With such a full weekend of rugby in New Zealand, residents required a public holiday to [slightly] recover from the action. With ITM Cup, Heartland rugby finals and the all important All Blacks semifinal being played, there was a flood of sports to absorb.
After a competitive season, the ITM Cup was being finalized in both divisions; Premiership and the Championship, while in the Heartland Championship, both prizes were being contested– the Meads Cup and Lochore Cup. The interest in each game was symbolic of the shape the game currently, with plenty of rugby focus through the high volume of rugby-based news being broadcast across all media. So fans had a polarized view of the game which was was beneficial for increased interest.
Fans would be dressing up in their regional colours to attend these games across the nation, as this is what brings out the grassroots flavors and emotions in rugby fans. Not usually an emotive crowd, add in the pride from your Province and this is the time when we can all see where you belong (different from national pride, represented in wearing all black) ITM Cup finals and the All Blacks mean everything to this proud nation.
The Rugby World Cup semifinal between New Zealand and South Africa completed the ‘feast of footy’ when they clashed on Sunday morning. A huge majority of local fans rose for the match and as the nation stood still, it reinforced how important this game is to the population. Not 100%, but virtually full countrywide support would lift the Men in Black to reach the peak of their International season.
ITM CUP 2015 Finals
Championship final – Hawke’s Bay 26 Wellington 25
In this first finals match of the weekend, the battle was played within the Hurricanes Super Rugby catchment region, so it was a benefit of the fantastic season that the Lower North Island region had enjoyed. it will have seeped into all the regional sports teams [literally]
After the first encounter between these sides had resulted in a draw, those sides knew full well that while they might score many points the other side is more than capable of matching that scoring trend. And Wellington had recently experienced several sides catching them and surpassing them to win games, so the Ardie Savea captained team would need to be strong on defence tonight.
Their fans who had driven up to Napier only had to wait a minute before a drive up the left saw Matt Proctor open a gap and his inside pass let Frae Wilson free to an open line. That was soon closed down, with both sides testing the other but little reward bar a few penalties that Ihaia West converted to have a score of 6-7 after 20 minutes. It was a pretty passionate crowd, and you could see from that support it was energizing the team from The Bay.
Soon another try to veteran Cory Jane put the visitors out by seven points and the crowd beckoned their men to answer – their wish was answered when replacement Billy Ropiha gained some ground 10 metres out from the Lion’s line and Robbie Fruen proved too big to stop. A halftime score of 16-20 that put the game closer than you might have sensed and the locals would want more from the former Ranfurly Shield holders.
An opening penalty for West had them within a single point and each side must have thought “what can we do to shake this team?” The close nature did nothing for either fans pulse rates, peaking by the 66th minute until a combination of good substitutions and a piece of Cory Jane magic that saw him break tackles and cross the line. Success at last, but at a cost when replays showed the tackle had injured Jane who needed to be replaced, with the scores now 19-25.
Now the pressure was firmly on the home side. Do nothing and the memories of failed campaigns would be ringing in their ears, so the Magpie pack began to work in earnest. Mark Abbot and his mates pushing forward, they were turned back and with time almost up, the final attacking play involved the Blues first-five West showing his guile in releasing the backline and young winger Mason Emerson wrote his name in local folklore with the try to put them within a conversion of winning the title.
The weight of a region fell on West’s narrow shoulders but to his credit, he delighted his captain Brendon O’Connor in banishing memories of failed kicks, with a truly magnificent stroke from one meter in from the sideline. Jubilation rang across his team mates and the crowd erupted. Many years of ITM Cup heartache now was wiped and their Championship team celebrated.
The vanquished Ardie Savea was admirable in his speech but the disappointment mirrored the Hurricanes fate back in July. It also meant the Lions would stay in the Championship for 2016, while their neighbouring Hawke’s Bay Magpies would enjoy the promotion up to the Premiership ranks next season. Well played both sides, as the only difference was likely the kicking of West. He earned his ‘Man of the Match’ title through the improved performance over the last few years, an incredible 13/13 kicks in the finals series as he looks to take that form into Super Rugby in 2016, and hopefully further.
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Premiership final – Saturday 24th October – Canterbury v Auckland, AMI Stadium Christchurch
Memories of the traditional matches of years gone by had peaked interest from Auckland down to Christchurch, although a lacklustre crowd did not reflect the importance of the competition (possibly due to the holiday weekend) Good old Canterbury/Auckland clashes have run throughout the last century until in the last ten years Canterbury have covered themselves in glory with six provincial titles to their name in the last seven years.
This season was similar, with only a single loss, the ‘Red and Blacks’ fancied another title and the only way this energetic Auckland side might halt that dominance would be with an ‘all out assault’. It must begin and end up front, as they each have good backlines but you could not free the ball unless you could secure it first.
All good plans can sometimes go wrong, and with Patrick Osbourne crossing for a Canterbury try inside the first minute (to mirror the Championship game) they were pulled down to earth very quickly. It seemed to stun the young Auckland players, who needed good direction now and had to show composure to recover–they failed that examination, when Lock Scott Scrafton was given a yellow card that left a gaping hole in his sides line. At an attacking lineout, former All Black Dominic Bird saw that gap and bolted a good 25 metres to cross unopposed.
That score meant the northern side needed to steal themselves to stay within touch. With just 14 men they managed to drive deep into Canterbury territory and to the Paul Feeney coached side showed courage and the referee was in good position when improving Greg Pleasants-Taite scored. It raised the sides chances until Osbourne charged upfield into a heavy collision with fullback Charles Piutau. The All Black stayed down which allowed Ryan Crotty to take advantage and score the third try.
They were looking much stronger and besides their discipline, the Southern champions were looking good all the while as Simon Hickey kicked his side back in with a slight chance when the whistle blew for halftime; 19-16. The gap between the sides was wider than that. Scott Robertson will have reminded his men in the changing sheds that scoring tries would mean his side had the potential to deny his strongest opposition any chance of reclaiming a title the Queen City team had not seen since 2006.
None of the home sides fans could have foreseen that the team in White and Blue would seem to take away the ascendency when they repeatedly drove hard at the line and blonde haired Mitch Karpick crossed. That was not in the script, and it charged the Canterbury side who had to use every bit of their guile to attempt to score, while defending against their opponents. It was 22-23 and time was running out, unable to score the try due to defence and a poor piece of ball handling when centre Rob Thompson bombed an opportunity by dropping the ball in the act of touching down.
Tom Taylor, playing his last match for Canterbury before joining French club Bayonne, made amends after Akira Ioane had committed a ruck offence. The game of rugby can cruelly come down to a penalty, with the last ten minutes full of enterprise but no luck for either side. The single point win would have to do and even as Auckland players were left downhearted watching the Canterbury team reclaim the Premiership title.
It was a fairly even encounter, so maybe the difference was in the ability of the more experienced South Island team. The youth within the Auckland team didn’t help and with senior men on World Cup duty or injured [Patrick Tuipulotu] the senior leaders across the paddock were better accustomed and while certainly close on the scoreboard, you believed Canterbury had the weaponry to win this match. Full credit to both sides and Canterbury were deserved winner in the end.
Heartland Championship 2015 Finals
Meads Cup final: South Canterbury 11 Wanganui 28
This was the upset of the weekend to be honest. Hosted in the Mainland, with strong provincial support in that the first 200 paying adults through the gates of Alpine Energy Stadium on Saturday would be given a free green and black T-shirt. An example of the hometown favoritism which was obvious in the crowd images, as only a small band of Wanganui supporters were present in their blue, black and white but their voice grew louder over the course of the match.
In defeating their South island favoured opponents, Wanganui have achieved success at the highest levels of Third and Second division Heartland Rugby–winning the Lochore Cup twice and for the first time, the Meads Cup. And in winning they produced one of the tries of the domestic rugby calendar.
Started within their own in-goal by Samu Kubunavanua, who worked in unison with his fellow backs to run the ball 105 metres and score a sensational end-to-end try. It might have sunk the hearts of the South Canterbury team, with a stripped ball also seeing a great team try to the Butcher Boys from the North Island.
The fine work by the visitors sealed a win that caps off a fine career of inspirational leader Peter Rowe.
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Lochore Cup final: King Country 47 North Otago 34
In this clash, it was a game won early from a team that had everything to prove. Finishing seventh overall, an away victory last week gave the Rams home advantage and that was all the motivation they required.
As much as the Otago ‘Old Golds’ tried, with great efforts from Sala Halaheva and Lemi Masoe, even when they managed to get their noses in front, it just seemed to take everything out of the visitors who succumbed to the more spirited home team.
It was an eventful match, eleven tries scored and while plenty of attacking was exciting for the fans, a yellow card almost cost the home side dearly. The level below ITM Cup was obvious but players put everything on the line and that is consistent from Ashburton through to Te Kuiti. The heart, desire and elation of winning, the passion, pride and disappointment of losing.
But come next season, they will all be doing it again, and that is why we appreciate our grassroots rugby more and more. Without this level, the All Blacks would not be where they are today.
Rugby World Cup semifinal- New Zealand 20 South Africa 18
This was a ‘Clash of the Titans’ sized match-up between two heavyweights. Many times you believed that All Black victory seemed to be apparent, only for penalties to put the Springboks back into contention. Each side waited for the other to flinch, with tries coming from the men from New Zealand only for the boot of Handre Pollard and then Patrick Lambie seeing the South African’s nearly take the match.
Big moments in the game were when Jerome Kaino scored his try, only to be sin-binned for what was an innocuous interference of the ball to be interpreted as professional foul play. The TMO had an influence again, when Bryan Habana was adjudged to have purposefully tried to knockdown the ball just as the All Blacks opened their backline and Beauden Barrett scored try number two. A huge drop goal from Dan Carter underlined his pedigree and stealing multiple lineouts was a huge blow to the Springboks chances.
That offence from Habana was deemed cynical, although the desperation of defence means many acts might look sinister if over-examined. That seemed to be the case when post-match social media excitement fueled a conversation if Richie McCaw had intentionally struck the outstanding flanker Francios Louw in an act foul play or not? Seemingly, trial via Vine video footage was over-exaggerated, as the World Rugby Citing Officer saw no evidence, but it proved the intensity of the semifinal was as vehemently defended off the field, as it was on it.
Now we can focus on the final of the Rugby World Cup 2015–New Zealand to face Australia, after the Wallabies denied a brave Argentinian team in the other semi. For me, I will admit that I am ‘cautiously confident’ but know that anything can happen on the day. With all the talent to burn, the Wallabies have everything to play for and the All Blacks have everything to lose.
Will the pressure finally take it’s toll on the mature New Zealand side? Many think not, as their experience and composure [demonstrated on Saturday] should bring them the result that no other team has been able to reach–to win back-to-back World Championships.
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Look forward to many more articles from the ‘Rugby South’ department of Last Word On Sports, leading up to the last act of the professional rugby season: the Rugby World Cup final. May the best team win.
“Main photo”
