I'm a Hawkeye Guy

1925

 

 

In April of 1925, the NZRU meeting of delegates in Wellington had one major consideration, to amend the Ranfurly Shield rules in order to wrench the trophy from the grasp of Hawkes Bay. The HBRU gave notice to move as follows; "The union holding the Ranfurly Shield shall have the option of accepting a challenge in connection with matches to be played by that union's team whilst on tour."

 

On April the 4th, at the HBRU, AGM, Norman McKenzie stated; ‘I have recently looked into the rules of the shield. Auckland won’t challenge when we visit them as they want to win the shield away from home. In Wellington, it is a horse of another colour. South Island unions have stated that they definitely expect to play for the trophy if the holders are on tour.’ 

 

Before the seasons Shield series began, Hawkes Bay travelled to Masterton and handed Wairarapa a rugby lesson, winning by 29 points to nil. In glorious sunshine, 4,000 people were treated ‘to a brilliant exposition of the rugby code’.

 

The Bay led by 9 – 0 at the break after Maurice Brownlie, Grenside and Falwasser had scored tries. Mill was moved in from first five-eighths to half back for the second spell and Corkill from half to second five. The back machinery worked now with almost monotonous precision, the Bay adding a further six tries, two to Corkill, with one a piece scored by Blake, Irvine, Falwasser and Grenside.

 

John Paterson ‘Tuna’ Swain, born in Sydney in 1902, was a stockily built hooker, who played during the 1920’s for both Hawkes Bay and Wellington. After leaving Napier Technical College, Swain played for the Pirates club while still in his teens, first making the Bay side in 1920.

 

From 1922 to 1924 he was in Wellington playing for the Athletic club. Swain played frequently for Wellington in those three seasons, including the Ranfurly Shield challenge in 1923.

 

He was back in the Bay for the heyday of the province's golden reign, by now playing club rugby for Napier Tech Old Boys. Between 1925 and 1927 Swain appeared in 11 of the Bay's Shield matches and scored eight tries. He was a first choice player in the fabulous 1926 season.

 

During the summer he excelled as a swimmer, also playing representative water polo and that may explain the nickname by which he was known throughout his career, ‘Tuna.’

 

*****

 

Wednesday, June 3rd, 1925, McLean Park, Napier: HAWKES BAY 22, WAIRARAPA 3 (B A Grenside 2, J J Mill, C J Brownlie and M Mahoney tries. H H Wylie, goal from a mark. G Nepia and L A Miller conversions)

 

On June 3rd, Wairarapa were once again the first challengers of 1925 for rugby’s ‘blue ribald’ and were dispatched by the healthy margin of 22 – 3. Both sides were missing key personnel. The Donalds and Harvey for the challengers and Kirkpatrick, Blake, McNab, Corkill, Irvine, Ormond and Maurice Brownlie for the Bay.

 

The game was not a great spectacle and was soon obvious that the Magpies would still contain too many names and game breakers for the Greens to be wholly competitive.

 

George Nepia played in the five eighths and was accused of kicking away too much possession. Craven, the school teacher from Dannevirke who was called in at the last for Campbell, played favourably as was commented on by all. Jimmy Walker was another to play well as a wing forward.

 

Hawkes Bay crossed the line five times, with three of the tries being converted. Wairarapa’s only points came virtue of a penalty goal kicked by Wylie.

 

*****

 

On Saturday, June 28th, another piece of rugby silverware joined the Ranfurly Shield in Hawkes Bay. New Plymouth Boys High School had held the Moascar Cup for two seasons, since lifting it off Auckland Grammar in 1923.

 

In 1924, Te Aute College had challenged for it and while unsuccessful in winning the trophy, earned respect with a credible 3-3 draw. (New Plymouth had also beaten Te Aute 18-8 in 1923)

 

Prior to their challenge a year later, popular opinion was that this New Plymouth side were young and inexperienced and they were not given much chance of retaining the trophy.

 

It however proved to be a titanic struggle, with the holders playing ‘above themselves’, eventually worn down by the heavier pack of Te Aute. Both sides gave an excellent exhibition in appalling conditions for players and spectators alike.

Napier Pirates became the Napier – Hastings club champions, beating M.A.C 11 – 3 in the final round of play.

 

*****

 

Wednesday, August 5th, 1925, McLean Park, Napier: HAWKES BAY 24, CANTERBURY 18 (M J Brownlie, B A Grenside, J M Blake, J J Mill and A C Falwasser tries. W R Irvine, 3 conversions and a penalty goal)

 

Canterbury was next shield challenger and as was the case in 1923, were expected to provide the holders with some stern opposition. The Hawkes Bay administration and public were so keen to host Canterbury again, that the union offered to pay all the southerners expenses in travelling from Wellington to Napier and return. Canterbury accepted.

 

 

“Even the most biased supporter must admit that Canterbury is the most formidable province on the list of challengers this year and they certainly have a fair chance of victory”,                                                                                                             Napier Telegraph.

 

 

Although containing five All Black backs in Harris, Elvy, Robilliard, McGregor and Dalley, it was upfront where Canterbury were expected to find difficulty in conquering the home forwards.

 

Queues formed in the morning of the day that tickets went on sale and by 2:30pm when the office opened, there were 3,000 applicants for the 1,000 allocated tickets. Seating was restricted to 7,000 but crowd estimates are placed more in the vicinity of ten. It even eclipsed the great sporting event when the famous gelding, ‘Gloaming’ (in the 1925 Hawkes Bay Jockey Club’s ‘J.D. Ormond Memorial Gold Cup’) defeated ‘The Hawk’. 

 

‘Gloaming’, the great old champion (and still holder of the Australasian record of 45 seconds for four furlongs) was approaching ten years of age. ‘The Hawk’ – winner of the 1921 ‘Hawkes Bay Guineas’ & the 1924 Caulfield Stakes in Victoria) was an exceptional thoroughbred, who won over all distances from 4 to 12 furlongs. His last race was as a rising 13 year old, where he won the Dannevirke Cup.

 

‘The Hawk’ had returned from Australia to race ‘Gloaming’ at the Hastings meet. The event attracted many thousands of spectators to the Racecourse where, in the run to the line, ‘Gloaming’ lengthened his stride to pass ‘The Hawk’ and win by a length in record time.

 

For the Canterbury challenge, Napier was full of visitors from all over the Dominion. On a fine day but with a slippery ground, Hawkes Bay triumphed by 24 – 18. 

 

The Bay shot out to an 11 to nil lead. Maurice Brownlie had scored after two minutes, following a passing rush that saw backs and forwards participate. Nixon missed a chance to equalize for Canterbury when his penalty kick attempt missed and soon thereafter Grenside scored (after a dash by Blake) and Irvine converted. Irvine then added a penalty.

 

Baird scored a try and Canterbury were on the board, but Blake replied for the Bay, who led now by 14 – 3. On the stroke of halftime, the All Black, Robilliard scored, running in the try from near half way and Nixon converted. 14 – 8 to the holders.

 

On resuming, Hawkes Bay were on the offensive immediately. Falwasser made a splendid dash, was grassed on the line and Mill, coming up fast, dived over between the posts. Irvine again converted. Oliver replied for the challengers. The game continued, ‘hard and exciting, with fluctuating fortune’, fast and furious and full of thrills. Down 13 – 19, the Cantab’s attack was ‘very determined’, but the Hawkes Bay tackling was ‘deadly’.

 

Corkill sent out a long pass which Falwasser accepted at high speed and scored in the corner. Irvine landed the sideline conversion. The vigourous onslaught continued by the Bay and Canterbury were forced to defend stoutly. Ford scored for Canterbury, converted by Nixon, to make the score 24 – 18 in favour of the holders. There would be no more scoring although as the bell rang for full time, Falwasser had dived over, but hit the corner flag.

 

*****

 

Saturday, August 8th, 1925, McLean Park, Napier: HAWKES BAY 31, SOUTHLAND 12 (S W Gemmell 2, T G Corkhill, M J Brownlie, Alex Kirkpatrick, J M Blake, A C Falwasser, B A Grenside and J Walker tries. W R Irvine 2 conversions)

 

The Southland match is best remembered for a remark made by Auckland referee, Bill Meredith, to a visiting forward, that became an instant piece of rugby folklore throughout the land.

 

Bill Hazlett, from the famous Southland family (then only 19, but later an All Black) was a fiery, robust individual. At one point he had the temerity to turn on Maurice Brownlie, possibly the outstanding forward in New Zealand rugby at the time and was instantly admonished by Meredith.

 

The referees advice for the young, rawboned Southlander: “Now then Hazlett, you leave Mr. Brownlie alone!”

The comment, leaked to the media, was retold and published in ‘The Truth’ newspaper on August 29th  (credited to ‘ACEY’), as a poem entitled, ‘A Southland saga’.

 

*****

 

Saturday, August 22nd, 1925, Nelson Park, Hastings: HAWKES BAY 28, TARANAKI 3 (W P Barclay 2, J M Blake 2, H H Wylie, B A Grenside and M J Brownlie tries. J J Mill, penalty goal. W R Irvine and H H Wylie conversions) 

 

Despite their relatively close proximity, geographically speaking, it is perhaps surprising that Taranaki’s first challenge for the shield came during the fourth season of the Hawkes Bay reign with the ‘log’.

 

Like the sixteen teams that had challenged since 1922, Taranaki, who had put out their strongest team possible, went home without it. ‘Taranaki trounced – another win for Hawkes Bay’ was the headline in the ‘NZ Truth’ newspaper, claiming that Taranaki were a weak side and that once a lead was established, the Bay side were ‘careless’ in their execution. The 28 – 3 win in Hastings still produced seven tries for the holders.

 

Despite recent rains, the ground was in good order and the sides started the contest in a ‘hammer and tongs’ fashion. Maurice Brownlie was first to score as Hawkes Bay finally took the lead. A Colin Campbell ‘speculator’ led to one try for Wattie Barclay, who had come on as a substitute for Corkill. Grenside waltzed and side stepped around three players to score ‘a dandy of a try’.

 

Nepia and Irvine were both carrying injuries, the latter having to be replaced after fifteen minutes by Wylie. Jackie Blake, who had been kicked in the head, bounced back to score a try that received much ovation from the gathered crowd.

Robinson scored a try for Taranaki and Mill added a penalty, making the half time score 17 - 3 to the holders.

 

George Nepia also received a well deserved ovation after Coulton had crossed the Bay line for Taranaki. A ‘super-human’ effort from Nepia saw him tackle the Taranaki man in goal and over the dead ball line. Barclay scored a second try one minute after the interval, which Mill converted. Wylie and Blake added a further couple of scores in the relatively easy victory.

 

‘Tuna’ Swain, it is said, was penalized oft and was lucky to hold his place in the side with competition coming from Tolley. Throughout their reign it had been noted that the Bay gave away at least two or three penalties or free kicks per game, for each one that they received. With Wellington challenging next and Mark Nicholls a fine goal kicker, Norm McKenzie was wary of his side giving away too many penalties.

 

Also of concern to ‘Mac’ following the Taranaki challenge was an apt observation made in the ‘Truth Newspaper’ that: “The Hawkes Bay forwards again gave an indifferent display and the school boys who played the curtain raiser  could have given them lessons in packing the scrum.”

 

The paper also made mention that – in that curtain raiser - Hastings had defeated Napier in the final of the Ross Shield and that Le Quesne (Hastings) and McLean (Napier) were ‘budding Hawkes Bay reps.’

 

*****

 

Saturday, September 5th, 1925, Athletic Park, Wellington: HAWKES BAY 20, WELLINGTON 11 (J P Swain 2, A C Falwasser, T G Corkill, J M Blake and M J Brownlie tries. W R Irvine conversion)

 

A change of heart was evident by the HBRU and for the first time during their tenure, on the 5th of September, they took the shield on the road, to Athletic Park. Excitement was ‘white hot’, as the match had been looked forward to all season. The big Hawkes Bay forwards were expected to be too strong for their counterparts and that is how the game transpired.

 

Hawkes Bay, with eleven players of fifteen who had worn the silver fern, met Wellington head on with seven. As expected, Hawkes Bay were victorious in winning by 20 points to 11. In scoring six tries to the home sides one, the margin of victory should have been greater but for some ordinary goal kicking. In fact, the score was closer, as was the contest, until the final quarter when the big Hawkes Bay forwards had exhausted the Wellingtonian’s and finished the stronger.

 

A ‘special’ train, full of Hawkes Bay ‘enthusiasts’, left Napier at 11pm on the Friday night, arriving in the capital at seven o’clock the following morning. Not since the third test against the Springboks of 1921 had Athletic Park witnessed such a crowd for a rugby match. A heavy rainstorm in the morning passed as quickly as it came and the afternoon turned out spring-like, bright and mild, with a light breeze from the west blowing across the ground.

 

By 2:45pm, every corner of the ground had been filled and the wall of faces on the ‘old clay bank’, were fuming with tobacco smoke and humming with good humour. A solitary runner across the field was a rousing pre-match spectacle.

Mark Nicholls kicked off and Paewai returned with a good line finder to half-way. Play shifted between the 25 yard lines early, as both sides searched for an ascendency. Mahoney was stretchered from the field and replaced by ‘Tuna’ Swain.

Hawkes Bay drew first blood. Mill ran the ball from behind his own try line following a scrum and passed to Falwasser on the blind side. The wing set off down the sideline, over the twenty five and on to half way, the crowd on tiptoe with excitement.

 

Falwasser executed a neat kick over full back Walters head and without altering speed, gathered the ball and set for the corner. Beddell made a frantic effort but Falwasser was too fast and crossed to score after a hundred yard dash.

‘Snowy’ Svenson replied for Wellington with a goal from a mark, following a hurried defensive clearance by one of the Bay players. Corkill scored next for the Magpies after Cyril Brownlie had won a lineout and Mill had sent the backs away. A penalty by Mark Nicholls closed out play in the first half.

 

Jackie Blake restored the Bays lead early in the second spell following yet another passing rush, with backs and forwards joining in. Walters had to be helped from the field for Wellington, followed soon after by Paewai, the result of a hard tackle.

 

During this period with neither side scoring, Wellington were getting themselves more and more into the game. They were well rewarded when ‘Snowy’ Svenson scored near the posts, sending supporters into raptures in the hope they could do the ‘unmentionable’. With Mark Nicholls converting, the home side suddenly had the lead by 11 – 9.

 

Hawkes Bay shifted up a gear and took the game to Wellington. Tilyard was doing an admirable job as a makeshift full back, until he made a fateful error and cross kicked into the arms of Maurice Brownlie, who set moving an attack from which Swain scored. Irvine converted, 14 – 11 to the Bay.

 

Swain scored again to extend the lead to six points, virtually snuffing the flame of Wellington out. With the game gone and only a few minutes to go, spectators began leaving the ground as Maurice Brownlie charged over from a line out to complete the scoring. Wellington had fallen to superior force and overwhelming energy.

It was generally agreed by the majority of the 20,000 strong crowd that this Hawkes Bay side was amongst the greatest provincial units in New Zealand rugby history.

 

*****

 

Wednesday, September 9th, 1935, Nelson Park, Hastings: HAWKES BAY 34, OTAGO 14 (J M Blake 3, Jack Ormond, A C Falwasser, J Walker, J J Mill and C J Brownlie tries. B A Grenside 3 and G L Yates 2 conversions)

 

In the final shield match of 1925, Hawkes Bay defeated Otago by 34 – 14 in Hastings.

 

The weather was fine, but a stiff breeze greeted the 4,000 gathered at Nelson Park, who were in for a rather rude shock.

Otago made good use of the strong wind in the first half and were up by 14 points to 3 at the break. The challengers kept the Magpies hemmed in their own territory and were eventually rewarded with a penalty that was successfully kicked by Donnelly.

 

Blake was put in out wide after Grenside had retrieved his own kick and passed to the centre. Yates missed the conversion. Donnelly goaled from a mark by Townsend and then converted a try by Webb. The Otago backs were looking dangerous and Webb scored again, this time Donnelly’s kick was wide.

 

On changing over, Otago stemmed Hawkes Bay’s rushes for a few minutes, but gradually the Bay asserted their superiority and scored in quick succession. Both forwards and backs combined in passing movements that defied opposition as the Magpies piled on 31 unanswered points. Blake (2), Ormond (2), Mill, Cyril Brownlie and Falwasser contributed second half tries. Grenside converted three and Yates two.

 

After this match, the Otago manager was responsible for making a comment that would become famous in shield folklore and famously derided by Hawkes Bay supporters evermore.

 

“The Ranfurly Shield may have helped football to a great extent in Hawkes Bay by getting them revenue, but if it is going to create spite, enmity and bitterness amongst the various teams, then the sooner it is dropped in Cook Strait, the better for the game.”

 

*****

 

1926

 

 

 

By season’s end, the 1926 Hawkes Bay side were being compared with the famous Wellington ‘Butchers’**, who cleaned up the south when Billy Wallace was a rising star, and the Aucklander’s who had dominated the first decade of the new century. It was generally agreed (until the Queen City’s later dynasty that began in the 1980’s) that they had no peer in provincial or club rugby, including Western Province (South Africa) or the great Welsh clubs; Cardiff, Swansea and Newport.

 

They were a good side in 1922 and simply built strength around that foundation. By 1926, their solid scrummaging enabled them the advantage of a monopoly on the ball. Their big, rugged forwards swept over the opposition in the loose like a juggernaut. Their backs never fell from international standard and their ‘down the centre’ play was delightful to watch.

 

Criticisms leveled at the Hawkes Bay side, were usually based around jealousy of the provinces proud record it had built up over the shield years. For those folk hell bent on expounding this myth, worse was in store during 1926.

 

The first ‘coup de grace’ was the acquisition of possibly the greatest back that New Zealand rugby has ever produced, Albert Edward Cooke. Bert Cooke, born in Auckland on October 5th, 1901, had been the outstanding back (Nepia aside) on the 1924 All Black tour of the United Kingdom, the side known as ‘the Invincibles’, scoring 23 tries in 25 appearances.

 

R A Barr, a newspaper critic of the 1920’s described him as such; “A E Cooke: The most brilliant back in the Auckland team. As swift as a horse; as elusive as a shadow; strikes like lightning and flashes with brilliancy. Cooke is the shining star of the side. He is meteoric in methods; penetrates like a bayonet point and thrusts like steel. Cooke is Eclipse.”

 

After the tour, Cooke returned to his job as a counter-hand in the men's department of ‘Smith and Caughey's’ Auckland store, on a wage of £5 a week. Napier mercer and rugby enthusiast, Jack Snaddon, offered Cooke a significantly higher wage to work for him as ‘mercer’s assistant’ and the star back packed up and moved to the Hawkes Bay.

 

In five matches for Hawke's Bay in 1926, he scored 10 tries. He was also the leading light in a new senior team in the senior club competition, Technical College Old Boys, during their second season.

 

These were amateur days and such practices as luring players for financial reward was certainly frowned upon. Other ‘illegalities’ had also crept in, with George Nepia farming ‘just outside’ the Hawkes Bay boundary. ‘Mac’ prepared his team at weeklong training camps.

 

McKenzie, in very hard times, had mortgaged his home to support the purchase of McLean Park and with support from his family, fed and kept many players from the Bay and All Black team (including the Brownlie Brothers from Puketitiri), all mostly unable to afford accommodation, let alone travel expenses.

 

The successful back country farmer, who owned land in Clive and Whakatu, Lewis Harris, greatly assisted the McKenzie whanau to ensure the benevolent family enjoyed butter on their bread instead of dripping.

 

The massive contribution made to this team by this pair, plus their later exploits, saw a grandstand each at McLean Park named after them. The McKenzie stand was already up, first built in 1921. McKenzie was awarded the O.B.E for services to rugby, cycling and the order of St. John. Harris (who became Sir Lewis), donated to many Napier civic projects and established the Hohepa Home School for the intellectually handicapped amongst a myriad of deeds he did for Hawkes Bay and its people. 

 

In 1905, a trust had been formed to establish a Recreation Reserve, whereby 10 acres in extent was purchased and gifted to the people of Napier, in honour of Donald McLean. As Native Minister and Government Land Commissioner, McLean had purchased a large block of land from local Maori in the early days of European settlement.

 

In 1851, the purchase of the Waipukurau, Ahuriri, and Mohaka Blocks of approximately 630,000 acres opened the future province of Hawkes Bay to pastoral settlement. In the early years of the park named in his honour, the Highland Society were very strong and the reserve was mainly used for highland games and athletic events.

 

As a juxtaposition to McKenzie’s own state of affairs in 1926, the HBRU had a cash balance close on £2,000, also in complete contrast to the days before the Ranfurly Shield arrived in the district. Despite the justification, ‘in view of heavy expenses’, the preceding year had returned a working profit for the union of £873.  

 

The cash in hand meant that clubs and parent bodies were in the black and ‘gates’ at club games were up a staggering 70% on the previous season. Fear of a return to the low ebb state of affairs pre-war, the union was grateful to be in the position they were in and hoarded up the gold.

 

The auspicious arrival of Lance Johnson from Wellington, transferred by his stock agent firm, completed the strongest backline in New Zealand provincial history, so strong that even recent All Blacks of the calibre of Lui Paewai and Tommy Corkill couldn’t break into the team. 

 

Lancelot Matthew Johnson was born in Lumsden, Southland  in 1897 and started to show rugby ability at Southland Boys' High School, where he was in the First XV in 1915. He was called up for military service and went to war as a member of the NZ Rifle Brigade. 

 

Johnson had joined the Wellington ranks in 1923 and by 1925 had made the New Zealand side to tour Australia as one of 21 new All Blacks (none of the ‘Invincibles’ being eligible to tour). Playing for the Celtic club, Johnson appeared in six challenges during the 1926 season.

 

The arrival of Cooke and Johnson, in particular, was offset by the departure of Alby Falwasser to Auckland and the retirement of the Pirates stalwart, Norman Kivell. Jack Ormond had also called it quits before the commencement of the representative season, which was a surprise to many. 

 

As Tiaki Omana, Ormond later forged himself a career in politics and captured the Rātana Movement's fourth Maori seat of Eastern Maori, in 1943, from Apirana Ngata, who had held it since 1905. He represented the Eastern Maori electorate in the House of Representatives from 1943-63.

 

Tiaki Omana / Jack Ormond died in Napier on June 24th, 1970.

 

Several members of the rep side had scattered themselves around the geographically vast province. Irvine (Waipawa), Paewai, Nepia and Walker (Dannevirke) were amongst those now representing country based clubs.

 

The Dannevirke trio - all members of the Aotea club - were described, when they turned up for the season’s opener, as ‘above their fighting weight’. In Waipawa, the grounds were so hard the club seasons start was delayed by a week.

As club rugby began, an early report indicated that Cyril Brownlie to, would be playing his football in remote Wairoa for the season, but both he and brother Maurice turned out again for Hastings. Jimmy Mill ‘threw in his lot’ with Celtic and joined Hastings Old Boys.

 

Hastings and Celtic, in fact, met in the second round with ‘the old rivals treating Hastings fans to a good afternoons sport’, with Hastings eventually winning by 15-0. With no score at half-time and Celtic having much the better of the game, Hastings ran away with it in the last ten minutes.

 

Pirates meanwhile had an easier win, defeating Rovers by 29-0, with Wattie Barclay playing a blinder on the wing.

There was early ‘trouble at mill’ when the two Giants met weeks later. Hawkes Bay rugby, which had oft being described as amongst the roughest and most brutal in the land, showed this ugliness in a match between Hastings and Napier Pirates.

 

The referee, Hastings Mayor, George Maddison, ordered three players from the field. The first to go was Wylie of Pirates, for striking out at Maurice Brownlie. He was followed by Nuku Grenside (Hastings) and Marshall (Pirates) for ‘getting into holts’ soon thereafter. Another player received a broken nose.

 

Pirates, the defending club champions, led by 11 – 0 at the break, but a tremendous rally by Hastings saw them trail by 9 – 11 with time almost up. Maddison then added two minutes extra and penalized the Pirates fullback, Frik Yates, for time wasting. Bert Grenside kicked the penalty and Hastings won the match by 12 – 11.

 

Maurice Brownlie finished the match with his face covered in blood, it had obviously been a tactic of the Napier based club to intimidate him throughout.

 

In the weeks following the match, Pirates protested to first the Hastings sub-union (gaining no result) and then the HBRU in an effort to have the match declared null and void, further demanding that it be replayed.

 

As the first challenge of the season loomed, rugby fever firmly gripped magpie country. A senior match between Hastings and Marist created a record ‘gate’ for the district. ‘Mac’ was going to have difficulty knowing who to include in his starting lineup and who to leave on the bench.

 

If there had been any doubt about it, Hawkes Bay were to prove once and for all what a champion side they really were.

 

*****

 

Thursday, June 3rd, 1926, McLean Park, Napier: HAWKES BAY 77, WAIRARAPA 14 (J M Blake 5, M J Brownlie 3, A E Cooke 3, T G Corkill 2, E S Craven, G Tait, B A Grenside and C J Brownlie tries. B A Grenside 8 and M J Brownlie 5 conversions) 

 

The match against Wairarapa on Thursday, June 3rd, was long held to be the finest display by any provincial team in New Zealand and would still have few challengers today. Hawke's Bay slaughtered a handy Wairarapa team that included six All Blacks past, present or future by 77 – 14. 

 

Hawke's Bay had eleven, including three of the greatest of all in Nepia, Maurice Brownlie and Cooke, who were all at the peak of their form.

 

The Bay scored seventeen tries of which thirteen were converted; Grenside kicked eight from eleven attempts and Maurice Brownlie, five from five. Jimmy Mill missed his only opportunity.

 

The seventy seven points scored was a record certainly, in a Ranfurly Shield match, but sporting historians were searching the books to see if it were not in fact, a record score in interprovincial games also.

Today, the score would have been 111-18. All were at a loss to explain how a side rated in the top half a dozen in the country, could have been so humiliated.

 

Norman McKenzie said he could not recall Hawke's Bay dropping a single pass in the entire match and reckoned it was a major credit to Wairarapa that they even scored 14 points, including four tries of their own.

 

“From the fall of the flag, Hawkes Bay bolted and the further they went, the further they ran away”, wrote the ‘Truth’s’ newspapers, Napier correspondent. And of Wairarapa; “Although their play earns no praise, their sporting spirit does. Faced with the score mounting up every minute, never did Wairarapa cry enough.”

 

All this and the claim that what would have been the score of the match never occurred. From a scrum the ball was handled eight times in reaching the wing, whose way was blocked. Having transferred the ball to a player running inside, it was then passed another seven times to the opposite wing.

 

When Bert Grenside was pushed out at the corner, three parts of the field had been traversed.

Other similar passing rushes had fans on their feet, as on a number of occasions from a Wairarapa kick off, the ball did not touch the ground until once again placed over the try line, with support players to burn.

Never before in Hawkes Bay had such passing rushes been seen, even the uncanny with one such rush, everyman with the exception of the referee participated. 

 

When the score reached the press and then the public, all New Zealand sat up! They knew that something quite unique had happened. With Bert Cooke’s inclusion in the Hawkes Bay backline, it was suggested that ‘nothing short of an accident’, would see the shield leave the region that winter.

 

*****

 

Saturday, June 5th, 1926, Nelson Park, Hastings: HAWKES BAY 36, WANGANUI 3 (A E Cooke 3, B A Grenside 2, J P Swain 2, G Tait, W R Irvine and Alex Kirkpatrick tries. B A Grenside 2 and J J Mill conversions)

 

Next up, two days later, were Wanganui, led by All Black wing forward and the pride and joy of Taihape, ‘Moke’ Belliss. Wanganui were making their first and only challenge of the tenure. A dismal recent showing against Taranaki – and the total posted by the Magpies against Wairarapa – led most to believe that another cricket score may be on the cards. 

 

The match in Hastings was played in fine, but cold weather, before a large attendance. Jackie Blake being injured was the only omission form the side of a few days prior, his replacement, Neal.

 

Although Wanganui began with zest, Bert Cooke made two telling breaks early, which removed any wind that was evident in their sails. His first led to a try by Grenside and the latter, with Grenside ‘collared’ short of the line, saw Kirkpatrick score from the ensuing lineout.

 

Not finished there, Cooke grabbed three tries for himself, the first two dotting down beneath the posts, the second of which followed a grand, dummying run by Mill. At half-time the Bay led by 17 – 3.

 

In the second half ‘Tuna’ Swain scored a brace, Grenside also added his second, with Tait and Irvine completing the rout, 36 points to 3 being the final score.

 

It was another comfortable enough victory, but the general feeling that the dizzying heights of the previous Thursday afternoon against Wairarapa were not repeated, appeared to be disappointing to most.

 

Still, two big shield games in three days would be enough reason for any side to not turn in such an impeccable, dazzling display in backing up.

 

*****

In mid-July, the Hastings Sub Union beat its East Coast counterpart by 21 to 8. ‘Roley’ Blake (Celtic), playing for the former, showed excellent form at wing forward, declared second only in that position to Jimmy Walker.

 

Celtic – with the inclusion of Lance Johnson – were going great guns in the senior competition and in ‘a first class exhibition’, put Hastings Old Boys to the sword to the tune of 36-6. There was a great deal of interest in the return match between Hastings and Pirates in Napier.

 

So keen were Pirates to defeat Hastings that the team had ‘special preparation’ before the match and even Norman Kivell came out of retirement and to the aid his old club. In fact, it was suggested in the ‘Truth’ that had he not, Pirates may not have been successful in the winning of the match by 6-3.

 

*****

 

Wellington were the next shield challenger, their third attempt during the current tenure at lifting the trophy from the side that took it from them.

 

In the weeks leading up to the match played on 14th August, the Wellington press was at it again, questioning ‘Mac’ for ‘making the mistake’ of sticking with the ‘old stagers’, whereas the Wellington side were young and full of panache. This, it was quoted, would ‘succeed in wearing down the stalwarts’. 

 

On paper at least, Hawkes Bay still looked to be the better side, but Wellingtonian’s were supremely bravado and intent on making a serious assault, on and off the field. Thousands made the train trip to Napier to lend their ‘barracking parochialism’ to the capitals chances, most expecting a close game and praying that at full time, Wellington would have scored a few more points than the holder.

 

The Railway Department found it necessary to provide an additional train (which became two trains) such was the demand for tickets, of which the first departed from Wellington Station at 11pm on Friday night. It was acknowledged that this was the largest contingent of supporters that had ever left the city in support of its rugby representatives.

 

In Napier and Hastings also, excitement was building and the locals had their own opinion on the likely outcome; “Pessimists and optimists are heard everywhere venting their empathic predictions, so, in consequence, arguments are the order of the day.

 

“Of all the games played here for the Ranfurly Shield, the Wellington game is creating by far the most interest and speculation.”

 

The Wellington supporter, ever the optimist, was still praying for a wet ground, where the leveler through playing and ground conditions would help their cause. In such conditions, it was thought, Hawkes Bay would not be invincible, especially given the absence in the forwards of McNab, Gemmell and Ormond.

 

The Wellington side played the Wairarapa on the Wednesday before the shield challenge, but rested many of their key personnel including All Blacks Mark Nicholls, Porter, Svenson and Moffit.

 

Some Hawkes Bay players were carrying injuries from the preceding weekends clash, a 14 all draw with Manawatu, although all were expected to be fit by the Saturday. Corkill had strained a shoulder, with Irvine and Mill nursing foot ailments. E S Craven, a former Southland and New Zealand Universities representative, residing in Dannevirke, had also injured his ankle.

 

Down 11 – 14, with three minutes to go against Manawatu, ‘Mac’ must have wondered if his ‘not take matters too seriously before next week’ policy would mean the end of Hawkes Bays lengthy unbeaten run of matches.  

The weather was glorious in Napier on August 4th, as the following sides took the field for this long anticipated battle royal:

 

*****

 

Saturday, August 15th, 1926, McLean Park, Napier: HAWKES BAY 58, WELLINGTON 8 (B A Grenside 5, Alex Kirkpatrick 2, J M Blake, C J Brownlie, A E Cooke, L M Johnson, Edward Single and J P Swain tries. George Nepia, penalty goal (dropped), 7 Conversions. B A Grenside conversion)

 

Hawkes Bay; Nepia, Grenside, Paewai, Blake, Johnson, Cooke, Mill, J Walker, Swain, Single, M Brownlie, C Brownlie, M Mahoney, Irvine, Kirkpatrick. 

 

Wellington; Grenfell, Sutton, South, Tait, Svenson, M Nicholls, H E Nicholls, Porter, Thomas, Barry, Taylor, Moffitt, Tyree, Wilson, O’Regan.

 

Any doubt about Hawkes Bay’s superiority was quickly removed. The first fifteen minutes of play were sufficient enough to indicate that the shield would not change its place of residence this day.

 

Right from the time that Wellington kicked off, the Bay were in total control and were seemingly able to do what they liked, when they liked. This against the Wellington side that fancied that they were the best team yet sent to recover the shield since 1922.

 

Though the Wellington three-quarter line was undistinguished, the insides were internationals, with Mark Nicholls full of experience. Porter was going well, until replaced, but the forwards simply were not up to it. Wellington looked totally disheveled and plainly ordinary.

 

Hawkes Bay were far more organized up front with the Brownlie brothers to the fore, while the backline were slick and dashing. It was in the engine room that Wellington were wholly smashed, providing the foundation for the stars to do their thing.

 

The vanguard swept over the challengers like a tide to lead 24-0 at half-time. Smith, Porter and Wilson for Wellington, were replaced by Jessup, Warden and McKenzie.

 

Again, there were complaints about the over vigourous nature of the Bay forwards and dismay at what they were allowed to get away with, in intimidating fashion, in front of the referee. But the bigger, stronger Bay forwards were letting Wellington know who was boss and did not relent for the full eighty minutes.

 

“While Wellington stood up to the grueling gamely,” said ‘Drop Kick’ in the ‘Evening Post’, “there were few members of the team who did not realise the possibility of injury (especially the backs at any thought of going down on the ball, who realised the risk) and it was this that helped to put them off their game.”

 

The Bay performance was that of a side thoroughly tuned up and so well versed in tactics as to be always able to vary the method of reaching the objective. Even the newer players who had joined the side, fitted in without the slightest disruption to style and delivery.

 

If the blot on the fine record set by the forwards was their ‘rough house’ tactics, the Backs by contrast, were sparkling clean. They worked like clockwork and clipped a pace far too hot for Wellington.

 

George Nepia showed a welcome return to form and Bert Grenside, with play running toward his wing, reaped a harvest. In all, thirteen tries were scored with Grenside bagging five.

 

Johnson was the best back on display, but with class all around him, it was hard to imagine him standing out more than the well oiled Mill – Cooke combination or the hard running Blake at centre. And the forwards were not confined to the torrid. Quite often they mingled amongst the backs, interchanging passes in sweeping moves that split the Wellingtonian’s asunder.

 

At one stage during the match, as the score was mounting, a Wellington player, Rob McKay, as he trudged behind the goal line for yet another Bay conversion attempt spotted recently retired ex-Wellington All Black, Syd Shearer amongst the crowd, apparently leaving for the gate. “What," said McKay? "Are you also leaving us to face this music?" 

Shearer replied; "No, I'm just going to get a new ball. I think they change it after every 200."

 

The Wellington selectors wondered how they had got things so wrong, acknowledging that they were beaten by a side absolutely on top of its game. Even so, when subsequent teams were chosen, the same selectors felt that certain players would not recover from having been given such a fearful hiding and were never again selected.

 

On the train home one Wellington player was heard to comment that the ‘clackety clack, clackety clack’ of the train sounded like the ’58-8’ scoreline to the humiliated players from the capital.

 

An ex-Aucklander, then residing in the Bay, wired a member of the Auckland Rugby Union who were the next challenger; “Send seven Mako shark forwards. No chance otherwise.”

 

The reply duly came in; “what chance seven Mako sharks without a Cooke?”

 

*****

 

The Wellington match was Alex Kirkpatrick’s 100th and final appearance for Hawkes Bay. He retired at the young age of 27.

Kirkpatrick achieved considerable distinction away from rugby as one of Hawke's Bay's leading citizens. He was a top executive in the freezing works industry, served on several local body organisations and was a prominent member of the Order of St John. For his services to the community he was awarded an OBE.

 

‘Kirk’ was the first President of the Saracens Rugby Football Club, formed in 1939 by a group of enthusiastic former Hawkes Bay players who believed that friendships made on the field should be retained later in life. Norm McKenzie was made club patron.

 

It began with a North v South Saracens match at McLean Park, followed by a dinner and inaugural meeting at the Caledonian Hotel. To qualify for membership, a player must have formerly or currently represented a province in New Zealand, a state in Australia, a county in the United Kingdom or similar in other countries.

In 1963, with more than 600 members, it was decided that the Saracens Club should do something tangible for rugby in the province. The committee was re-constituted and the annual North v South match abandoned in favour of a Saracens v Hawkes Bay Colts match.

 

The new objective was aimed at giving ‘up and coming players a run in better company’. The Saracens sponsored games against Hawkes Bay, Dannevirke Old Boys and Taradale. During the 1960’s, they continued to foster rugby amongst the junior players, often visiting schools throughout the province.

 

In 1966, a yearly subscription was introduced to help finance those objectives. A year later, Alex Kirkpatrick (along with Lou Harris and Laurie Brownlie) was made a life member of the Saracens club.

 

As a rugby administrator Kirkpatrick also achieved high office. He was on the New Zealand union council between 1952 and 1956 and in the last year was the union president. From 1957 to 1971 he served on the NZRU Appeal Council.

Alex Kirkpatrick died in Hastings in October, 1971, aged seventy two.

 

*****

 

Saturday, August 21st, 1926, McLean Park, Napier: HAWKES BAY 41, AUCKLAND 11 (J M Blake 3, A E Cooke 2, M J Brownlie, C J Brownlie, J P Swain and M Mahoney tries. George Nepia, 2 conversions and 2 penalty goals. B A Grenside 2 conversions)

 

The victory over Wellington had certainly put Hawkes Bay well atop the rugby roost and looking ahead to Auckland, there was little doubt in the misnomer that the Bay were ‘champions of champions’. In fact the talk around Nelson Park before kickoff was more ‘by how much’ would Hawkes Bay win rather than would they.

 

On August 21st, a crowd of 9,000 watched Brownlie and Auckland’s All Black captain, Fred Lucas, lead their sides out, with ground conditions perfect, on an overcast, still late winter’s afternoon.

 

By all accounts, the 30 point margin of victory, 41 – 11, being the final score, was considerably blown out of proportion to the effort put in by the Aucklander’s and the amount of play they in fact dictated. Their supporter’s hopes were raised when Auckland scored the first points through a dropped goal to Freeman. Nepia equalized moments later and then put one over from half way to give the Bay the lead.

 

Bert Cooke and Cyril Brownlie scored tries before Neil Ifwerson and Fred Lucas replied for Auckland. Another George Nepia penalty closed the scoring for the first half, with Hawkes Bay ahead by 19 – 11. Auckland supporters were hopeful that the eight point discrepancy could yet be overcome, given that their side had scored a couple of tries themselves.

 

Spurred on by the effort of the forwards, the Aucklander’s held their own for the first fifteen minutes of the second spell before Maurice Brownlie forced his way over. As the pace of the match began to tell on the challengers, the home side kept them pinned in their own territory.

 

Hawkes Bay were ‘saving much the better of matters at the end’, their superior fitness ‘standing them in good stead.’ The floodgates opened and tries were added for the Magpies by Blake (2), Cooke, Mahoney and Swain.

The quality of the star studded all All Black backline was too much of a factor in the end, with Cooke particularly dominating the game with his fine line kicking.

 

“Though we won by 30 points, there wasn’t much between the teams. The lighter Auckland forwards  more than held their own. Only in the last half hour of play, when the visitors were run to a standstill by the terrific pace they had set in the early                                            stages, did we gain an ascendency in a fast and somewhat rugged game.”                                                       Cyril Brownlie (Ranfurly Shield Story, J K Moloney)

 

*****

 

Hawkes Bay were to make a southern tour next, which would be interesting if not for only one fact; post Christchurch, they were going to be without not only Kirkpatrick, but also the Brownlie brothers, Irvine, Craven, Mill, Cooke and Blake.

 

They took the shield with them, but it would appear that had every right to be non-committal until the last as to whether they would actually put it up on a game by game basis.

 

When All Blacks, five-eighth Neil McGregor and wing Bill Elvy, withdrew from the home side with injury days prior, local hopes began to dwindle.

 

The Bay side arrived in Christchurch on the train on Friday, the 17th and for many Cantabs, this was their first glimpse of the shield. The weather was very cold and when the Hawkes Bay side trained in the afternoon, they were ‘enveloped’ by snow flurries.

 

This was actually the first ever Ranfurly Shield match to be played on Lancaster Oval and a game which aroused considerable fervor. After so much debate and public pressure, the Bay had put the shield up for grabs and escaped ‘by the narrowest of shaves’

 

***** 

 

Saturday, September 18th, 1926, Lancaster Oval, Christchurch: HAWKES BAY 17, CANTERBURY 15 (B A Grenside 2, W R Irvine, A E Cooke and M J Brownlie tries. B A Grenside conversion)

 

The fervor was mixed with controversy, with the game almost the subject of a demonstration from the Christchurch Returned Servicemen’s Association. These were the years of ‘King and Country’ and when it was reported that within the Bay ranks was a ‘conscientious objector’, RSA faithful were ‘up in arms’.

 

The information received turned out to be false, Norm McKenzie acting in a diplomatic role to diffuse a potentially unpleasant situation.

 

Queue’s starting forming as early as 9am outside the ground and remained constant throughout the day. Trams, jam packed full of supporters, went in a constant stream from Cathedral Square along Ferry Road, armed with rugs and hot water bottles, but – as the weather can do in Christchurch – spring arrived along the way and the match was played in bright, warm sunshine. The attendance was easily a record for Lancaster Park, the 21,500 being at least 5,000 more than any previous encounters there.

 

The Canterbury forwards (averaging 13st 9lbs) were a particularly hard and tough set, coached by Cecil Murray, who had captained Canterbury to victory over the 1921 Springboks on the same ground. The red and black forwards were responsible for keeping their side in the game with a tenacious performance throughout a strenuous game.

Dubbed ‘The Battle of Giants’, the contest ‘gripped the imagination’. Hawkes Bay had eleven All Blacks and Canterbury (with Neil McGregor out) ten. Not only was there ‘thrusting back play’, but the fierce forward sorties saw ‘bodies thrown around like sacks of chaff.’

 

The play was at all times very hard and there were no ‘beg-pardons’, but generally the dirt was confined to the cloud of dust that flew up with each tackle on the firm and dry surface.

Although there was little in the game territorially, the Bay forwards retention of the ball, with Irvine and Swain to the fore, caused one critic to write; “If ever the good old football axiom; ‘a side cannot win without the ball’ was evident, Saturday’s match was a splendid example.”

 

The Canterbury forwards though, showed an explosive quality in the loose, which gave the game its characteristic style. The Magpie backs certainly had an edge and the Bay would have been unlucky to lose, having scored five tries to Canterbury’s two.

 

The game started in a crash of cheering. Future All Black, Herb Lilburne, put his toe to the ball in a high drop, which floated outside the right upright. He missed a penalty attempt moments later.

 

Then followed a lovely Hawkes Bay movement. Mill, at half-way, set his backs going. The ball came to Grenside who dashed past his opposite number and ran to the line to transfer to Cooke, who re-passed to the former who scored. Grenside converted his own try, Hawkes Bay led by 5-0.

 

The Bay forward pack were in control at this stage, adding two further tries as a direct result of their dominance, to Maurice Brownlie and ‘Bull’ Irvine. On his way to scoring, Brownlie fended off Archie McCormick (himself an All Black and father of the more famous Fergie), who ‘hit the ground with a bump which jarred his relatives in the Old Country’.

 

Maurice Brownlie’s attempt to convert Irvine’s try, hit the upright. In fact, crowd excitement was heightened throughout by the extraordinary amount of place and drop kicks that rebounded off the uprights, the drop kicks all rebounding into the field of play.

 

Cooke and Johnson had been breaking through too easily, in the absence of Neil McGregor and the Canterbury forwards perceived that they had an edge in the forwards in loose play. A change of tactics for the second half saw the southern pack ‘break quickly and get amongst the opponents’, pressurizing the star studded backline with a new tactic of which they were unfamiliar.

 

The next scoring movement, a try to Alan Robilliard, brought the house down. Syd Carelton added a penalty goal and Canterbury trailed by 6-11. Playing a tremendous game, Herb Lilburne landed a big dropped goal (counted as four points) and suddenly the challengers were only a point behind.

 

The scene around the Oval was indescribable. Cheering went on for several minutes, the crowd sensing that a victory was within the grasp of the challengers. Following up on a high kick, sent to test Lilburne, Bert Cooke was the recipient of a favourable bounce and sped to the corner for the try.

 

Mill ran the blind and Grenside barged over in the corner, Hawkes Bay were ahead by 17-10. Canterbury rallied and - after a slashing run by the backs – Doreen touched down a foot from the corner flag. Lilburne raised the flags with a wonderful kick.

 

At any time in the last quarter it looked as though Canterbury might be successful and it was a long succession of sustained thrills for a crowd who rose and settled again in their seats times without number.

The scene was now one of immense fervor, the game proceeding in ‘a crash of sound’. Canterbury were awarded a penalty right in front of the posts. It was too much for Maurice Brownlie, who turned his back.

 

Irvine and Swain stood as close to the mark as possible, taunting the nervous Carleton with some cunning psyche. “He won’t kick this. He can’t kick it, it’s too easy!” And so it proved. Carleton made as big a botch of the kick as Boucher had for Bay of Plenty, way back in 1922.

 

Canterbury provided some more excitement when Lilburne sent the ball spinning towards the uprights, only to swing wide at the last. Then the bell sounded. What a game!

 

The press described the match in following days as “perhaps the most exciting and spectacular in all history. The inter-Island game of 1907 was a flawless exposition but it did not stir the pulse.” But the question was raised, in the press and public arena, after Hawkes Bay hung on with grim death to defeat the Cantabs for the third time in the tenure, by 17 – 15. “Will Canterbury ever win the Ranfurly Shield?”

 

***** 

Pressure was soon heaped on ‘Mac’ and his boys to put the ‘log’ up for grabs in other matches while on the current tour. The Southland union ‘wired’ the HBRU following the latter’s decision to not make their match on September 29th a challenge; “Southland public disappointed you have decided not to travel with the shield. We appeal to your sporting spirit to make our match a shield game, as, when holders, we accepted all challenges on tour after playing only one shield match at home.”

 

But the Hawkes Bay union decided that without playing their strongest team available and post-Christchurch it was not able to do so, it would be unfair to put the trophy at stake. New Zealand Maori were about to undertake a tour of Europe and with so many Hawkes Bay players involved, it was feared it may prove ‘rugby suicide’ to do so.

The Hawkes Bay ‘B’ side had just been beaten in Hastings by very lowly rated ‘Seddon Shield Districts’ by 19 – 11 and they were, it was said, lucky that ‘Mac’ was ‘down south’, as had he seen the shambles any of their chances of selection for the ‘A’s would have been extremely remote.

 

The experiment with having a ‘B’ side was not a popular move but designed to counter exactly the current situation the Bay found themselves in, covering for players away on ‘higher honour’ duty. 

 

The Hawkes Bay union replied to their Southland counterparts; “The irony of it all is that the newest northern joke is: Do you play football or do you come from Southland?”

​

*****