I'm a Hawkeye Guy

CHALLENGE 15: WAIRARAPA

 

 

McLean Park, Napier. Saturday, July 26th, 1969.

 

Hawke’s Bay   18, Wairarapa   11 (Half-time:   9-11).

​

For Hawke’s Bay: J. P. Dougan, H. Meech, M. G. Duncan (tries); Dougan (dropped goal); I. R. Bishop (2 penalty goals).

​

For Wairarapa: W. Rowlands (try); D. H Payton (conversion and penalty goal); J. Tuckerman (dropped goal).

 

Hawke’s Bay: I. R. Bishop; M. G. Duncan, W. L. Davis, D. B. Smith; J. P. Dougan, B. D. M. Furlong; H. J. Paewai; G. A. Condon; K. R. Tremain (captain), K. K. Crawford, R. S. Abel, J. P. Rumball; N. W. Thimbleby, A. Meech, H. Meech.

 

Wairarapa: Dermott Payton (Red Star); Howard Sims (Red Star), Dennis Munro (Martinborough) replaced by Kerry Crossman (Masterton), Frank Retford (Masterton); Brian Page (Red Star), John Tuckerman (Red Star); Roger Sommerville (Red Star); Bob Brock (Red Star); George Gray (Red Star); Brian Lochore (captain/Masterton); John Deidrichs (Featherston); George Mahupuku (Greytown); Bill Rowlands (Red Star); Graham Falconer (Carterton); 'Mac' Sutherland (Featherston).

​

Referee: Mr A. R. Macey (Nelson).

Crowd: 16,480.   

Net profit to HBRFU: $5,239.59

​

 

Man’s first step on the moon dominated the news early in the week, leading up to Hawke’s Bay’s first shield defence for 1969, against Wairarapa. 

​

  But by the end of the week, the farmers and forestry workers around the province were buzzing again with excitement and the talk in Napier, Hastings and Waipukurau, was all about the big game, the first shield challenge. A better dress rehearsal for which could not have been had, with on the road wins against Auckland and Counties in the ten days leading up to the match.

  The season opener had been the traditional Queens Birthday clash with the same foe, Wairarapa, on June 2nd, in Masterton. The visitors won the match by virtue of an additional penalty goal by Ian Bishop; he landed four and a conversion. Dermot Payton, three and a conversion. The sides had scored a try apiece, Billy Davis for the Bay and Howard Sims for the home side.

  On the same day, a Hawkes Bay XV played and defeated Bush, in Hastings, by 26-8. The 'B' team (technically) ran in five tries, a brace to the Marist winger, Peter Hobdell. Paul Carney had been in grand goal kicking form during the early club season and continued it in this match, landing four conversions and a penalty.

  On the same day as big brother was playing Counties, the so called XV were engaged in a return match with Bush, this time in Pahiatua, winning by 20-13. Again they managed five tries and again, Peter Hobdell dotted down twice. Neil Bishop had the kicking duties this day, but could only manage one conversion and a penalty.

  Future All Black, Duncan Hales, protege of Dannevirke, played in the first of these 'XV' fixtures In Hastings. Other members who would play a part, even sitting on the bench during the shield fixtures, included Hobdell, Jock Eddy, Ken Darlington, Dave Selby, Derek Snow, Robbie Stuart, Graham Wiig, Jefferson Brownlie and Richard Hunt. Phil Pratt joined that group, playing the return fixture.

  It was a rare 'A' team start for Paul Carney in the Auckland match, but he contributed a penalty goal in the 6-3 win. Blair Furlong drop kicked a goal and Auckland's three points came via a try to All Black winger, Malcolm Dick. In the 17-9 win over Counties at Papakura, the Magpies scored three tries (MacRae, Natusch and Abel), with Ian Bishop converting one and adding a penalty. John Dougan drop kicked a goal.

  Dougan, the ex-Wellington representative, had been in grand early season club form at second five-eighth for Havelock North (with Mike Natusch inside him), so much so that he started in the position in every Bay match leading up to - and including - the first challenge. Colin Le Quesne had long been aware that Dougan was a player of rare talent, one of those who could spark something at any moment and change a game.

  His individualistic streak had left the Fuhrer pondering as to, whether or not, he should give him a run on the wing. But his form at inside centre was enough to warrant a starting position, in its own right.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

 

  Newcomers to shield rugby, for the first challengers of the 1969 season were Howard Sims (right-wing) and Bob Brock (No. 8), although both had played in the curtain-raiser in 1967 and had experienced first hand, the intense cauldron of shield rugby and the infectious epidemic of 'shield fever'. Both played for the Red Star club based in Masterton.

  In fact, eight of the 15 challengers were from that club, the strongest in the Wairarapa province. Others getting their first taste of shield rugby - also all from Red Star - were John Tuckerman and Roger Sommerville (in their debut season's), Brian Page and George Grey.

  At centre was Dennis Munro (Martinborough), who had played one match for the Magpies in 1967. The left winger was Frank Retford, an ex-Nelson representative. Another in his first season of rep rugby was John Deidrichs from Featherston. Graham Falconer, the Carterton hooker, was enjoying his second year in Wairarapa colours.

  They certainly weren't the strongest side around the provincial traps, but they were admirably led by the already legendary B J Lochore. Since the third challenge of 1967, Lochore - all as captain - had led New Zealand to a 29-9 victory over Australia in the Jubille test match, been away to the UK & France with the All Blacks, playing the four tests of that tour.

  He played just one of the scheduled test matches against Australia in 1968, coming off injured and being replaced by Ian Kirkpatrick, in the 27-11 win in Sydney. Ian Kirkpatrick, the first ever 'replacement' in an international match, scored three tries. Having missed the first test in Christchurch against the 1968 Frenchmen, Lochore returned to lead the side to a famous 9-3 win at Athletic Park, famous for a long range kick by French fullback, Pierre Villepreux. He played the third in Auckland, won 19-12, where Sid Going (having a start replacing the injured Chris Laidlaw), played a blinder.

  Lochore had recently skippered New Zealand to two historic test wins against the touring Welsh national team, Five Nations Champions in 1969, which included the 'blitzkrieg' Auckland test, where Fergi McCormick set a new record for individual points in a rugby international (24).

  As for the Wairarapa, as a unit themselves, the 1969 season had gone fairly well. Results were mixed, but the team seemed to be a happy one, with an attack minded philosophy, if not the players to completely implement the plan. They won their first rep fixture against Horowhenua in Masterton on May 14th, by 26-16. The scoreline does not appear all that flattering, but the 'Rapa ran in seven tries, a brace each to Howard Sims and George Mahupuku.

  A week later they were beaten at home by Wellington (8-15), Sims scoring again. This was followed by the aforementioned Queens Birthday annual fixture with the Magpies. Neighbours, Bush, were despatched by 23-11 in Pahiatua next up, Sims scoring again, two to Dennis Munro, one each to Frank Retford and Ray Paewai. Bevan Rossiter, in his only outing for '69, converted one of the five tries and kicked two penalty goals. Rossiter was from the small East Coast club, rarely did they have a representative player.

  Introduced back into the rep side during the Queens Birthday encounter was the Featherston utility forward, John Diedrichs. The former Marlborough and New Zealand Marist man, was not found wanting at lock or on the flank and he scored one of the three tries in a 17-16 home win over Thames Valley on July 1st.

  The final dress rehearsal for the dark greens, a fortnight out, was an 11-25 loss to the high-flying King Country side, again in Masterton. Piney's boys had earned themselves a 12-12 draw with Auckland in Te Kuiti and then thrashed Poverty Bay by 39-6 in Otorohanga, in their two previous outings. John Tuckerman scored two tries for Wairarapa and Dermot Payton, who had kicked well all season (bar match one against Horowhenua, where he could only convert one of seven tries), chipped over the balance. 

 

*****

 

  The match started dramatically as Wairarapa opened the scoring in the first minute with a penalty goal by Dermott Payton, a glorious kick from the 10-yard mark and one which had spectators worried that Payton may be Wairarapa’s shield winner.

  The new kick-into-touch law had changed the face of the game and altered the balance of power for the shield holders. Wairarapa - usually a side defending for its life first and foremost - were determined to attack, which Lochore later confirmed had been their intention from the outset. It was obvious to all that a lot of preparation had gone into the mounting of the Wairarapa challenge and this was reflected in their single-minded purpose to attack and put points on the board. 

​

"The new kick-into-touch law made a great difference. It brought the weaker teams up and nearer the level of the stronger sides. It required a new approach by us at the start of the season, but I felt all along that we could handle it. It meant that we had to go back to driving forward play."

Colin Le Quesne (Shield '69)

​

​

 Hawke’s Bay could not be accused of the same dour tactical battles that Taranaki fought in retaining the shield during the late '50's, but their approach over the previous two seasons had been closely allied to that theory. The first challenge of the 1969 season gave a clearer indication that it would not be as straightforward as in the past, to apply close defensive networks to repel challenging unions.

  Dermot Payton was astray, after 10 minutes, with an easier penalty attempt than the one he had previously landed. The sleeping Magpie was slowly waking. Hawke’s Bay started its more typical rampaging into the challenger’s territory. Karaan Crawford would have scored, but for the referee's intervention, blowing for an earlier infringement. Crawford was already loping towards the line when the whistle sounded. Mick Duncan went close to scoring during these earlier stages also. 

  Blair Furlong dropped for goal. The ball rebounded off the upright and Bill Davis, ever the opportunist, was up in a flash to score. But it was ruled that he knocked the ball on in the tackles of scrambling Wairarapa defenders. Bay players alleged that it was a defender who had knocked the ball back over the line and that Davis' try should have been awarded.

  Still behind by 0-3, it was John Dougan who indeed did find the spark which ignited the holders shield season. First, Blair Furlong trickled a kick through the Wairarapa midfield backs. Gary Condon was on hand to belt it further ahead and Dougan sped through to gather the ball and score.

  Six minutes later, he received the ball from a quick heel just inside the Wairarapa 25 and potted a classy dropped goal.

  Following a dangerous set of kicks, that rained like bombs under their posts and had the Bay scrambling, John Tuckerman slung a dummy and then put over a dropped goal of his own to level the score at 9-9. His use of the breeze, which favoured Wairarapa in the first spell was also exceptional. Pinned inside their own 25 yard line, Hepa Paewai, was hurried into a wild in-field pass. The rampaging Wairarapa forwards gathered in the ball and prop, Bill Rowlands, crashed over for a try beneath the posts. Payton converted.

  The Bay were behind by 6-11, against a common expectation. And the 'Rapa had managed a try! Only the third try against Hawke’s Bay in its 15 defences. Ian Bishop, however, kicked a 35-yard penalty 10 minutes before half-time, to at least narrow the gap to 9-11.

  The Magpies really needed to up the anti. It wasn't so much that they were playing poorly, they simply hadn't hit their straps. This new law was proving irksome. Having said that, the Wairarapa boys were playing well and had taken their opportunities well.

  10 minutes after the re-start, Kel Tremain charged away from a line-out on the Wairarapa 25. Hilton Meech took the pass, dummied back to Tremain, and dived over for the try. This was starting to look more like the mighty Magpies. The other eye was opening.

  John Dougan received most of the home sides accolades in the first half, but he also prevented Wairarapa from scoring by killing off a likely looking burst into the corner, which would have put Wairarapa back in the game.

 

​