Farm hand.
TOM JOHNSON
No. 8: 29, 6ft l½in, 14st 9lbs; Counties 1957; Waikato 1958; H.B. 1959-63; Auckland 1964; H.B. 1965-68. Troubled with injury and retired from the game before the last two shield matches, but led team on South Island tour and ended his career on a great note in the Wellington match. Branch manager.
PHIL PRATT
Flanker: 23, 6ft l½in, l2st 10lbs; First played senior 1966; H.B. B team 1967-68. Called into the side for South Island tour; played in final two shield matches after Johnson’s retirement. Panel beater.
GARY CONDON
Flanker: 23, 6ft 2in, 14st 2lbs; H.B. 1965-68. Showed tremendous development in his game and revealing many Tremain characteristics in his play. Police constable.
KARAAN CRAWFORD
Lock: 25, 6ft 3in, 17st 7lbs; H.B. 1964-68; Junior All Blacks 1965. Tremendous form in mid-season and a brilliant display against France. Devastating in ‘willie-away’ movements and valuable worker in line-outs. Teacher.
ROD ABEL
Lock: 32, 6ft 4½ins, 16st 7lbs; Canterbury 1960-62; H.B. 1963-65, 1967-68. Superb displays throughout the season in all aspects of the game. Salesman.
NEIL THIMBLEBY
Prop: 29, 5ft 10in, 15st 71bs; H.B. 1959-68. In first-class form throughout season giving valuable strength and experience to the pack. Watersider.
Page SEVEN
HILTON MEECH
Prop: 26, 6ft 3in, 15st 7lbs; H.B. 1962 64; Canterbury B 1965, Canterbury 1966; H.B. 1967-68. A valuable member of the team at all times; splendid play in all matches. Farmer.
PAUL CARNEY
Full-back: 21, 5ft ll½in 12st 10lbs; H.B. junior for two seasons. H.B. B team 1967-68; shield team reserve last season and played in one match. Shield reserve 1968 and played in two matches before making shield debut in final minutes of Auckland match. Kicked goal to hold the shield. Farmhand.
GUS MEECH
Hooker: 28, 5ft 10½in, 13st 7lbs; H.B. junior 1959; H..B 1963-68. Hooker for the early part of the season but Reddy took over No.1 position later in season. Market gardener.
MYLES REDDY
Hooker: 26, 5ft 11ins, 12st 7lbs; North Auckland junior 1961; North Auckland 1965-66; H.B. 1967-68. Second to none as a hooker in all matches after overcoming injury at the start of the season. Builder.
Shield taken on tour nine times
A popular misconception about Ranfurly Shield Rugby is that Hawke’s Bay has been the only team to take the trophy on tour and defend it outside its own province.
The shield has, in fact, been taken on tour on nine occasions, by Wellington, in 1919 and 1920 (six times), Southland once in 1921 and finally Hawke’s Bay in 1925 and again in 1926.
The record of “away” games is:
1919 – Wellington took the shield to Christchurch, to defeat Canterbury 23-9.
1920 – Wellington took the shield to Hawera, to defeat Taranaki 20-9.
1920 – Wellington took the shield to Auckland, to defeat Auckland 23-20.
1920 – Wellington took the shield to Timaru, to defeat South Canterbury 32-16.
1920 – Wellington took the shield to Dunedin, to defeat Otago 16-5.
1920 – Wellington took the shield to Invercargill, to lose to Southland, 6-17.
1921 – Southland took the shield to Wellington to lose to Wellington, 13-28.
1925 – Hawke’s Bay took the shield to Wellington, to defeat Wellington 20-11.
1926 – Hawke’s Bay took the shield to Christchurch, to defeat Canterbury, 17-5.
21 PLAYED FOR SHIELD
Hawke’s Bay called on 32 players during the season for its programme of 18 matches, but only 21 were used in defence of the Ranfurly Shield.
These 21 players, pictured on the previous pages, were supplemented for shield matches by as many as 10 reserves.
Two players, all-round forward Lou Cooper, and Taupo winger, Peter Hobdell, who later transferred. to Napier, were reserves in ordinary representative matches.
Hastings hooker, Richard Hunt, was a reserve for the first six matches of the season, but did not play for the province.
David Bone, who announced early in the season that he would be unavailable for first-class matches, was called into the side for the match against France. He was a reserve for the Poverty Bay shield match, but did not play in any other first-class match.
Five-eighth and B team representative, Ken Darlington (Taupo) was taken on the South Island tour as a last-minute replacement He played against South Canterbury and was a reserve for the Otago and Southland matches and, on his return to Hawke’s Bay, for the Marlborough shield defence.
Geoff Martin, a Napier five-eighth, was brought in as reserve for the last two shield matches, but did not play. He was a member of the 1968 B team.
Others to play for the province during the season were Bruce Albert (second five-eighth); Jeff Brownlie (flanker), Neil Armstrong (five-eighth), Robbie Stuart (lock) and Graham Wiig (prop).
All were reserves for shield matches; Albert, Brownlie and Wiig were in their first seasons in the A team – Armstrong and Stuart made their first-class debuts in 1967.
Page EIGHT
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Page NINE
¼-MILLION WATCH 14 SHIELD MATCHES:
$90,000 bonanza for H.B. Union
Shield Rugby in Hawke’s Bay during 1967 and 1968 attracted more than 250,000 spectators to the 14 matches.
Although attendances were not as high during ’68 as they had been in the first year of shield defences, the estimated total attendance during the season was 118,383.
Attendance in ’67 totalled 151,600 to give a grand total for the two seasons of 269,983.
Correspondingly, gate receipts for ’68 fell from the ’67 figure of $72,625 to an estimated $53,900.
It is estimated that expenses for each match would be about $2000, including the 20 per cent paid in ground rental to the Napier City Council, but not including an estimated $1000 in expenses to the Marlborough team for its special challenge.
It is likely that after all expenses have been deducted, the Hawke’s Bay Rugby Football Union will have realised a net profit of about $35,000 for the ’68 shield defences.
This means that in shield Rugby for the past two seasons, the financial gain to the union has been about $90,000.
During the current season, the union could also expect to receive about $10,000 as its share of the gate for the Hawke’s Bay – France match.
Meanwhile, the cost of operating a representative Rugby team has increased and although the union set aside some $800 annually for its four-yearly South Island trip, it had to meet a substantial $4500 bill for the 1968 southern tour.
Before the tenure of the Ranfurly Shield, the accumulated funds of the union were about $64,000. This rose to more than $100,000 last year and will exceed $130,000 at the end of this season.
The union’s decision to purchase temporary seating for the South Africa – Hawke’s Bay match in 1965 has paid handsome dividends.
The seating cost $36,000 and was paid off after the 1966 Lions – Hawke’s Bay match, and has since earned a great profit for the 14 shield matches and the France – Hawke’s Bay match this season.
1967 SHIELD MATCH DETAILS
Financial details of shield matches played in 1967 are:-
Match Gross Expenses Net
Manawatu $10,400.91 $1976.15 $8424.76
Waikato $10,251.00 $1855.90 $8395.10
Wairarapa $9256.22 $1982.95 $7273.27
Southland $9870.23 $2185.87 $7684.36
Taranaki $11,628.92 $2124.92 $9504.00
Otago $9016.01 $3517.67 $5498.34
Wellington $12,202.11 $2399.86 $9802.25
$72,625.40 $16,043.32 $56,582.08
’68 crowds and receipts
Official attendance figures and estimated gross gate receipts for shield matches in 1968:-
v. Bush 13781 $6500
v. East Coast 13,292 $6300
v. Poverty Bay 14,249 $6500
v. Marlborough 20,125 $8500
v. Counties 13,695 $790
v. Bay of Plenty 18,695 $7900
v. Auckland (est) 25,000 $12.000
Page TEN
H.B. statistics at a glance
1966
MATCH RECORD
For Ag
v. Wairarapa, at Napier 22 0
v. East Coast, at Hastings 44 9
v. Auckland, at Napier 14 6
v. Wairarapa, at Masterton 12 18
v. Poverty Bay, at Napier 24 0
v. Canterbury, at Hastings 12 12
v. British Isles, at Napier 11 11
v. South Canterbury, at Hastings. 21 8
v. Taranaki, at New Plymouth 13 13
v. Manawatu, at Palm. North 14 13
v. Counties, at Napier 34 6
v. Waikato, at Hamilton* 6 0
v. Wellington, at Wellington 6 20
233 116
Played 13, won 8, lost 2, drew 3.
*Ranfurly Shield challenge.
POINTS SCORERS
P T Con D.G. Pts
I. R. Bishop 18 – 25 – 104
D. B. Smith – 13 – – 39
M. G. Duncan – 6 – – 18
W. L. Davis – 4 – – 18
T. W. Johnson – 4 – – 12
K. R. Tremain – 3 – – 9
K. K. Crawford – 3 – – 9
G. A. L. Stone – 2 – – 6
A. M. Loughlin – – – 2 6
I. R. MacRae – 2 – – 6
L. W. Cooper – 2 – – 6
G. A. Condon – 1 – – 3
N. W. Thimbleby – 1 – – 3
Total 18 41 25 2 233
1967
MATCH RECORD
For Ag.
v. Wairarapa, at Masterton 22 12
v. N.S.W. Country, at Hastings 28 8
v. Counties, at Papakura 20 12
v. Auckland, at Auckland 3 14
v. Manawatu, at Napier* 11 6
v. Waikato, at Napier* 35 9
v. Poverty Bay, at Gisborne 13 6
v. Wairarapa, at Napier* 27 6
v. Bay of Plenty, at Rotorua 8 8
v. Southland, at Napier* 29 6
v. East Coast, at Tokomaru Bay 19 0
v. Taranaki, at Napier* 16 3
v. Otago, at Napier* 9 8
v. Wellington, at Napier* 12 12
252 110
* Denotes Ranfurly Shield defence.
Played 14, Won 11, lost 1, drew 2.
POINTS SCORERS
P T Con D.G. Pts
I. R. Bishop 18 – 25 1 107
K. R. Tremain – 8 – – 24
I. R. MacRae – 6 – – 18
G. I. Martin – – – 4 12
D. G. Curtis – 4 – – 12
B. D. M. Furlong 1 2 – 1 12
W. L. Davis – 3 – – 9
D. R. Bone – 3 – – 9
M. G. Duncan – 3 – – 9
N. W. Thimbleby – 2 – – 6
D. B. Smith – 2 – – 6
R. S. Abel – 2 – – 6
M. A. Thomas – 2 – – 6
P. Carney – – 2 – 4
A. Dick – 1 – – 3
N. R. Armstrong – 1 – – 3
K. K. Crawford – 1 – – 3
G. A. Condon – 1 – – 3
19 41 27 6 252
1968
MATCH RECORD
For Ag.
v. Wairarapa, at Hastings 17 6
v. Waikato, at Hamilton 15 14
v. Bush, at Napier* 36 6
v. East Coast, at Napier* 31 0
v. Wairarapa, at Masterton 6 0
v. France, at Napier 12 16
v. Taranaki, at New Plymouth 3 6
v. Poverty Bay, at Napier* 21 5
v. Canterbury, at Christchurch 8 3
v. Sth. Canterbury, at Timaru 19 12
v. Otago, at Dunedin 3 14
v. Southland, at Invercargill 24 12
v. Marlborough, at Napier* 30 3
v. Manawatu, at Palmerston Nth. 9 6
v. Counties, at Napier* 18 3
v. Wellington, at Wellington 19 9
v. Bay of Plenty, at Napier* 14 0
v. Auckland, at Napier* 9 9
*Ranfurly Shield defence.
294 124
Played 18, won 14, lost 3, drew 1.
POINTS SCORERS
P T Con D.G. Pts
I. R. Bishop 25 – 16 1 110
M. G. Duncan – 9 – – 27
B. D. M. Furlong – 2 – 7 27
P. R. Carney 4 – 2 – 16
K. K. Crawford – 5 – – 15
G. A. Condon – 5 – – 15
W. L. Davis – 4 – – 12
D. G. Curtis – 4 – – 12
T. W. Johnson – 4 – – 12
K. R. Tremain – 4 – – 12
D. B. Smith – 4 – – 12
J. P. Dougan – 2 – – 6
R. Abel – 2 – – 6
H. J. Paewai – 2 – – 6
I. R. MacRae – 1 – – 3
H. Meech – 1 – – 3
Total 29 49 18 8 294
Page ELEVEN
APPEARANCES IN 1968
Wairarapa Waikato BUSH EAST COAST Wairarapa France Taranaki POVERTY BAY Canterbury South Canterbury Otago Southland MARLBOROUGH Manawatu COUNTIES Wellington BAY OF PLENTY AUCKLAND Totals
I. Bishop 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 † 1 1 1 † 1 1 1 1 16
D. Smith 1 † † 1 * * 1 †1 1 1 †1 1 1 * 1 1 1 1 11
M. Duncan 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 18
D. Curtis 1 1 1 †1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 17|
B. Albert 1 1 † † 1 – † † 1 † 1 * * 1 † * † † 6
B. Furlong 1 1 1 1 † 1 * 1 1 † 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 15
H. Paewai 1 * * * 1 1 † 1 † 1 * * 1 † 1 1 1 1 10
T. Johnson 1 1 1 1 1 * * 1 1 1 * 1 1 † 1 1 * * 12
G. Condon 1 1 1 1 †1 1 1 1 1 † 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 16
K. Crawford 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 * 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 17
R. Abel 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 † 1 1 1 † 1 1 1 1 16
J. Brownlie 1 1 † † 1 † 1 † † 1 1 † † 1 † † † † 7
N. Thimbleby 1 1 1 1 1 1 * 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 17
K. Darlington – – – – – – – – – 1 † † † – – – – – 1
A. Meech 1 1 1 1 1 1 † 1 1 † 1 † † 1 † 1 † † 11
P. Hobdell – – – – † * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 0
A. Meech 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 † 1 1 1 † 1 1 1 1 16
B. Bone – – – – – 1 * † – – – – – – – – – – 1
A. Thomas † 1 1 1 † † 1 † 1 † 1 1 † 1 † † † † 8
N. Armstrong † † † † 1 – † † † * * † † 1 † †1 † † 2
R. Hunt † † † † † † – – – – – – – – – – – – 0
R. Stuart † † † † 1 – 1 † † 1 1 † † 1 † † † † 5
L. Cooper † – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 0
W. L. Davis * * 1 1 * 1 * 1 * * * * * * * * * * 4
K. R. Tremain * * 1 1 * 1 * 1 1 * * * 1 * 1 1 1 1 10
I. R. MacRae * 1 1 1 * 1 1 1 * * * * * * * * * * 6
J. Dougan – † † † 1 † 1 † † 1 1 1 1 * 1 1 1 1 10
G. Wiig – – – – – – 1 – † 1 † † † 1 † † † † 3
M. Reedy * * * * * * 1 † † 1 † 1 1 † 1 † 1 1 7
P. Pratt – – – – – – – – † 1 1 1 † 1 † † 1 1 6
P. Carney – – – – – – – – † 1 † † † 1 † – † †1 2
G. Martin – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – † † 0
Key: 1 appeared, *unavailable, † reserve
Page TWELVE
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Page THIRTEEN
For the ‘log’ in mud, sun
Hawke’s Bay encountered a great variety of conditions during ’68 from mud, rain, and slush to warm sunshine.
Above: Muddied forward faces (from left): Karaan Crawford, Hilton Meech, Gary Condon, Neil Thimbleby, Tom Johnson alongside the Bush men, Hoppy Eglington, Robin Carlyon and Brian Edmonds.
Right: Facing into the Napier sunshine (from left): Marlborough’s Gary Lowe, Alan Sutherland against Kel Tremain, Neil Thimbleby, Myles Reddy, Hilton Meech and Karaan Crawford.
Page FOURTEEN
CHALLENGE ONE:
The day the rain came down …
One thing Hawke’s Bay had not done during its seven defences of the Ranfurly Shield in 1967 was to play in the rain. In the Bush match, they had their chance – and how.
On the previous Saturday, heavy rain caused surface flooding in Napier, but during the week, as the first defence of 1968 approached, the weather cleared and, by Friday, McLean Park was in perfect order.
Meanwhile, Bill Davis and Kel Tremain returned from the All Blacks tour of Australia on Thursday amid speculation about their fitness both were recovering from leg injuries received on tour.
Eventually, it was announced both would be playing. Hawke’s Bay would be at full strength.
Interest in the match was slightly better than many had expected. Bush were not regarded as tough challengers, especially if the ground was hard, and that appeared likely.
But, less than three hours before the game was, due to start, the heavy rain started. And it continued throughout.
Large puddles formed on the ground. Mud was churned up and Hawke’s Bay looked in danger if, as they said, Bush revelled in sloppy conditions.
As the crowd huddled beneath umbrellas and any other form of shelter, Hawke’s Bay swept on to the attack from the kick-off.
Blair Furlong flicked over a neat dropped goal and, in less than 60 seconds, Hawke’s Bay were scoring; Already, it seemed, Bush were out of the race.
Four minutes later, Ian Bishop heralded the start of another of his goal-kicking feats of the previous season when he kicked a penalty goal. Bush replied when Paul Goldsworthy, a strapping young back row forward, kicked a penalty from a difficult angle.
But from the kick-off, Furlong was at it again with a high kick landing in the Bush goal-mouth and Bill Davis had dashed through to score. Bishop converted.
Again Bush soon replied, when Goldsworthy kicked a penalty goal, again from a difficult angle.
McLean Park became darker by the minute and the water on the ground formed even larger puddles. But Hawke’s Bay’s scoring “continued relentlessly with Tremain scoring a typical try. To finish off the first half tally of 22 points, Tom Johnson and Neil Thimbleby carried play inside the Bush 25 where Davis sent Duncan crashing in at the corner.
In the second half, Davis added two more tries, Crawford scored another and Bishop kicked a penalty goal from in front to give him 15 points for the game.
But Bush did not give up, not even in the final couple of minutes when Hawke’s Bay took to the passing game like 15 mud-crazed water polo players.
There were no further points. And all 13,781 spectators were pleased to head home … and dry out.
Hawke’s Bay: I. R. Bishop; M. G. Duncan, W. L. Davis, D. G. Curtis; I. R. MacRae, B. D. M. Furlong; A. M. Thomas; T. W. Johnson; K. R. Tremain (captain), K. K. Crawford, R. S. Abel, G. A. Condon; N. W. Thimbleby, A. Meech, H. Meech.
Bush: E. Sinclair; C. Gowler, D. Thrush, J. Murphy; M. Dennehy, R. Mills (captain), D. Harris; P. Goldsworthy; G. McDonald, N. Richardson, M. Davey, F. Cameron; B. Edmonds, H. Eglinton, R. Carlyon.
Hawke’s Bay 36
Bush 6
Half-time: 22-6.
Hawke’s Bay: W. L. Davis (3), K. K. Crawford, K. R. Tremain, M. G. Duncan (tries); I. R. Bishop (three penalty goals, three conversions); B. D. M. Furlong (dropped goal).
Bush: P. Goldsworthy (two penalty goals).
Referee: Mr A. R. Macey (Nelson).
Crowd: 13,781. Date: June 29.
Page SEVENTEEN
CHALLENGE TWO:
A walkover – but not a triumph
Marlborough’s challenge – still almost a couple of months away – was the week’s talking point before the East Coast match.
Earlier that week Marlborough had “done” France in the opening match of the tour by 24 points to 19 and they loomed larger than East Coast, or even Poverty Bay, the season’s third challenger.
East Coast would be a walk-over, so what the heck!
And a walk-over it was – that’s what the record book will show – by 31 points to nil.
There were eight tries (more than in any of the previous eight challenges) and poor old East Coast didn’t score a point. None of the others had failed to score.
But was it a Hawke’s Bay triumph? Not a bit. Hawke’s Bay captain, Kel Tremain, commented: “I consider this our worst shield performance so far.”
And a disappointing display it was with Hawke’s Bay approaching the game aware of the fact that it was going to be easy.
There was only one change in the Hawke’s Bay side from that which had beaten Bush 36 – 6. Doug Curtis was replaced by Denis Smith on the wing.
On the morning of the match, the Hawke’s Bay players broke the habit of previous challenges by getting out of their hotel and going down to watch morning club matches. Neil Armstrong, a reserve for the big game, turned out for his club side.
The ground dried out remarkably well in the week after the Bush match. There were patches without grass, but it was a good surface; there was no wind and the warm sunshine brought back memories of shield defences in 1967.
But when Hawke’s Bay took the field they lacked the fire and zest which distinguished their earlier performances.
Possession was won by truckload after embarrassing truckload, but Hawke’s Bay performed like a team which had never enjoyed so many riches.
So when half-time came, there was only a slender lead of nine points – and this against the lowliest of lowly unions in the country.
East Coast did not have much talent, but what they lacked in this respect they more than made up for with grim determination and splendid tackling.
In the second-half, Hawke’s Bay began to spark and the points came, in some cases, with ridiculous simplicity.
Ian Bishop’s goal-kicking was astray, but Tom Johnson walked across for one try and dropped down in a push-over scrum for his second; Mick Duncan flashed into the corner for a couple; Gary Condon dived over after breaks by Rod Abel and Karaan Crawford; Doug Curtis had a gay romp over the goal-line; Bill Davis cut through on his own for three points and, finally, Blair Furlong lay beneath the posts to push the score to 31.
It was a big win, but not a good one.
East Coast: K. Gilvray; M. Haua, A. Cross, J. Grayson (replaced by J. Morice); M. Haisman, S. Waenga (replaced by A. Skudda); M. Awarau; R. Penetito; P. Nepe, J. Manuel, B. Colbert, T. Poi; H. Stewart, I. Macdonald (captain), T. Henare.
Hawke’s Bay: I. R. Bishop; D. B. Smith (replaced by D. G. Curtis), W. L. Davis, M. G. Duncan; I. R. MacRae, B. D. M. Furlong; M. A. Thomas; T. W. Johnson; K. R. Tremain (captain), K. K. Crawford, R. S. Abel, G. A. Condon; N. W. Thimbleby, A. Meech, H. Meech.
Hawke’s Bay 31
East Coast 0
Half-time: 9-0.
Hawke’s Bay: T. W. Johnson (2), M. G. Duncan (2), B. D. M. Furlong D. G. Curtis, W. L. Davis, G. A. Condon (tries); I. R. Bishop (2 conversions, 1 penalty goal).
Referee: Mr N. Scott (Wairarapa).
Crowd: 13,292. Date: July 6.
Page EIGHTEEN
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Page TWENTY-ONE
FRENCH INTERLUDE:
HONOUR TO THE BAY BUT FRANCE WIN
France promised a spicy interlude to the shield series and, from early in the tour, the tourists’ match with Hawke’s Bay had been dubbed the “mini-Test.”
And a mini-Test it proved to be. France fielded a side of Test match proportions and Hawke’s Bay, at full strength, met the challenge with a performance worthy of the greatest of Ranfurly Shield holders.
The match was a sell-out. Pre-match speculation was given added interest when Tom Johnson pulled out of the team on the day before the game.
Dave Bone, who retired from first-class Rugby earlier in the season, came back into the side in Johnson’s place.
France started off in breathtaking fashion with the backs set back deep like the deep backward stroke of a stockwhip. When the whip was flashed forward, the French backs cracked and sparked, threatening to split Hawke’s Bay asunder.
Under pressure beneath their own goalposts Hawke’s Bay won an early scrum and first five-eighth Blair Furious punched the ball with a glorious touch-finder.
But the ball bounced infield out near the half-way line. French full-back Pierre Villepreux gathered in and with a crablike run in, swept his foot in a wide arc and lofted a truly magnificent dropped goal, high, dry and handsome between the uprights.
A few minutes later France raced off the end of a line-out and Jean Trillo scored for Villepreux to convert. The game was as good as won for France.
But the Hawke’s Bay forwards rallied round their captain, Kel Tremain, who, a week earlier, had led the All Blacks to victory in the first Test.
Karaan Crawford, particularly, seemed inspired. He stole the ball in the line-outs and left the French inside backs with nightmares of being crushed under 17-stone of charging lock.
From then on, France had their backs to the wall.
By half-time Doug Curtis and MacRae had scored tries. But France led 13-6, Bernard Dutin having slipped through the defence to score for Villepreux to convert.
Chenevay was moved to an extra full-back and made it doubly difficult for Hawke’s Bay to break the defence.
Hawke’s Bay narrowed the gap, but another dropped goal, this time by Lacaze, put an end to Hawke’s Bay hopes.
Still, it had been played like a Test and in Test Rugby to score three tries to two was something.
Assistant manager Andre Garrigue was overheard after the game to say: “That is the best team we have seen in this country.”
Hawke’s Bay: I. R. Bishop; M. G. Duncan, W. L. Davis, D. G. Curtis; I. R. MacRae, B. D. M. Furlong; H. J. Paewai; D. R. Bone; K. R. Tremain (captain), K. K. Crawford, R. S. Abel, G. A. Condon; N. W. Thimbleby, A. Meech, H. Meech.
France: P. Villepreux; J. Bonal, J. Trillo, J. Maso, A. Campaes; C. Lacaze (captain); M. Puget; W. Spanghero; C. Chenevay, B. Dauga, E. Cester (replaced by B. Dutin), M. Grefe; M. Lasserre, J. Baux, J. Iracabal.
France 16
Hawke’s Bay 12
Half-time: 6-13.
Hawke’s Bay: I. R. MacRae, G. A. Condon, D. G. Curtis (tries); I. R. Bishop (penalty goal).
France: P. Villepreux, C. Lacaze dropped goals); J. Trillo, B. Dutin (tries); Villepreux (two conversions).
Referee: Mr P. McDavitt (Wellington).
Crowd: 24,959. Date: July 20
Page TWENTY-TWO
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Page TWENTY-THREE
PIERRE VILLEPREUX, the French full-back, had visions of stopping Hawke’s Bay flanker, Gary Condon, from scoring by pulling vigourously on Condon’s nose. Condon’s arms however stretched out over the line to score as Frenchman Jean Baux (left) and Jean lracabal arrive on the scene. The referee is Mr P. McDavitt, of Wellington.
Page TWENTY-FOUR
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Page TWENTY-FIVE
CHALLENGE THREE:
Ian Bishop becomes shield centurion
Only 10 minutes of the match remained. Poverty Bay cleared from their own line with a wild speculator, and the ball went past full-back Ian Bishop, bobbling to a halt near the 10 yard line …
Bishop took a backward glance over his shoulder as he ran back to gather in. He turned, calmly drop-kicked a goal and ran back.
With that kick Bishop joined an exclusive band of Rugby players in this country. He became the fifth player to score more than 100 points in shield Rugby history – all 64 years of it.
This fact, like the injuries to Bill Davis and Ian MacRae, only became known generally after the match. Davis left the field halfway through with a leg injury and MacRae went through to the end after injuring his back.
The injuries kept both players out of the All Blacks for the third Test the following week, and neither travelled south with Hawke’s Bay on the four-match South Island tour on the following Monday.
But during the match the crowd was puzzling how Hawke’s Bay could command 14 tight-heads and dominate 80 to 90 per cent of possession and yet make so little headway.
In fact, for the first half-hour of the game, Poverty Bay did not win a line-out. They hooked the ball in the scrums only to be pushed off it.
There was, as the saying goes, ball to burn but still Hawke’s Bay backs could not get their game off the ground.
Poverty Bay, for their part, were no match in the forwards and, even if the backs did show a twinkle of promise, they were stopped short in their tracks.
Perhaps this was the answer – with no ball, Poverty Bay had little choice but to spoil every effort Hawke’s Bay made – and this in the face of an expressed intention to challenge with positive Rugby.
Hawke’s Bay took an early lead when Bishop kicked a penalty goal; Blair Furlong slipped over an early long-range dropped goal for Hawke’s Bay to lead nine-nil at half-time.
If Poverty Bay had banked on the wind being in their favour in the second half after giving Hawke’s Bay the advantage in the first, then they could only blame the weatherman. The wind hardly fluttered the flags in the second 40 minutes.
Karaan Crawford crashed over in the corner early in the second half after standing off the line-out in a role reminiscent of North Auckland’s Peter Jones.
Tom Johnson slipped through for a try and, four minutes before full-time, Mick Duncan darted over for Hawke’s Bay to lead 21-nil.
But Poverty Bay had the last word: John Collins slipped out of the defensive net and beat winger Doug Curtis to score near the posts. Murray Hollis converted.
For only the second time in 10 defences, Hawke’s Bay had conceded a, try – the first being against Otago in 1967.
Hawke’s Bay’s selector, Mr C. M. Le Quesne commented: “They (Poverty Bay) lacked possession, but this suited their style of football.”
Hawke’s Bay: I. R. Bishop; D. G. Curtis, W. L. Davis (replaced by D. B. Smith), M. G. Duncan; I. R. MacRae, B. D. M. Furlong; H. J. Paewai; T. W. Johnson; K. R. Tremain (captain), K. K. Crawford, R. S. Abel, G. A. Condon; N. W. Thimbleby, A. Meech, H. Meech.
Poverty Bay: A. Hollis; T. Hindmarsh, R. Parkinson, P. Ransley (replaced by A. Hansen); J. Collins, S. Rutene; T. Taare; G. Allen; G. Hayes (captain), H. Swann, V. McCallion, M. Taylor; N. Tibble, Grant Allen, J. Kouka.
Hawke’s Bay 21
Poverty Bay 5
Half-time: 9-0.
Hawke’s Bay: K. K. Crawford, M. G. Duncan, T. W. Johnson (tries); B. D. M. Furlong and I. R. Bishop (dropped goals); Bishop (two penalty goals).
Poverty Bay: J. Collins (try); A. Hollis (conversion).
Referee: Mr K. C. Gawn (North Otago).
Crowd: 14,249. Date: August 3.
Page TWENTY-SEVEN
The style only few can match
Hawke’s Bay full-back and goal-kicker, Ian Bishop, pictured with the style of kicking which put him among the select band of shield Rugby points centurions.
With a dropped goal in the Poverty Bay match, Bishop took his shield points total past the century a feat achieved by only four players in the history of the shield.
The others are M. C. M. Cormack (Auckland, 177 points), S. K. Henderson (Canterbury, 163), B. A. Grenside (Hawke’s Bay, 144), and D. Trevathan (Otago, 118).
Bishop is pictured converting a try from in front of the posts during the Marlborough match, watched by Taranaki referee, Mr L. O’Keefe, and Richard May (right foreground), the Marlborough half-back, and touch judge, Mr P. O’Shaughnessy.
Pages TWENTY-EIGHT and TWENTY-NINE
H.B. shield story in a picture
Hawke’s Bay’s Rugby revival in the 1960s and its Ranfurly Shield rampage in seasons 1966, 1967 and 1968 are symbolised in this single picture
All Black Kel Tremain, who lifted Hawke’s Bay’s game to shield-winning proportions after his arrival in the province, is pictured at the head of his side on the field in a typical run-away try, against Marlborough.
In support, is the ever-dependable back row forward, Tom Johnson, whose enthusiasm, dedication to training and leadership helped trigger Hawke’s Bay’s Rugby renewal in the early 1960s, before the Tremain era.
And in the background are some of the Hawke’s Bay supporters, who, throughout the shield campaigns, gave their valuable support to the team effort.
Page THIRTY
SOUTH ISLAND TOUR:
CANTERBURY LOSES ‘BATTLE OF GIANTS’
Few achievements caused so much excitement during 1968 as Hawke’s Bay’s win over Canterbury – “the” match for the Hawke’s Bay team on its four-match tour of the South Island during August.
The match had all the ingredients of a shield defence – and all this just three days after a defence against Poverty Bay in Napier.
All ears in Hawke’s Bay that Tuesday were tuned to radios. All hearts were with the Hawke’s Bay team as it established an early lead then set up a rock-hard defence which Canterbury, in spite of attack after spirited attack, could not crack.
All Hawke’s Bay sighed with relief when it was over. Canterbury had hoped for a shield challenge, but missed out. The match had been labelled the “battle of the giants” – and had been won by the shield holders, 8 – 3.
And so the team, which had been led by Kel Tremain, but was without the services of Bill Davis and Ian MacRae, packed its bags and set off for Timaru and the match against South Canterbury. Tremain returned to Napier to prepare for All Black duty.
Davis had not been able to tour and MacRae had pulled out at the last moment to be replaced by Taupo five-eighths and B team member, Ken Darlington.
Things were tough for the South Canterbury game – that is, until Karaan Crawford took control of things in his own manner and spearheaded the drive to a grand victory by 19 points to 12.
Two matches and two wins were followed by a detour through to Queenstown and a spot of tourism before the long journey through Central Otago to Dunedin for the match against Otago – the team which had failed by only one point to lift the shield in 1967.
And Otago made no mistake about its triumph over Hawke’s Bay – winning by 14 points to three and thoroughly deserving its success even if the Hawke’s Bay side was nowhere near full strength. Otago were certainly in splendid form.
The next and final match was against Southland, traditionally tough opposition, on Rugby Park, Invercargill, but not enjoying much success in its representative programme.
Crawford came back into the team, after having been injured at Timaru. Though not selected for the New Zealand Maori team, Crawford proved he was fully recovered from his injury, and was in tremendous form to play a vital part in Hawke’s Bay’s 24 – 12 victory over Southland.
Here the Hawke’s Bay game blossomed with the new combination of Blair Furlong (first five-eighth) and John Dougan (second five-eighth) augering well for the remaining four defences of the shield.
HB South Island tour statistics
Details of the six post-war South Island tours undertaken by Hawke’s Bay are:
Cant. Sth. Cant. Otago S’land Fr. Ag
1948 6-9 9-20 6-12* 8-14 29 53
1952 16-39 9-3 22-18 13-34 60 94
1956 9-21* 15-16 12-33 19-13 55 83
1960 13-18 3-22 9-11 13-12 38 63
1964 20-6 22-17 18-6 17-18 77 47
1968 8-3 19-12 3-14 24-12 54 41
Ttls. 72-96 77-90 70-94 94-103 313 38:
* Denotes shield challenge.
Points scorers on tour, 1968
Hawke’s Bay scored 12 tries in amassing 54 points during its four-match South Island tour in 1968.
Points scorers were:
Tries Con. Pen. Pts.
I. R. Bishop – 4 2 14
K. K. Crawford 3 – – 9
M. G. Duncan 3 – – 9
D.B. Smith 3 – – 9
P. R. Carney – 2 – 4
H. Meech 1 – – 3
J. P. Dougan 1 – – 3
K. R. Tremain 1 – – 3
12 6 2 54
Page THIRTY-ONE
HAWKE’S BAY PLAYERS struck problems on tour during a game of golf at Timaru. Gary Condon’s camera recorded Denis Smith (foreground) and Neil Thimbleby with their tee shots, but Doug Curtis embedded in a sand trap and Condon himself (right) found the golf ball smaller than a Rugby ball with a well executed air shot.
Page THIRTY-TWO
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Page THIRTY-THREE
RELAXING ON TOUR: Enjoying Queenstown’s mountain air during the Hawke’s Bay team’s excursion to the tourist resort on the 1968 South Island tour are (from left): Robbie Stuart, Graham Wiig, Rod Abel, Blair Furlong and Neil Thimbleby. The scene was recorded by the camera of Phil Pratt, a newcomer to the side who made his debut on the tour.
Page THIRTY-FIVE
Mr Jim O’Connor, of Hastings, became Hawke’s Bay team manager for the challenge against Waikato in 1966 and held the post for all shield matches in 1967 and 1968 including the four-match tour of the South Island in 1968. He first played senior Rugby in Hastings before World War II, and, after serving overseas. returned to play for Hawke’s Bay in 1946. In this article, Mr O’Connor recalls some of the highlights of his time as ‘Hawke’s Bay’s Ranfurly Shield team manager …
Remarkable team spirit
One or me “facts” of the Ranfurly Shield era in Hawke’s Bay during the 19605 has been that in more than two years as shield team manager I have not had to reprimand a player for unseemly conduct.
This, among a sea of great achievements on the field and a notable list of successful defences of the shield, may seem a little commonplace and not noteworthy, but, to me, it is a great achievement.
Such a record has been made possible by a remarkable team spirit and for this I attribute the credit to the team’s captain, Kel Tremain.
My responsibility for managing the side started on the Friday before each shield defence when the team gathered in the Criterion Hotel, Napier, to prepare for the match on the following day.
The behaviour of the team, both before and after the matches, was beyond reproach and the harmony which constantly prevailed was like that of a well-behaved family.
Kel’s part in this was considerable and due to the tremendous interest he took in each and everyone of his team.
His straight, heart-to-heart talk to the team in general maintained a friendly atmosphere and this sort of understanding and comradeship has had to be experienced to be believed.
Then Kel would concede to the superstition of some of the players in such things as the bus which took the team down to McLean Park.
The bus had to follow the same route each time. It would have been tempting fate to have erred from a familiar pre-match pattern of preparation.
This sort of thing gave the team confidence and the re-assurance that they were still on the winning run before the match started – and so it proved.
After Kel had had the final talk to the team in the morning, there was complete silence. Each player knew his mission and was fully determined to carry it out.
Invariably each returned to his room to reflect on the game that afternoon, to reflect and get into the right frame of mind for the battle ahead.
After the game, of course, the atmosphere was different and on the way home from McLean Park the favourite past-time was singing “assorted” versions of “Matilda”.
At no time after the game was there any criticism of a player who had perhaps not played his usual good game. These things were left unsaid.
Of course, at all times we felt the influence of the selector coach, Mr Colin Le Quesne, and his capable assistant, John Buxton, both of whom instilled the feeling into the side that the shield could and would be retained.
There have been many happy moments socially and probably best remembered by the team and all associated with it have been the “after dinner” speeches by such accomplished orators at Kel Tremain, Tom Johnson, Neil Thimbleby and not the least of all, Gus Meech, all of whom helped keep everyone in a happy frame of mind.
Beyond the immediate team circle, there were many others who helped contribute to the great record and among these I must mention the Hawkeye Club organisers, the crowds who turned out for each match, our host and hostess at the Criterion, Mr and Mrs John Watson, and their staff.
They all contributed to put not only a team into the field against the challengers but a whole province – a fact which went a long way towards success.
My thanks and the appreciation of the team goes to the union and its chairman, Mr W. S. Bramwell, who maintained an unflagging interest in the team.
The combination of all these factors has put Hawke’s Bay in the proud position of having held the Ranfurly Shield during the past couple of seasons when there has been no shortage of talent to compete for Rugby supremacy in this country.
Page THIRTY-SIX
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Page THIRTY-SEVEN
The other “team” …
Once again, Hawkeye supporters formed a team to provide match and pre-match enthusiasm for the shield series often with not quite the same success as achieved in ’67.
The Hawke’s Bay Rugby Supporters’ (Hawkeye) Club encountered apathy in the early stages of the series, with little or no support forthcoming from the challenging unions and only limited response from Hawke’s Bay followers.
Hawke’s Bay captain, Kel Tremain, urged the club to continue its work in the interests of team morale, and eventually everyone responded to the call.
Once again Napier came alive to the noise, humour and gaiety of the mid-morning diversions along Emerson street, on challenge days.
One chap, however, who never lost his enthusiasm at any stage during the season was Mr Graham Nicholson, alias Hawkeye Junior, whose ground-side capers continued to delight.
(photos) The pictures show Hawkeye Junior with Mr Nicholson inset (left) and the Marlborough mascot, Blennie the Beaver (below).
Page THIRTY-EIGHT
CHALLENGE FOUR:
The Magpies end a Marlborough myth
Back from the four-match tour of the South Island, Hawke’s Bay seemed in fine trim for the match against the “mystery” challengers, Marlborough – even if there was a feeling of pessimism among Hawke’s Bay supporters.
The chief difficulty for Hawke’s Bay followers was to rationalise the chances of the Marlborough side – the only provinical [provincial] side to beat the touring Frenchmen.
The over-riding feeling of gloom which might have struck the holders’ camp did not eventuate when it was learned that the ace back combination of Bill Davis and Ian MacRae was not available.
The day before the match it was announced MacRae would be in plaster for six weeks in an effort to correct a back injury. Earlier in the week Davis was involved in a car crash and he withdrew because of the leg injury which had been troubling him since before the match against France.
Meanwhile, the team had developed an interesting new combination during the southern tour with John Dougan teamed up at second five-eighth outside Blair Furlong and with Mick Duncan – leading try scorer – at centre.
Marlborough arrived with a strong team of supporters who brightened up a city plagued by dark skies and rain.
The ground dried out quickly and the crowd, which had earlier been expected to reach record proportions, packed the ground in warm sunshine, but with a strong wind favouring Marlborough.
Against this wind, Hawke’s Bay employed the sturdy boot of Blair Furlong and even when Marlborough came within an ace of scoring during the first 20 minutes or so, time and again Furlong hammered the challengers back out of the danger zone with some immaculate tactical kicking.
Into the wind and in Marlborough’s half, Furlong kicked a dropped goal. On the next excursion on the toe of Furlong’s boot into Marlborough territory, Kel Tremain raced down the touch-line to score for Ian Bishop to convert, across the wind and from touch.
On the third major attack, Bishop kicked a goal from a penalty and Marlborough had to face the unenviable task of fighting back into the wind from 11 points down.
Defeat seemed inevitable for Marlborough. But for the dropped goal by first five-eighth, Kerry Hodges, Marlborough only broke through on a few occasions in the second half.
Hawke’s Bay pushed a further 19 points onto the score board, Furlong kicking a second magnificent dropped goal and the shield was intact.
“You have a great team,” Marlborough captain, Ray Sutherland, commented after the game, and more than 1000 Marlborough supporters raised a chorus of approval.
The Marlborough myth had been destroyed!
Hawke’s Bay: I. R. Bishop; D. G. Curtis, M. G. Duncan, D. B. Smith; J. P. Dougan, B. D. M. Furlong; H. J. Paewai; T. W. Johnson; K. R. Tremain (captain), R. S. Abel, K. K. Crawford, G. A. Condon; N. W. Thimbleby, M. S. Reddy, H. Meech.
Marlborough: L. Sparks; N. Avery, A. Mowat, G. Blackmore; J. Gleeson, K. Hodges; R. May; A. Sutherland (captain), A. Schultz, R. Waiariki; J. Joseph, G. Lowe, M. Bell.
Hawke’s Bay 30
Marlborough 3
Half-time: 11-0.
Hawke’s Bay: K. R. Tremain 2, M. G. Duncan, J. P. Dougan, R. S. Abel (tries); B. D. M. Furlong (two dropped goals); I. R. Bishop (three conversions, a penalty goal).
Marlborough: K. Hodges (dropped goal).
Referee: Mr L. O’Keefe (Taranaki).
Crowd: 20,125. Date: August 24.
Page FORTY-ONE
CHALLENGE FIVE:
Lack-lustre form beats Counties
It seemed inevitable after the tremendous build up for the Marlborough match that the Counties fixture would seem poor fare in comparison – and this is exactly how it turned out.
There were few who could muster much enthusiasm for the game. Counties had won only one match in six earlier in the season and they received virtually no support from followers of the game in the Counties district.
There were others who reflected on the past fine achievements of Counties teams against Hawke’s Bay, but the 1968 Counties side was young and had been seeking desperately for success and a shield match did not seem the time for everything to suddenly come right.
The Counties team contained five Hawke’s Bay boys: M. Knight, W. Hardgrave, G. Lewis, M. Gudgeon and reserve, E. Fuller, and this strong “local” element excited interest in the match.
The Hawke’s Bay team originally onnounced [announced] included All Black, Bill Davis, at centre, but at the final practice before the match, on Thursday night, Davis experienced further trouble with his hamstring muscle and not only pulled out of the match, but announced his decision not to play for the rest of ’68.
A sad blow for Hawke’s Bay, but there was consolation in the fact that the reorganised back-line was the same as that which had played so well against Marlborough in the previous shield challenge.
A fine morning and warm sunny weather attracted more than 13,000 to the match which started with Counties being given the advantage of a strong wind in the first half.
Hawke’s Bay, however, blew Counties back to their own goal-line in the first 10 minutes, but from then on Counties kept Hawke’s Bay penned inside their own half for most of the first 40 minutes.
The sound Hawke’s Bay defence was never really pushed to the limit, although the gloomy watched with bated breath as Counties’ goal-kickers, K. MacMillan and Hardgrave tried four times to kick goals from penalties.
MacMillan tried a 60-yarder, but it missed the mark. Then Hardgrave settled the ball on the ground near half-way and his kick sneaked over the cross bar to give the challengers first blood.
But … Bang! Bang! Hawke’s Bay goal-kicker I. R. Bishop goaled with two fine kicks and, at half-time, the holders 6-3.
H. Paewai slipped a reverse pass into first five-eighth B. D. M. Furlong’s hands to open the second half. Furlong flashed over for a try. Bishop’s kick hit the up upright.
Then … Bang! Bang! Bishop put over two further goals from penalties. And the game was all but over.
Counties had been defending furiously, but they knew most of Hawke’s Bay’s attacking trickery and it was not until 10 minutes before full-time that G. A. Condon snapped up the loose ball from in front of the Counties posts to score. Bishop failed to convert from in front.
It was all over – and no one was terribly sorry. It had been lack-lustre Rugby with Counties having most of the answers on defence but no attacking problem for Hawke’s Bay to solve.
Hawke’s Bay: I. R. Bishop; D. B. Smith, M. G. Duncan, D. G. Curtis; J. P. Dougan, B. D. M. Furlong; H. J. Paewai; T. W. Johnson; G. A. Condon, K. K. Crawford, R. S. Abel, K. R. Tremain (captain); N. W. Thimbleby, M. S. Reddy, H. Meech.
Counties: J. Graham; M. Knight, W. Hardgrave, S. Dickey; R. Lendrum, E. McRobbie; G. Lewis; A. Cook; K. MacMillan, S. Peti, M. Gudgeon, G. Hadfield; H. Rau, B. McLeod (captain), W. Joyce.
Hawke’s Bay 18
Counties 3
Half-time: 6-3
Hawke’s Bay: B. D. M. Furlong and G. A. Condon (tries); I. R. Bishop (4 penalties).
Counties: W. Hardgrave (a penalty).
Referee: Mr L. OKeefe (Taranaki).
Crowd: 13,241. Date: September 7.
Page FORTY-TWO
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Page FORTY-FOUR
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Page FORTY-FIVE
CHALLENGE SIX:
Bay of Plenty loses forward battle
As inevitably as the tide moves in and out, Hawke’s Bay wore down yet another challenger in Bay of. Plenty by 14 points to nil.
Points seemed inevitable early in the second half as full-back Ian Bishop steadied himself for a shot at goal from a penalty. He was 30 yards out, almost in front and the ball did not err.
Bishop had scored another penalty and brought his total for the season to 102 – the third consecutive season in which he had passed the century in first-class matches.
And then with five minutes to go before full-time, there was an inevitability about Blair Furlong’s actions as the ball was won some 35 or 40 yards from the Bay of Plenty line.
The charge was on for Furlong’s boot, but it swept through in a relaxed and easy arc and yet another dropped goal had sailed between the posts.
But, it was not all cakes and ale, this one.
Tom Johnson, veteran campaigner for Hawke’s Bay for many seasons, withdrew from the back of the Hawke’s Bay serum on the Friday before the game.
Phil Pratt, who had only played a couple of games for Hawke’s Bay before, got his big chance and his first shield match. He took Gary Condon’s place on the side of the scrum while Condon moved to the back.
Colds and influenza had hit the Hawke’s Bay side, but the team had only the one change as it ran out in to a rock-hard ground and watched by a crowd basking in glorious sunshine.
The ground was so hard, in fact, that a bucket of sand was brought out for the goal-kicker every time he wanted to place the ball.
Bay of Plenty had arrived in force, led by their mascot Hori Bop. Hori Boppers brought Napier alive with their part in the pre-match parade and sounded a note of confidence as the game drew near.
There was bruising forward Rugby, with big men like Arthur Jennings and Manu Maniapoto matching it with Rod Abel and Karaan Crawford in the line-outs. There was challenging captain, Dick Cinway, marauding in the open against Gary Condon and Kel Tremain.
Possession honours were even, but Hawke’s Bay made better use of the ball in the backs, and a brilliant individual burst on the short side brought a try for Paewai in the first half.
There were moments of heated tempers and, Abel, recovered from being flattened at one stage, to emerge as one of the stars of the game.
But whereas Bay of Plenty’s kicker, Ernst van der Leeden, had missed four penalties, Bishop’s kick sailed over, and – the game was as good as won.
The telling moment came as Paewai scuttled into the open. Furlong moved to take the reverse pass which did not eventuate.
But the defence had been sold the idea at bargain prices. The ball sailed along the chain for Duncan to score. Bishop converted.
The game was won, but not without a hard-fought battle in the forwards. The Hawke’s Bay backs had been too good and the next prospect was Auckland – a week later.
Hawke’s Bay: I. R. Bishop; D. G. Curtis, M. G. Duncan, D. B. Smith; J. P. Dougan, B. D. M. Furlong; H. J. Paewai; G. A. Condon; P. D. Pratt, K. K. Crawford, R. S. Abel, K. R. Tremain (captain); N. W. Thimbleby, M. S. Reddy, H. Meech.
Bay of Plenty: E. van der Leeden; G. E. Moore, A. A. James, D. W. Magee; R. L. Kaipara, B. M. Flood; D. L. Meek; B. R. Matuschka; R. J. Conway (captain), A. G. Jennings, M. Maniapoto, J. B. Teat; P. E. Scott, K. N. Grant, D. R. Mohi.
Hawke’s Bay 14
Bay of Plenty 0
Half-time: 3-0.
Hawke’s Bay: M. G. Duncan and H. J. Paewai (tries); I. R. Bishop (conversion and penalty); B. D. M. Furlong (dropped goal).
Referee: Dr H. Rainey (Wellington).
Crowd: 18,695. Date: September 21.
Page FORTY-SEVEN
Shield’s drawbacks
By Hugh McNeill
Two full seasons as holders of the Ranfurly Shield has been a mixed blessing for Hawke’s Bay.
Certainly, the holding of the shield has brought more exciting and interesting Rugby, larger crowds and, consequently, increased gate-takings for the Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union.
Nonetheless referees, especially those with prospects of gaining representative appointments, look back over the past two years with some misgivings.
Since Ranfurly Shield matches are all controlled by neutral referees, the opportunity for a referee to build up a reputation in provincial matches is eliminated.
It is a long and arduous job to reach a position to be in line for appointments to representative matches and two or three years without top representative matches to control seriously affects a referee’s future.
During 1967 the Hawke’s Bay public saw the cream of New Zealand’s referees on McLean Park when all the challengers were from major unions.
This season, some of the challengers have not been of the same high standard because of the home match programme and it has been refreshing to see that Mr Stan Palmer, the New Zealand Rugby Referees’ Association’s representative on the New Zealand Appointment Board, and his two union colleagues, Mr Jack Sullivan and Mr Morris Ingpen, have taken the opportunity to blood some of the more promising referees in the burly-burly of shield Rugby.
It speaks volumes for their choice when one sees comparatively inexperienced referees turning in first-class performances game after game where the pressure is on them for the full 80 minutes.
Hawke’s Bay’s first defence this season was against Bush and Mr Roy Macey, of Nelson, had to contend with the most difficult conditions imaginable for a new referee trying to make a name.
He overcame the conditions and gave one of the best commonsense interpretations of the laws witnessed on McLean Park for years. His anticipation and ability were undoubtedly highlights.
The East Coast challenge was controlled by the former Bay of Plenty referee, Mr Noel Scott, who now lives in Wairarapa. He overcame a tendency to allow the game to move away from him and kept smooth control once he settled to the pattern.
A North Otago farmer, Mr Kevin Gawn, was appointed to the Poverty Bay defence and he acquitted himself very well, although the game rested very lightly on his shoulders. His fitness and speed in keeping up with the game created a favourable impression.
Mr Laurie O’Keefe, of Taranaki, could probably have set a record when he refereed two consecutive shield matches: Marlborough and Counties.
In the Marlborough match, he looked a most expert player of the advantage law and his ability to allow the play to flow, especially in the second half, nearly had both teams run off their feet as the advantage went one way, then the other.
In the Counties match which turned out to be a fairly scrappy affair, the play did not move for him.
Criticism was levelled at him for his awarding two tries to Hawke’s Bay but to answer these charges it is fair to point out that on each occasion he was in-goal to see the ball grounded and that if any part of the ball touches the goal-line, the try must be awarded.
Dr Humphrey Rainey, of Wellington, was in charge of the Bay of Plenty match and his was a real baptism of fire in what turned out to be the toughest of all forward battles.
It was not the easiest of games to control and would have tested the most experienced referee but Dr Rainey emerged very much on the credit side.
The final match against Auckland saw the return to Napier of Dunedin’s Mr Dave Millar, who had controlled the exciting Waikato defence in 1967 and the cliffhanging Wellington match.
Once again Mr Millar gave a fine performance to complete a season which had an abundance of Rugby and a minimum of refereeing controversy.
Referee’s viewpoint
In this article, former Napier referee, Hugh McNeill, discusses referees and refereeing during ’68. Mr McNeill had a long refereeing career which included 11 New Zealand appointments and among these three Ranfurly Shield matches and five International fixtures.
Page FORTY-EIGHT
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Page FORTY-NINE
BAY OF PLENTY front row forward, Paul Scott, tries to burst through the Hawke’s Bay forwards in the tough battle of the packs in the sixth defence of the season. From left: Hilton Meech, Gary Condon, Jim Teat, Karaan Crawford, Arthur Jennings, Neil Thimbleby (No. 3), Rod Abel, Paul Scott and Myles Reddy.
Page FIFTY
The former Hawke’s Bay captain, TOM JOHNSON, looks back on his career at the centre of Hawke’s Bay’s Rugby resurgence and discusses the reasons behind the province’s rise to supremacy after a lengthy period in the doldrums.
TEAM FOOTBALL THE KEY TO SUCCESS
It was indeed fitting that the 1968 Ranfurly Shield season should have climaxed with the Auckland match. It was against Auckland in 1961 that a young, unheralded Hawke’s Bay side in going down 5 – 3 that day, sparked off Hawke’s Bay’s Rugby flame which has burnt so brightly over the past two seasons.
Again, in 1963, a dedicated and now much more capable Hawke’s Bay side drew, 3 – all, with Auckland at Eden Park in a Ranfurly Shield challenge which, to me, will rank as the greatest game I ever played in for the tremendous pre-match tension, the receptive and responsive crowd, and the quality of the Auckland side which repulsed 24 challenges over 3½ years.
Traditionally matches with Auckland have been sternly fought games with the exception of those played during the 1940s and 1950s.
In 1934 Auckland defeated Hawke’s Bay 18 – 14 to lift the shield, having tried three times unsuccessfully to do the same against the Hawke’s Bay shield team of 1922 – 26.
The resurgence of Hawke’s Bay Rugby began in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Unfortunately, nothing succeeds like success, and when a team is getting regularly beaten, public support is lacking probably when it is needed most. This was the case in Hawke’s Bay during the 1950s when the province had weak teams, an apathetic public and a disheartened, factioned union, which lived in the glories of the past. The climax was reached in 1959 when we were beaten by the Lions, 52-12 – a day Neil Thimbleby and I would rather choose to forget.
To my mind I saw real progress made when the selector Colin Le Quesne co-opted Bryan Wilson as physical fitness trainer. A rigorous training schedule was undertaken with the result that the young team chosen was probably as fit as any to represent the Bay.
The team had pace and mobility with Bill Davis making his entry into the ranks. With greater fitness and stamina, and bearing in mind inherent playing weaknesses, we were able to plan our tactics with greater success.
Before going to Auckland that year and knowing the many moves of the opponents, Colin, myself and Alan Brown, our five-eighth, endeavoured to plan our game from the kick-off to the final whistle.
The team was introduced to the plan with the use of a blackboard and from this game emanated some of the moves we have used ever since and more particularly our double line back formation on defence which we supplemented, on occasion, by taking out a forward from the set play.
The effectiveness of this pattern was ably demonstrated against Auckland that day when they breached the defence once in 80 minutes; again in Shield defences where only two tries were scored against us in 13 matches; and in the Canterbury match this year.
Successes followed that year and with them a wonderful team spirit.
The year 1962 was particularly important for Hawke’s Bay as it saw the arrival on the scene of Kelvin Tremain, already a great All Black, who was to play at his peak over the next three or four years.
We now had a “gun” player who was a wonderful inspiration to the team by his personal example. This season saw continuing success marred by a certain amount of inconsistency: one week we were good enough to beat Canterbury, but then lost to a side like Counties.
The following year, 1963, was the best year that I experienced personally as a captain because we trounced an International side (England) by 20 points to five, drew three-all with Auckland in the» shield game, and of the other major unions only lost to Otago narrowly.
To my mind, because of our success: against major unions, this was the best year we had until the 1967 – 68 shield highlights.
During these years, we continued with our physical fitness programmes and continued to develop through trial and error our basic team pattern.
The ‘esprit de corps’ which has been a feature of our Hawke’s Bay teams in recent years continued to develop with our successes. This year introduced Rod Abel and Ian MacRae to the Hawke’s Bay public- and they were to become important team members from this year.
Page FIFTY-ONE
During 1964, the team played some great football, now under the captaincy of Kelvin Tremain, and experienced a very successful tour of the South Island. However, in spite of Colin Le Quesne’s opinion to the contrary, the success of this season, in my mind, was marred by the three losses being to major unions.
This year was important as it saw the arrival on the scene of another big lock in Karaan Crawford, who was to feature so prominently during the shield matches three and four years later.
In 1965, the team played consistently good football, highlighted by a 58 – 11 win against Poverty Bay in their Jubilee match, but unfortunately marred by losses to the Springboks and Taranaki in the in the shield game.
This year was notable for the play of Florus Duvenage a young South African wing whose speed and brilliant try-scoring ability were a highlight to the season in Hawke’s Bay.
With the retirement of some players in 1966 our team, in spite of being weaker and playing less effectively on occasions, had a reasonable season which was highlighted with the winning of the shield from Waikato in Hamilton at the end of the year. Whilst, in my opinion, this was a poor match, who could have credited the great football that was to come in the ensuing seasons.
John Buxton had made his entry on the Hawke’s Bay Rugby scene as far as the “A” team was concerned and I feel that the team, particularly in the past two years, owes him a debt of gratitude for the type of forward play he has endeavoured to develop, his sound logic and sense of development of tactics.
Probably more important from the point-of-view of the selector, Colin Le Quesne, and captain, Kelvin Tremain, he relieved some of the pressure from them.
As everybody is aware, 1967 – 68 has been a story of success, success, success. I deem myself very fortunate to have been a member of this particular team in view of the wonderful team spirit, some of the great matches played, the hard training and the enjoyable social moments after matches, which one will remember always.
I consider that I have received unnecessary kudos for the rise of Hawke’s Bay Rugby. There has been a collective contribution from many. At the risk of it sounding like a “Marxist Manifesto”, I would say the success of Hawke’s Bay in the last two years has been due to the team effort of very good players, instead of a few great individuals, and all players have been prepared to subjugate their personal aspirations for the benefit of the team pattern. As a result they have played, in the main, great team football which has been hard to beat.
I would pay a particular tribute to the “Fuhrer” (Mr Le Quesne) to whom the spoils of victories now must be particularly sweet because of the frustrations and the criticisms of the past. Success has been particularly well-deserved through his tremendous loyalty to the team which engendered great team spirit and for the ability that he had to pluck players like Neil Thimbleby, Hepa Paewai and others from virtually nowhere.
I would also pay a tribute to Kelvin Tremain for his great ability as a player and a leader, and to John Buxton. I have also had great pleasure in playing with Neil Thimbleby, who has been a tremendous asset to Hawke’s Bay and is now the last remaining player of the 1959 side.
To the team as a whole I wish to express my best wishes for the future.
TIME NOW TO RELAX: With the pressure of big -time Rugby gone, Tom Johnson relaxes with two of his sons, Michael (5) and Blair (2½). He retired near the end of the season because of a troublesome leg injury after l0 years in first-class Rugby.
Page FIFTY-TWO
66 years of shield history
Although the Ranfurly Shield was first presented in 1902, it was not played for until 1904, but has been challenged for each year since then, with the exception of the war years (1915-18 and 1940-45).
The following is a complete record of all matches.
Early Years
1904. – Wellington beat Auckland, 6-3; Canterbury, 6-3; Otago, 15-13.
1905. – Wellington drew with Wairarapa, 3-3; beat Hawke’s Bay, 11-3. Auckland beat Wellington, 10-6.
1906. – Auckland beat Canterbury, 29-6: Taranaki, 18-5; Southland, 48-12; Wellington, 11-5.
1907. – Auckland beat Buller, 21-0; Hawke’s Bay, 12-3; Wanganui, 6-5.
1908. – Auckland beat Marlborough, 32-0; Wellington, 24-3; Taranaki, 9-0; Otago, 11-5.
1909. – Auckland beat Taranaki, 18-5.
1910. – Auckland beat Hawke’s Bay, 11-3; drew with Wellington, 3-3; beat Taranaki, 16-9; Canterbury, 6-4.
1911. – Auckland beat South Auckland, 21-5; Poverty Bay, 29-10.
1912. – Auckland beat Taranaki, 6-5; Wellington, 12-0; drew with Otago, 5-5.
1913. – Auckland beat Wellington, 6-5; Poverty Bay, 27-3. Taranaki beat Auckland, 14-11.
1914. – Taranaki beat Wanganui, 17-3; Manawatu, 11-3; Horowhenua, 14-3; Wairarapa, 22-3; Canterbury, 6-5; Southland, 6-0. Wellington beat Taranaki, 12-6.
Between Wars
1919. – Wellington beat Canterbury, 21-8; Taranaki, 18-10; Canterbury, 23-9; Auckland, 24-3; Wanganui, 30-3.
1920. – Wellington beat Canterbury, 15-3; Bay of Plenty, 22-3; Taranaki, 20-9; Hawke’s Bay, 20-5; Auckland, 23-20; Taranaki, 16-5; Wanganui, 20-14; Auckland, 20-3; South Canterbury, 32-16; Otago, 16-5. Southland beat Wellington, 17-6.
1921. – Southland beat Otago, 10-8. Wellington beat Southland, 28-13; Auckland, 27-19; Otago, 13-8.
1922. – Hawke’s Bay beat Wellington, 19-9; Bay of Plenty, 17-16; King Country, 42-8.
1923. – Hawke’s Bay beat Wairarapa, 6-0; Wellington, 10-6; Poverty Bay, 15-0; Canterbury, 9-8; Horowhenua, 38-11; Auckland, 20-5.
1924. – Hawke’s Bay beat Wairarapa, 30-14; Poverty Bay, 46-10; Nelson, 35-3; Auckland, 23-6; Manawatu, 31-5.
1925. – Hawke’s Bay beat Wairarapa, 22-3, Canterbury, 24-18; Southland, 31-12; Taranaki, 28-3; Wellington, 20-11; Otago, 34-14.
1926. – Hawke’s Bay beat Wairarapa, 77-14; Wanganui, 36-3; Wellington, 58-8; Auckland, 41-11; Canterbury, 17-15.
1927. – Wairarapa beat Hawke’s Bay, 15-11; Bush, 53-3. Hawke’s Bay beat Wairarapa, 21-10 (subsequently lost by protest). Manawhenua beat Wairarapa, 18-16; Taranaki, 9-3; Wanganui, 25-6. Canterbury beat Manawhenua, 17-6.
1928. – Canterbury beat South Canterbury, 29-9. Wairarapa beat Canterbury, 8-7; Bush, 57-11; Marlborough, 26-8; Wellington, 9-3; Manawhenua, 31-10.
1929. – Wairarapa beat Hawke’s Bay, 10-6; Auckland, 17-14; Manawhenua, 37-16; Canterbury 17-12. Southland beat Wairarapa, 19-16.
1930. – Southland beat Wanganui, 19-0; Otago, 37-5; Hawke’s Bay, 9-6. Wellington beat Southland, 12-3.
1931. – Wellington beat Southland, 36-13, Canterbury beat Wellington, 8-6; Otago, 17-6.
1932. – Canterbury beat South Canterbury, 11-5; Auckland, 14-0; West Coast, 5-3; Wellington 9-8; Buller, 13-0; Waikato, 17-6.
1933. – Canterbury beat Ashburton, 31-7; Southland, 21-3; Otago, 8-5; West Coast, 23-14; Buller, 13-3; drew with Taranaki, 15-15; beat South Canterbury, 6-3; King Country, 36-0.
1934. – Hawke’s Bay beat Canterbury, 9-0; Wanganui, 39-16; Taranaki, 23-8. Auckland beat Hawke’s Bay, 18-14.
1935. – Auckland beat North Auckland, 29-8, Canterbury beat Auckland, 16-13; Wairarapa, 27-16; Southland, 8-3; West Coast, 16-11; South Canterbury, 12-11. Otago beat Canterbury, 15-6.
1936. – Otago beat Southland, 16-3; Auckland, 14-5; Manawatu, 11-5; South Canterbury, 26-3; Canterbury, 16-0; North Auckland, 30-0; Wellington, 16-3; West Coast, 30-0.
1937. – Southland beat Otago, 12-7.
1938. – Otago beat Southland, 7-6; Canterbury, 16-7; South Canterbury, 27-16; North Otago, 12-0; Hawke’s Bay, 4-0; Taranaki, 24- 3. Southland beat Otago, 10-5; Wellington, 10-3; Ashburton County, 20-16.
1939. – Southland beat Otago, 23-4; Manawatu, 17-3; Bush, 38-0; Ashburton County, 50-0.
Page FIFTY-THREE
Post-War
1946. – Southland beat Otago, 3-0; Canterbury, 11-3; South Canterbury, 35-9; Wairarapa, 12-3; North Otago, 15-3.
1947. – Otago beat Southland, 17-11; North Auckland, 31-12; Auckland, 18-12; Southland, 8-0; North Otago, 42-3.
1948. – Otago beat Southland, 25-0; Canterbury, 31-0; Wanganui, 20-3; Hawke’s Bay, 12-6; Poverty Bay, 40-0; South Canterbury, 36-6; Wellington, 11-0.
1949. – Otago drew with Buller, 6-6; beat Manawatu, 22-3; Southland, 6-3; Waikato, 27-5; Taranaki, 6-5; Auckland, 16-5.
1950. – Otago beat Southland, 22-3. Canterbury beat Otago, 8-0. Wairarapa beat Canterbury 3-0. South Canterbury beat Wairarapa, 17-14. North Auckland beat South Canterbury, 20-9.
1951. – North Auckland beat Bay of Plenty, 16-12; Thames Valley 19-6. Waikato beat North Auckland, 6-3; Auckland 14-6; Bay of Plenty, 32-10; Taranaki, 21-12; Wanganui, 14–0.
1952. – Waikato beat Thames Valley, 17-3; Wairarapa, 14-0. Auckland beat Waikato, 9-0. Waikato beat Auckland, 6-3; King Country, 18-8; Manawatu, 12-3; West Coast, 20-6.
1953. – Waikato beat Bay of Plenty, 19-3; North Auckland, 24-5; drew with Taranaki, 3-3. Wellington beat Waikato, 9-6; Southland, 22-6; East Coast, 42-0; Otago, 9-3; Taranaki, 26-3; Auckland, 23-6. Canterbury beat Wellington, 24-3; Buller, 19-3.
1954. – Canterbury beat Southland, 18-10; Wairarapa, 16-3; South Canterbury, 24-11; drew with Waikato, 6-6; beat Taranaki, 11-6; West Coast, 8-0; drew with Otago, 9-9; beat Wanganui, 17-13; Buller, 22-0.
1955. – Canterbury beat Auckland, 12-6; South Canterbury, 19-6; Wellington, 30-11; North Auckland, 39-11; Otago, 15-8; West Coast, 20-11; Thames Valley, 24-11.
1956. – Canterbury beat Mid-Canterbury, 14-6; Hawke’s Bay, 21-9; Wanganui, 19-6; West Coast, 38-17; South Canterbury, 32-17; Southland, 17-3. Wellington beat Canterbury, 8-0; Auckland. 9-6.
1957. – Wellington beat Bush, 22-9; Poverty Bay, 15-3; Wanganui, 34-5. Otago beat Wellington 19-11; South Canterbury, 6-3. Taranaki beat Otago, 11-9.
1958. – Taranaki beat G.B.-Motueka, 56-8; Mid-Canterbury, 16-0; King Country, 15-11; Manawatu, 9-8; Wanganui, 22-9; drew with Wellington, 6-6; beat Waikato, 15-3; North Auckland, 14-3; Counties, 11-5.
1959. – Taranaki beat Nelson, 31-14; Wanganui, 17-11; Wellington, 22-6; Otago, 23-3. Southland beat Taranaki, 23-6. Auckland beat Southland, 13-9.
1960. – Auckland beat Thames Valley, 22-6; Counties, 14-3. North Auckland beat Auckland, 17-11; Poverty Bay, 24-3. Auckland beat North Auckland, 6-3; Manawatu, 31-8; Bay of Plenty, 9-6; Wellington, 22-9; Taranaki, 25-6; Canterbury, 19-18.
1961. – Auckland beat Hawke’s Bay, 5-3; King Country, 17-3; Counties, 17-12; Otago, 14-9; Southland, 9-6; Wellington, 13-8; Waikato, 10-0; North Auckland, 26-11.
1962. – Auckland beat Thames Valley, 24-9; Bay of Plenty, 19-6; North Auckland, 8-3; West Coast, 52-6; Waikato, 15-11; Taranaki, 27-3; Canterbury, 15-6; Bush, 46-6; Wellington, 20-8.
1963. – Auckland beat Wairarapa, 22-8; Wanganui, 41-18; drew with Hawke’s Bay, 3-3. Wellington beat Auckland, 8-3. Taranaki beat Wellington, 17-3; Wanganui, 14-12.
1964. – Taranaki beat Buller, 11-0; drew with Wanganui, 15-15; beat Wellington, 3-0; King Country, 21-0; Canterbury, 12-9; Wairarapa, 32-8; Waikato, 14-9; Manawatu, 6-3; North Auckland, 12-8.
1965. – Taranaki beat Bush, 33-6; Wanganui, 23-9; Wellington, 11-3; drew with Southland, 6-6; beat Hawke’s Bay, 21-17. Auckland beat Taranaki, 16-11; Waikato, 14-6.
1966. – Auckland beat King Country, 14-6; drew with Canterbury, 11-11. Waikato beat Auckland, 15-11. Hawke’s Bay beat Waikato, 6-0.
1967. – Hawke’s Bay beat Manawatu, 11-6; Waikato, 35-9; Wairarapa, 27-6; Southland, 29-6; Taranaki, 16-3; Otago, 9-8; Wellington, 12-12.
1968. – Hawke’s Bay beat Bush, 36-6; East Coast, 31-0; Poverty, 21-5; Marlborough, 30-3; Counties, 18-3; Bay of Plenty, 14-0; Auckland, 9-9.
The complete shield record
P. W. D. L. F. A.
Auckland 84 56 5 23 1267 776
Bay of Plenty 8 – – 8 56 158
Buller 7 – 1 6 12 105
Bush 7 – – 7 41 285
Canterbury 72 45 4 23 1012 686
Counties 4 – – 4 23 60
East Coast 2 – – 2 0 73
G.B.-Motueka 1 – – 1 8 56
Hawke’s Bay 58 42 13 3 1214 495
Horowhenua 2 – – 2 14 52
King Country 7 – – 7 36 163
Manawatu 10 – – 10 41 161
Manawhenua 6 3 – 3 84 110
Marlborough 3 – – 11 88
Mid-Canterbury 5 – – 5 29 131
Nelson 2 – – 2 17 66
Auckland 16 5 – 29 131
Otago 3 – – 3 6 69
Otago 58 35 3 20 824 466
Poverty Bay 8 – – 8 34 217
S. Canterbury 15 1 – 14 141 329
Southland 42 20 1 21 521 508
Taranaki 61 34 5 22 753 638
Thames Valley 5 – – 5 35 106
Waikato 28 14 2 12 301 274
Wairarapa 29 12 1 16 420 486
Wanganui 19 – 1 18 151 428
Wellington 67 37 4 28 881 705
West Coast 9 – – 9 68 212
Page FIFTY-FIVE
CHALLENGE SEVEN:
LAST- MINUTE “DUMMY” DRAMA SAVES SHIELD
All the ingredients of yet another great finish to a season were put together when the Hawke’s Bay and Auckland teams took the field for the final challenge of ’68.
Auckland’s star-studded backs threatened to cut capers all over McLean Park while Hawke’s Bay’s formidable pack cast ominous shadows over Auckland’s chances of winning much ball.
And the game was on before the largest crowd of the season. Apart from a slight breeze favouring the holders in the first half, it was a perfect Rugby day, in spite of out- of-season snowfalls in the province a day earlier.
What mighty deeds would be achieved in the next 80 minutes? Would all the conjecture, rumours, doubts, suggestions and the what-have-you in the pre-match atmosphere come to pass?
And it started with Auckland winning a great share of the ball, though play remained fairly even throughout the first 20 minutes. The only difference was that after 21 and 26 minutes full-back Ian Bishop kicked penalty goals and 10 minutes before half-time Roger Whatman, the Auckland full-back, narrowed the score to 6-3 with a penalty goal.
Then, two minutes after the start of the second half, Whatman kicked a further penalty and 15 minutes further into the half Whatman kicked a dropped goal.
Auckland led 9-6 and in spite of determined efforts to penetrate the defence and score, Hawke’s Bay had to watch the minutes ticking slowly away as opportunity after opportunity failed to produce the equalising or match-winning points.
But, five minutes before full-time, Gary Condon slapped a high kick up under the Auckland goal-mouth. Bishop, flying through, knocked Whatman as he tried to grasp the bouncing ball.
Condon went within an ace of scoring, but a scrum resulted with Auckland to put in the ball. Auckland hooked the ball, but half-back, Hepa Paewai, was round the scrum to force another pack-down in front of the Auckland goal-posts.
Hawke’s Bay put in the ball and it was quickly heeled to the back and held there. First five-eighth, Blair Furlong, moved back for the dropped goal.
It was a sitter of a shot – and the Auckland loose forwards thought so, too. They crouched like sprinters on the blocks – Paewai watched and waited.
Would it be another dropped goal to draw the game as Hawke’s Bay had done against Wellington?
Paewai scuttled away from the scrum without the ball. Auckland players fell for the trick and were off after him. A penalty said the referee, Mr Dave Millar.
Paul Carney, a 21-year-old with no previous shield experience, had come on seconds before when Bishop injured himself colliding with Whatman and was forced to leave the field. And Carney was called up for the kick.
The crowd swarmed down to the touchline, and got a close-up of the kick from 10 yards – which levelled the scores.
It was all but over. Carney marked the ball from an ensuing movement and belted it into touch. Hawke’s Bay captain, Kel Tremain, danced arm in arm with big lock, Karaan Crawford.
The shield had been held until 1969 and with the same dummy move which won the shield at Waikato in 1966.
Hawke’s Bay: I. R. Bishop (replaced by P. R. Carney); D. G. Curtis, M. G. Duncan, D. B. Smith, J. P. Dougan, B. D. M. Furlong; H. J. Paewai; G. A. Condon; P. D. Pratt, K. K. Crawford, R. S. Abel, K. R. Tremain (captain); N. W. Thimbleby, M. S. Reddy, H. Meech.
Auckland: R. Whatman; R. Patterson, G. Thorne, T. Tataurangi; N. Brady (replaced by P. Murdoch), M. Herewini; N. Cowley (captain); M. Jakich; P. Thorburn, P. Lindesay, P. Whiting, P. Curran; R. Webb, K. O’Shannessey, M. Jones.
Hawke’s Bay 9
Auckland 9
Half-time: 6-3
Hawke’s Bay: I. R. Bishop (two penalties), P. R. Carney (one penalty).
Auckland: R. Whatman (two penalties and a dropped goal).
Referee: Mr D. H. Millar (Dunedin).
Crowd: 25,423. Date: September 28.
Page FIFTY-SIX
TRICK ’N KICK: The vital shield-holding moments of the 1968 season when Hawke’s Bay half-back, Hepa Paewai (above) realises he has hoodwinked Auckland into getting offside after a dummy run from the scrum and Paul Carney (right) the replacement full back, kicks the goal to draw the match. N. Thimbleby looks on.
Page FIFTY-SEVEN
A REST AND A WELL-EARNED DRINK as the Hawke’s Bay team gets back to its dressing room. Team manager, Mr J. J. O’Connor (left) looks on and the players (from left) are: Blair Furlong, Ian Bishop, Kel Tremain, Gary Condon, Phil Pratt (lower right). Back cover: A scene in the Bay of Plenty challenge.
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