I'm a Hawkeye Guy
There's Something About a Magpie
22nd defence;
C A N T E R B U R Y
McLean Park, Napier. Saturday, September 27th, 1969
HAWKES BAY 11, CANTERBURY 18 (Half-time: 0 - 9)
For Hawkes Bay: Blair Furlong two tries. Ian Bishop, penalty and conversion
For Canterbury: Alex Wyllie and Gary Bacon tries. Fergie McCormick, 4 penalty goals.
Hawkes Bay: Ian Bishop, Dennis Smith, Mick Duncan, Doug Curtis, Ian MacRae, Blair Furlong, Hepa Paewai, Gary Condon, John Rumball, Rod Abel, Kaaran Crawford, Kel Tremain (capt.), Neil Thimbleby, Gus Meech, Graham Wiig.
Canterbury: Fergi McCormick (Linwood), Robin Woolhouse (Linwood), Howard Joseph (University of Canterbury), Max Moore (Lincoln College), Derek ‘Bluey’ Arnold (Christchurch), Wayne Cottrell (Suburbs), Lyn Davis (Suburbs), Ian Penrose (New Brighton/capt.), Ian Kirkpatrick (Rangiora), Jake Burns (Christchurch Marist), Hamish MacDonald (Rangiora), Alex ‘Grizz’ Wyllie (Glenmark), Kerry Tanner (New Brighton) replaced by Alan McLellan (Lincoln College), Gary Bacon (New Brighton), Alister Hopkinson (Cheviot)
Referee: JP (Pat) Murphy (North Auckland)
Crowd: 24,017 (5/22)
Net profit to HBRFU: $6,600.00
“When I saw Canterbury score that try early in the second half, I realised that not only were we going to lose the Ranfurly Shield, which had been part and parcel of our lives in Hawkes Bay for three years, but we had come to the end of an era”.
Colin Le Quesne (Shield ’69)
“When a mighty Ranfurly Shield team goes down, it brings a touch of sadness – like some noble forest giant tumbling to earth, or some proud ship on its way to the breakers yard. I felt this sadness when Hawkes Bay lost to Canterbury.”
D J Cameron (NZ Weekly News)
When it is stated at the start of a rugby season that the country’s two top sides could possibly meet in the final Ranfurly Shield challenge of the year, on the final Saturday of the season, the weight of such great expectation on either could surely upset the likelihood of that becoming reality at any point. For the match to remain a shield challenge in the first instance, Hawkes Bay would have to defeat or draw with the first seven challengers and there was some big meat in the sandwich before challenge eight.
And for the rugby folk of greater Canterbury – who hadn’t held the Ranfurly Shield since 1956 - with each successful defence by Hawkes Bay, expectation and anxiety rose as their date with destiny drew closer and became more and more likely. The players felt the pressure too and had to endure what seemed like an endless season, the thought of the challenge forever in the back of their minds.
But one by one the Magpies systematically put away the first seven and when September 27th duly arrived – although with key players out for the match with injury and the bodies and minds of those still playing feeling the strain of holding the prized amulet – still hold it they did.
But with six All Blacks - and another five who would later earn the distinction of representing their country - the star-studded Canterbury line-up were considered by most to be the strongest Union the Bay would face that year.
Captained by No 8, Ian Penrose, Canterbury played as a team, forwards linking up well with the rearguard in open play, after having ensured a good supply of ball from scrum and line-out. The pack exerted tremendous pressure on the opposition, with some particularly hard men up front.
And they not only had all the player firepower required to put up a serious challenge, like all great sides - including their opposition on this day – they came complete with a brains trust which ensured that all the homework and prep was done in advance of kick off.
Professor Jim Stewart as head coach, ably assisted by ex All Black winger, Maurice Dixon (in charge of the backs) and Penrose, meticulously planned and prepared Canterbury’s challenge and all three believed that they were in with more than just ‘a chance’ of taking the shield south.
“At the last team meeting we discussed fully those facets which we knew we would have to exploit. We’d watched previous Hawkes Bay shield matches on television and had a good idea of their style of play. The main thing we decided is that we were going to attack them. We kept in mind that because it holds the shield and has the ground advantage and parochial support, the home team starts at least 3-0 ahead.”
Ian Penrose (Shield Fever, Lindsay Knight)
Ian Penrose grew up and was educated in the suburb of New Brighton, Christchurch and proudly led that clubs senior side with distinction. He was a popular, charismatic leader, well liked and respected, who performed the fundamentals of the game with efficiency, born of a long experience in first-class rugby.
His father was a stalwart of the club known as ‘the sea-siders’ and Penrose junior remembers that post WWII, the club had no clubrooms and committee meetings were held in the Penrose living room, with the kids shipped off to bed early.
After leaving the district High School, he made the Canterbury under 20 side in 1959 and the following year, he moved to Wellington to learn further the footwear trade his family was involved in, making his senior debut for the powerful Petone club as a full back.
In 1962 he returned to the garden city, became a loose forward and immediately played for Canterbury, making his debut against the West Coast that year. For the next three seasons his appearances were spasmodic, largely due to the return to the province of 1964 All Black captain, John Graham and the vast improvement being made by a young country flanker from the Glenmark club, named Alex Wyllie.
The retirement of Graham by 1966 ensured more permanence for Penrose in the red and black shirt, making fifteen appearances that season, including the provinces match up with the Lions and taking part in his first Ranfurly Shield challenge (he scored Canterbury’s only try in a hectic 11-11 draw with holders Auckland).
An All Black trial in Timaru beckoned for Penrose in 1966 and by the start of the following season, he was appointed captain of Canterbury, a position he had excelled in during the three seasons leading up to Canterbury’s shield challenge of 1969, his 68th appearance for the province.
Listen to RNZ highlights of the match above
Hawkes Bay fullback, Ian Bishop, narrowly beats Canterbury captain, Ian Penrose to the touchdown, forcing a drop out from the 25m.
Incumbent All Blacks against the Welsh visitors earlier in the season were McCormick, Kirkpatrick and Hopkinson. In the second test in Auckland – won 33-12 by New Zealand – Fergi McCormick had established a new individual world record for points in a single test match, totaling 24, made up of three conversions, five penalties and a dropped goal.
McCormick (whose father Archie had been an All Black in 1925 and mother Helen had played hockey for New Zealand) first represented Canterbury in 1958 (as a five-eighth) and by the end of the 1975 season had accumulated 222 appearances for the province. In 1969, the then 30 year old had played for the red and blacks against the 1959 and ’66 Lions, Australia in 1962 and the Springboks of 1965. He would add the ’71 Lions, the Englishmen of ’73 and the Scotsmen of ’75 to that list. In 1960 he made the first of his ten consecutive South Island appearances.
McCormick was first selected for his country in 1965, called into the fourth test side when Mick Williment – his great rival from Wellington – was injured playing for NZ Universities against South Africa. Williment was preferred by the selectors for the 1966 home series against the Lions, but – in somewhat of a surprise – Fergi got the nod for the Jubilee test in Wellington a year later against Australia.
This was followed by him being selected as the sole fullback to tour the United Kingdom and France at season’s end, where he played in all four test matches and the traditional match against the Barbarians Club. In 1968 he toured Australia, again the only full back taken on tour, playing in nine of the eleven matches including both tests. He played in all three tests against France the same year.
Unfortunately for Hawkes Bay, under the new kick-into-touch rule, William Fergus McCormick was in the best form of his already illustrious career. Quite simply, he had never played better rugby. Age had not daunted the veteran campaigner at all, in fact, the new style of full back developing in the game, one more industrious as an attacking option, surprisingly suited Fergi perfectly.
Fergi McCormick punts ahead. Gary Bacon, Jake Burns, Alex Wyllie, Alister Hopkinson and Ian Kirkpatrick follow the action for Canterbury. Bay players are Doug Curtis and Neil Thimbleby.
Ian Kirkpatrick had also played in both tests against the Welsh, scoring a try in the second at Eden Park and like McCormick, was in devastating form that season. He had developed into a rugged, driving forward, determined and powerful. Much had been made of playing comparisons between himself and Kel Tremain and already, he had been earmarked as a future great of New Zealand rugby.
Gisborne born and educated at Kings College in Auckland, where he spent 1963 & ’64 in the 1st XV, ‘Kirky’ had returned home and played for Poverty Bay-East Coast against the Lions of ’66. In 1967, in order to further his career in farming, Kirkpatrick and his good mate from High School, Hamish MacDonald, moved south to Canterbury and joined the Rangiora club.
The same season he made the New Zealand U23 side – albeit at lock – which played and lost to Taranaki in New Plymouth. Kirkpatrick and three others from that side (Thorne, Kember and Williams) made the All Blacks proper for the end of year tour to the Northern Hemisphere, Kirkpatrick earning his first test cap, scoring a try against France in Paris, a game New Zealand won by 21-15.
With the IRB having recently relaxed their laws concerning replacements coming on in a test match, Ian Kirkpatrick became New Zealand’s first ever substitution in an International, when he came on for Brian Lochore (who had broken his thumb) after twenty-five minutes in the first test against Australia in Sydney, 1968 and scored three tries. He retained the No. 8 berth in Lochore’s absence for the first test against the French, then moved to the ‘open’ side for the second and third tests.
The Shield match against Hawkes Bay was Kirkpatrick’s 31st and last match for Canterbury. The following season he returned home to Poverty Bay, but was away for most of it with the All Blacks in South Africa, playing in fifteen tour matches including all four tests.
Ian Kirkpatrick heads for Bishop (15), with Mick Duncan and Blair Furlong closing in. Support comes form Alex Wyllie (obscured) and Gary Bacon.
Alister Hopkinson, born in Mosgiel near Dunedin, had played in the second test against Wales, replacing Brian Muller who had withdrawn through injury. His father, CD Hopkinson, played for South Canterbury in 1937 and it was with that union that Alister began his first class career in 1962. He first played for Canterbury in 1964 and between then and 1972, he would amass 92 matches for the red and blacks. From 1966 onward, Hopkinson had seven All Black trials and played four times for the South Island. In total he played thirty-five matches for New Zealand between 1967 and 1970, including nine tests.
He was first selected for the 1967 tour north at year’s end and made his test debut in the International against Scotland, won by the All Blacks by 14-3. Ian MacRae and Bill Davis both scored tries in this match. Hopkinson ironically replaced an injured Muller for his and the second test in Australia (with Tony Kreft of Otago making his debut on the other side of the front row) in June, 1968. Later that season he played in all three home Internationals against France.
Although not required for the tests against the Welsh, Wayne Cottrell had been an All Black since the 1967 tour of the UK, France and North America, where he was very much an understudy to Ian MacRae and played in only eight of the tour matches.
Injuries to MacRae in 1968 had given Cottrell more opportunity and he subsequently made his test debut in Sydney against Australia, a 27-11 win for the All Blacks, the match in which Ian Kirkpatrick came on and scored a hat-trick of tries. He played the second test a week later, where a controversial late penalty try awarded to Bill Davis saw New Zealand home by 19-18.
Davis and MacRae were partnered in the centres against the French during the first test, but an injury to Davis saw MacRae shift to centre and Cottrell brought in to the team at second five-eighth for the second test in Wellington. Another injury to MacRae saw Wayne Cottrell retained for the third test.
He had first made the Canterbury side in 1964 as a 20 year old, but with All Blacks Derek Arnold, Ray Moreton and Bruce Watt, all vying for the two five-eighth positions, had to wait until 1966 to become a regular choice. The same season he received an All Black trial and appeared for the New Zealand Juniors against the Lions. He had played for the South Island in 1967, ’68 and ’69.
Derek ‘Bluey’ Arnold (lucky to escape with his life during the Christchurch earthquake of 2011) joined the ranks of the Canterbury outfit as a 20 year old in 1961. When he retired in 1970, he had played for the red and blacks on 87 occasions. He made the All Black side for the 1963-64 tour to the UK, playing in fifteen matches, including the internationals against Ireland, Wales, England, France and the tour finale against the Barbarians Club. He played for the South Island in 1963, ’64, ’65 and came on as a replacement for Earle Kirton in 1969.
Alex Wyllie, from the Glenmark club in North Canterbury, was another who was to carve for himself a healthy career in the red and black jersey and also that of his country. He made the Canterbury side while still in his teens in 1964 and had played for the South Island in 1967 and ’69.
At centre was Howard Joseph, who in 1966 and ’67 had scored a staggering 48 tries for the Christchurch Boys High School first XV. He made his Canterbury debut the following year, playing 13 games as a second five-eighth or centre and came on as a replacement for Bob Burgess of Manawatu during the NZ Universities-Japan fixture at Carisbrook in Dunedin, a match won by the home side by 32-19.
He had made eight appearances for Canterbury earlier in 1969, but hadn’t played since September 6th, when injured and replaced during Canterbury’s impressive 19-5 win over Auckland at Lancaster Park. That injury cost him his place in the Inter-Island fixture, Joseph having to withdraw from the South Island side as originally selected.
Under any other circumstances than those which prevailed, Lyn Davis may have amassed an enormous total of test matches for his country. But ‘Scales’ Davis played at half back in an era when New Zealand was richly served in the position, embarrassingly so.
From the time of his appointment as captain of the New Zealand Juniors to play the touring Springboks of 1965 until his retirement in 1979, Davis was never far from the top three or four half backs in the land.
He backed up as captain of the Juniors the following season against the Lions and was called into the All Blacks as the reserve half back to Otago’s Chris Laidlaw. At only twenty-two, he had established himself as Canterbury’s number one scrum half, regarded as exemplifying the very ethos of the provinces success orientated sporting prowess; ‘a game of less than utter dependability is a rarity for him’.
But the emergence of Sid Going and to a lesser extent, Stevens of Wellington and Colling of Otago, kept Davis – at least during the late 60’s/early ‘70’s - from the national recognition he certainly deserved.
The locking pair for the shield challenge, Jake Burns and Hamish MacDonald, would both become All Blacks. Burns, at 6’ 3” and 14st 9lb – according to some critics – lacked the physique to ‘go into a higher sphere of rugby’ and indeed, it was often a dilemma for some coaches as to exactly where to play him; lock or prop?
He was never-the-less, a very good line-out forward. Often described as a ‘tireless worker’, ‘fiery and mobile’ and a player who ‘gives everything to the game’. His attributes of strength and vigour outweighed any size deficiencies that may or may not have precluded his physical stature. He made his Canterbury debut in 1963 and was a perennial All Black trialist from 1967 – 71, representing the South Island in 1968, 1969 and 1971.
Hamish MacDonald was in the Kings College 1st XV with Ian Kirkpatrick and had moved to Canterbury with his ex-school mate early in the 1967 season. The year before, they had both played for the combined Poverty Bay-East Coast side against the touring Lions. Unlike Kirkpatrick, MacDonald had not made great inroads into gaining Canterbury selection in his formative season, nor indeed 1968, although he was by then a regular in ‘a Canterbury XV’ selections.
Lyndon John Davis (1943-2008)
Suburbs, Canterbury and New Zealand.
By 1969, the ‘developing and proving to be reliable’ lock was given two games on the red and blacks tour of provinces even further south than themselves in August, as the ‘Cantabs’ built toward their impending shield challenge of September 27th. Good performances, when given further opportunity, against Auckland, Wellington and Otago ensured that he would partner Jake Burns as Canterbury prepared to throw the kitchen sink at the Bay and hoped to catch them tired and weary.
Born in Hamilton, Kerry Tanner had been an Auckland colt from 1963 – ‘65. A switch of provinces also meant a switch in fortunes for him, the senior coach at his new club, New Brighton, moving him from lock to prop. His debut for Canterbury followed soon thereafter, 1966 highlighted for him with selection in the NZ Juniors side to play the Lions. He was back in the Junior’s in 1967, the year he received the first of his All Black trials.
Of the few non-All Blacks in the Canterbury line-up, Robin Woolhouse, Gary Bacon and Alan McLellan would play for the South Island, McLellan also lining up for NZ Universities and Bacon the NZ Juniors. It was a great pity that Japanese winger, Yoshiro Sakata, who played for Canterbury University during the 1969 club season, racking up 18 tries, had decided to return to Japan in early September and therefore was not available to the Canterbury rep side.
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Leading up to the shield challenge, the Cantabs had enjoyed a good season. In twelve matches played they had been defeated on only three occasions – twice by Otago, that province enjoying a rare ‘double’ over the red and blacks – and a single point loss to Wellington early in the year.
Big wins on Lancaster Park Oval later against Auckland (19-5 - Lyn Davis could not take the field owing to influenza. His replacement, Les Dickson of the New Brighton club, impressed all with his lengthy, bullet-like pass, sound positional play and his effectiveness round the side of the scrum) and Wellington (23-3) sent alarm bells ringing throughout the Hawkes Bay, Canterbury having also defeated along the way West Coast (44-0), Mid-Canterbury (23-15), Bay of Plenty (11-6), South Canterbury (26-6), Southland (15-8), Manawatu (10-5) and Buller (27-6).
And in a one-off Ranfurly Shield challenge, where that challenge becomes a sudden-death defence, the form book can often count for little and on the day, the small things have to go right or as some would have it, all the stars must align.
Mentally, the edge possibly belonged to Hawkes Bay. The two sides had fought out a 12-12 draw in Hastings in 1966, as the Magpies grew closer to a shield challenge then of their own. In 1968 they had beaten Canterbury in a match labeled as ‘the battle of the giants’ in Christchurch by 8-3. But the impetus had shifted somewhat, if the recent North versus South fixture was anything to go by.
For the Magpies, the problem was not so much with playing record, more the mounting injuries the team had incurred in recent weeks and a general ‘fatique’ that was ebbing it’s way in. The physical strain that was evidently affecting the squad was matched by the obvious mental pressure endured by the coach and management.
Coming in for Hilton Meech for the Taranaki challenge, Graham Wiig had acquitted himself admirably against Brian Muller. He would now have to front up against yet another All Black in Alister Hopkinson, at the apex of his career.
“Alister Hopkinson was a hard nut. Not necessarily a good technical prop and in most cases tended to get his way with the fists, not my style, but we had a good match and ended up pretty much square on the day.”
Graham Wiig, 2011
While the Bay were focused on defending the shield against Taranaki and doing so with some rich aplomb, Canterbury’s dress rehearsal was far from adequate. On the same day as the Magpies were successful in their twenty-first defence against Ferdinand’s men in Napier, the Cantabs experienced a virtual rarity for themselves, beaten 17-20 (three tries to one) by arch rivals Otago on Lancaster Park.
Perhaps with one eye already strayed toward the probability of a shield challenge, focus may not have been all there on the players behalf. Even so, the loss did the Canterbury squad and management a huge favour, forcing them to re-assess, galvanize and become fully attentive toward what lay ahead.
The poor weather that had affected most of the country in recent weeks continued leading up to September 27th. Several airports were closed in the Lower North Island as the Canterbury team embarked on their quest and instead of destination Napier, their plane was diverted to Palmerston North. From there the team travelled by bus, a three hour journey, which meant that only an abbreviated training run was possible on the Friday afternoon, in pouring rain.
Only the Bush challenge of 1968 had been played in adverse weather conditions, but three days of rain and a strong Easterly wind that swept in from the sea, seriously threatened to mar the final defence of the Ranfurly Shield for 1969.
But on cue, the rain stopped, the clouds cleared and McLean Park looked to be once again in its statutory, pristine condition. As the Canterbury side travelled to the ground, they saw from the bus a float from the morning procession, a magpie with a broken wing.
“I remember Jim Stewart looking at it and saying; ‘we’ve got them now! They can’t fly on just one wing’ “
Ian Penrose (Shield Fever, Lindsay Knight)
If it was any sort of omen, it was the right one for Canterbury who, given the use of the stiff breeze in the first spell, began the game with a hiss and a roar. The red and blacks hammered and hammered at Hawkes Bay in an endless barrage, with player after player having a dab for the line. Several try scoring opportunities were missed and only the Bay’s instinctive defence mechanism held them out.
From the very first whistle, things that usually ran in the Magpies favour were going against them. Mick Duncan intercepted a pass as was scampering away, only to be called back for a knock on. Ian MacRae was penalized for an alleged high tackle on ‘Bluey’ Arnold that did seem relatively innocuous.
Alister Hopkinson was winning all the ball at the front of the line-out where Hilton Meech’s experience and expertise in this department was sorely missed.
In the 14th, 18th and 35th minutes of the first half, Fergie McCormick – who had kicked the Welsh off Eden Park in June – successfully landed penalty goals, threatening to do the same to the beleaguered Magpies. The challengers were out to a comprehensive 9-0 lead. This had not happened during the twenty two shield matches played during this tenure.
Even given the quality of the opposition, Le Quesne did not believe the task was insurmountable as during the second half, Hawkes Bay would have the advantage of the wind over their right shoulders. A thought crossed his mind however, that eight defences in a season was possibly one too many.
Stewart, Dixon and Penrose had a clear message for the rest of their team at the break; ‘We are not going to sit on our lead’. The great man Le Quesne himself, had always endorsed this pro-active theory that in order to win the shield, the challenger must remain positive and attack.
The Canterbury forwards resumed where they had left off and exhibited one of the finest pack displays seen on McLean Park for many a year. Their line out – which had been troublesome throughout much of the season – was magnificent. Their rucking skills were superb and their skill, speed and anticipation in the loose was sublime. Kirkpatrick and Wyllie – following up the Inter-Island game in Wellington – fought with vigour for every scrap of possession and were everywhere all afternoon.
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Referee, Pat Murphy, lays the law down to the rival captains, Tremain and Penrose. No more nonsense form their respective no-nonsense packs.
Five minutes into the second half, Lyn Davis darted wide from a scrum on the blind side and fed Alex Wyllie, on his inside, who took the pass to score. McCormick missed the conversion, but Canterbury were out to 12-0.
Stung into severe action – do-or die, now-or-never – the Bay rallied and it was perhaps fitting that one of the true heroes of the shield tenure, Blair Furlong went over for a try near the posts. Equally as fitting was that the successful conversion by Ian Bishop, put him within three points of claiming the Ranfurly Shield record for most points in all matches to himself.
Only seven points adrift, the Bay seemingly were still in the hunt and it wasn’t as if they hadn’t been in this position before. In 1967 they had trailed Otago by 3-8 in similar fashion, the southerners giving away weight for mobility in the pack. But an onslaught toward the finish, spurred on by the sheer noise of the faithful crowd, got the Bay home by 9-8.
A week later they were 6-12 behind against Wellington with only nine minutes to go, yet got up in the final seconds to earn a draw and hang on to the shield. Same story of course exactly one year later, when the Bay found themselves behind to Auckland by 6-9 with time almost up on the clock. The shattering roar from the crowd was deafening and spurred on the tired Magpies, who came storming back at Auckland. Although right in front of the posts, young Paul Carney had found the metal required to kick the goal and draw the match. Could Hawkes Bay rally and do it yet again?
Time ticked on and with only ten minutes to go, the score remained the same, Canterbury 12, Hawkes Bay 5. The challengers were hot on attack. From a line-out near the Bay line, the holders worst fears were realised when hooker Gary Bacon crashed through for a try from a line out, followed quickly by a fourth Fergi McCormick penalty and at 18-5, only the blind faithful did not have that sinking realization that – after three glorious seasons - the shield was on its way south.
A try by Alex Wyllie put Canterbury out to a seemingly unassailable 12-0 lead shortly after half-time. Neil Thimleby moves in for the tackle.
Down by 8-18, with any chance of saving the shield now gone, the Magpies – as if the gods had given them the prospect of saying goodbye to the trophy in the most grandeur style possible – launched one final assault at Canterbury. With an apt flourish, they swept downfield from their own goal line – magnificent stuff – eventuating in Blair Furlong darting across the line for his second try.
Moments later, referee Pat Murphy of North Auckland blew his whistle to signal time and with that final act, brought down the curtain on one of the greatest of all eras with the Ranfurly Shield. As some of the players exchanged jerseys, a tired band of Hawkes Bay players moved toward the stand, defeated, but reflecting on memories of a truly magnificent tenure.
And in the stand, the trophy went from the hands of the mightiest of leaders, Kel Tremain to those of the most respected leader of Canterbury, Ian Penrose. And fittingly, Penrose had draped around his shoulders, the jersey of his great adversary.
The second great dynasty with the Ranfurly Shield in Hawkes Bay had come to an end. Although they fell two defences short of the reign of the all-conquering side of the 1920’s – and three short of the all time record held by Auckland, 1961-63 - history would prove the 1960’s team to be every bit the equal of both of those great sides.
The ghosts that had haunted Hawkes Bay rugby since the 1920’s had been thoroughly exorcised and although futile comparisons were no doubt still drawn between the two teams, the side that had just surrendered the shield were nothing but total heroes in the eyes of their faithful public and supporters.
This was never more evident than after the ritual handing over of the shield, when the chant of ‘Ian Bishop’ rang around McLean Park and the dutiful fullback was called forward to say a few words. Bishop thanked the crowd for acknowledging his record, the five points he scored that afternoon taking him to 178, overhauling Mike Cormack of Auckland’s individual points record in shield rugby. Bishops new record was also of some solace to the rest of the team, as that was singularly their greatest attribute, they had been just that…a team.
Quite simply, Canterbury were the better team on the day. Hawkes Bay – who generally dominated at line-out time – were constantly denied possession by the challengers and the Magpies could only get their hands on about 35% of the ball. After dominating most packs from around the country during most of the 1960’s, it was Canterbury whose victory was laid in their driving forward play.
Ian Kirkpatrick particularly was almost in a class of his own, singularly the best forward on display. He and Alex Wyllie were dynamic in the loose and Alister Hopkinson played one of the finest matches of his career. ‘Bluey’ Arnold rolled back the years and put in a vintage performance.
Fergi McCormick ended his wonderful season on a high note. Fergi had played in three shield matches since 1960, all cliff hangers but none in which Canterbury was the victor. Shield anxiety ended for him, on the last rugby Saturday of the decade, his contribution as great as anyone’s.
Not only did he score twelve of Canterbury’s eighteen points, his general play was outstanding, devastating on the counter attack, sure with his positional play and having both length and accuracy in his touch finders.
While well beaten, the Bay had moments of their own and played their part admirably in this grand stand finish to the season. The physical effects of the North Auckland match, seventeen days before, which Kelvin Tremain later confessed to being the ‘hardest’ challenge of them all, had taken their toll.
“Canterbury ’69, the end arrived. Like all good times, they must come to an end. It had been a great three years, the most important thing being team work and looking after each other.”
Ian Bishop, 2011
“I had often wondered how the team would react to losing the shield. It was something I had never mentioned, but I’m proud they accepted defeat in a sportsmanlike fashion. The team took a hammering in its final few matches of the season and while Canterbury was the better team – make no mistake about that – our chaps looked tired. During the last week they trained well and nobody could have asked for more. They could have been mentally tired as well.”
Colin Le Quesne (Shield ’69)”
“We’d had our three years and it was time to go. I turned to Kel Tremain and said; ‘what price a fairy tale finish here? And he said; ‘absolutely bloody none’.”
Blair Furlong, HB Today, 2013
“Hawkes Bay threw everything at us, but mid way through the second spell, it was obvious they had conceded. They were taking penalty kicks in situations where they should have been going for five points.”
Ian Penrose (Shield Fever, Lindsay Knight)
“The preparations were just the same as before. We had done all the right things, in fact, I think we trained better before the Canterbury match than any other. Physical strain, that’s something you can’t gauge. I know we were dead keen. Sometimes you look all in on the field when you really are not. To complain of physical strain would take credit away from Canterbury – and if we showed the strain on the field it was because of Canterbury. We were never in the picture! They played extremely well and denied us possession. If we had half the ball their backs had, we would have waltzed in, but we didn’t get it. They knew the shield was going, but the terrific applause when Ian Bishop broke the record showed that was enough consolation.”
Kel Tremain (NZ Weekly News)
“My memories of the Canterbury match were ones of frustration really. There was a feeling of lethargy and because I was a new boy on the block it was not my place to fire up the senior players around me. The team was physically and mentally tired from a long, hard season with extra games thrown in by the union, for what reason I don’t understand.”
Graham Wiig, 2011
“Only the players themselves, the selector, the coach and the union can speak with authority of the tremendous effort put in by all. The constant training needed from every member of the team to keep at peak match fitness. Players on the fringe of the team have cheerfully trained hard, week after week. Players wives have had to make great sacrifices during this long period.”
Wally Bramwell (Shield ’69)
“Frankly, we were all relieved to see it go. I think two years is long enough to hold the shield, any longer can be a bit too much of a burden. Families and jobs can suffer. The public can become a bit to parochial. When I say I saw the end of an era with that Canterbury try, I then felt for the first time that the end of the 1960’s in Hawkes Bay rugby had arrived.”
Colin Le Quesne (Shield Fever / Shield ’69)
The faithful make their way from McLean Park. After three glorious years, the Ranfurly Shield is on it's way, to the South Island in fact, where it had not resided since 1956.
When Colin Le Quesne took over as selector/coach in 1957, Hawkes Bay rugby was in a bad state, unable to break even – wins versus losses – in its seasonal representative programme. It took him five years to build a team with not just weight and size in the forwards, but also mobility, staying true to what was considered the Hawkes Bay style of rugby, attractive and enterprising.
During the early 1960’s, rugby in the province was on the way up and public support was returning with each step up the ladder. The playing record in 1962 of ten wins from thirteen matches, was the best performance return since 1938.
On field success was putting bums back on seats and punters – who had endured year upon year of watching struggling Hawkes Bay sides – were slowly but surely returning. The Union chimed in with its full support, driven by new Chairman, Wally Bramwell.
Le Quesne regretted that the Bay did not win the Ranfurly Shield off Auckland in 1963 as he believed that side – younger, keener and better placed to give more to the game – were really at the top of the provincial ranking and would have held the shield for a while, even then. The 20-5 drubbing they gave the touring Englishmen that year was further evidence to support his case.
Tom Johnson also believes that 1963 was the best season the Bay enjoyed until the eventual arrival of the shield. The morale of the side was outstanding and as it continued to develop – juxtapositioned with results – it was a great tool for attracting new players to the region.
By 1966, the Bay had a most formidable team, but were still unable to get their hands on New Zealand rugby’s most coveted prize, also the benchmark (with no ‘national competition’) by which one could claim to be the country’s best provincial rugby side. The frustrations were threatening to prevent the Magpies from tangible fulfillment of their potential, so much so that Colin Le Quesne thought about resigning his post as selector and coach.
He had originally given himself ten seasons to restore rugby respectability to Hawkes Bay and – despite not being able to win the shield – he had certainly done that. His ten years were almost up. But on August 27th of that year, everything changed again, with Waikato winning the shield off Auckland (while the holders had key players in Christchurch, playing for the All Blacks against the Lions) and – as luck would have it – giving the Bay another crack.
By chance, Waikato were at home in Hamilton the following Saturday against the Lions and then were to embark on a five match away tour. They had only one home game scheduled for the remainder of 1966 and that was against Hawkes Bay on September 24th, which would now be officially a Ranfurly Shield challenge.
The Bay were favoured to win with Waikato in somewhat of a rebuilding stage and did not disappoint. The victory saw Le Quesne postpone any thought of handing over the reins as Hawkes Bay coach, in fact the fun and games were really just about to begin. Three arduous seasons later, with the shield gone and the decade drawing to a close, Le Quesne said enough was enough.
“I’ve retired because if I were to carry on it would just be the same old ideas all over again. There are other considerations as well. I’m fifty-six and I don’t think I could put into the game everything that I have done over the past thirteen years.” Colin Le Quesne (Shield ’69)
“I had noticed that Colin was leaving more and more of the on field responsibilities to John Buxton and one sensed the oncoming years, the old injuries and declining health were starting to take their toll and Colin was visibly tired. He and his family should be very proud of the achievements and sacrifices that he made in keeping together such a marvelous bunch of winning athletes. I had a feeling that he would really struggle to hand over the helm - and that may have been a handbrake should we have held on.”
Graham Wiig, 2011
With five rounds of the club season gone he did return to the Manawatu and appeared nine times for that province in 1970 and twice in 1971. Injuries and the emergence of some talented young loose forwards in Dick Myers and Kevin Eveleigh curtailed his first class career thereafter.
Rumball – before moving to the Bay early in 1969 – had been involved in two previous shield matches. In 1964 he was in the Manawatu side beaten by holders Taranaki 6-3 (6-0 to Taranaki at half-time) in New Plymouth. In 1967 he had marked Kel Tremain in the Magpies very first defence of the tenure that had just been ended by Canterbury. He had played for New Zealand Universities in 1962 and again in 1967.
Similarly, after making 18 appearances for the Magpies in 1968-69, John Dougan began the 1970 season playing for the Havelock North club but transferred back to Wellington in June, where he became one of the pivotal backs in both the Petone club side and the Capital line-up throughout much of the 1970’s. By the time of his retirement at the conclusion of the 1977 season, ‘Darcy’ Dougan had played almost 100 games for Wellington.
He became an All Black in 1972 and (following selection at the expense of the injured Bob Burgess) had the distinction of scoring the first ‘four point try’ in International rugby during the first test of the series against Australia, after the IRB had changed the numeric value of the score earlier that year. He in turn was replaced for the second and third tests owing to injury (Lyn Jaffray of Otago playing the second, with Burgess recalled for the third).
He played ten times for New Zealand, including two test matches, the other being the disastrous loss to England a year later where – like many All Blacks that day – he was never chosen to represent his country again. The fact that his International career was not as extensive as some believed it should have been was a moot point, for the short and stocky John Dougan was immensely talented with irresistible dash and elan.
There is also little doubt that - as the character he was - his inclusion in the 1970 All Black side to tour South Africa and the 1972 side that went to the UK, if not justified by sheer talent alone, was warranted through his positive and ‘chipper’ demeanor, being popular with team-mates in most sides he played in.
John Dougan - seen here clearing for touch for Wellington against the 1971 British Lions - returned to the capital early in 1970.
Although in only his first test match for his country, Dougan as he did on most occasion’s, was talking away and organizing all in sundry, a positive attribute of his style but often one misconstrued as annoying.
Ian Kirkpatrick was feeling it and not wanting to quash Darcy’s natural enthusiasm, reminded the debutant that - although he was aware that he knew the park well - he was in fact the team’s captain and would call the shots.
“I’m reading you like a novel”, Dougan quickly retorted, causing his skipper to crack up laughing – in the middle of a test match!
His post-Hawkes Bay, Wellington career was stellar. He played twice against touring British Lions teams in 1971 and again in 1977.
The hiding that Wellington side received on June 5th, 1971 at the hands of the rampant Lions side would ironically provide the catalyst for the Capital lads adopting a more attacking approach to their own game, where throughout the 1970’s their backline was always a force to be reckoned with.
Dougan played in the 1973 victory over England, whereby Wellington - complete with new ‘Lions’ style to the for - ran the English off their feet and shot out to a commanding 21-3 lead, survived a late rally and held on to win by 25-16. Some of the ghosts of 1971 were exorcised on Athletic Park that afternoon, but all spooks were definitely out of the closet by test time and Dougan – like many – made his last All Black appearance, that fateful day on Eden Park.
But more highs were to come with Wellington, most notably the capturing of the Ranfurly Shield from South Canterbury in 1974. But the prize they had sought for over a decade was gone a matter of weeks later when Auckland were victorious by 26-13 in only the second defence of the briefest of tenures.
The incoming coach in 1975, Ray Dellabarca, dropped a bombshell when naming his first representative side, John Dougan overlooked for the exciting 18 year old from the Porirua club, Bruce Allen. When Allen was injured later in the season, it was Dougan’s Petone club mate and fellow All Black, Ian Stevens, who stepped into the #10 shirt to complete the representative season.
The dropping was in many ways indicative of the John Dougan story. A player of such incredible talents, whose individualistic streak at times, got him off side with even the dutiful home crowd. More than once the author, at Athletic Park, witnessed Darcy turn and pot for goal, with world class backs such as Sayers and Batty outside him, waiting to set the park alight, only in turn to hear someone yell from the Main Stand; ‘bloody hell Dougan-exclamation mark!
Colin Le Quesne had recognized the eccentric sides to Dougan’s play (and coming on as a replacement, it was his failure to find touch from a clearance kick that led directly to Hawkes Bay setting up the play which brought about the infamous Blair Furlong dropped goal in 1967) and on a Magpie pre-season trip to Fiji, had toyed with the idea of giving Dougan a run on the wing.
Mark Sayers departure from New Zealand shores early in 1976 brought Dougan back into the fold for Wellington and he made 10 appearances that season and … the following, ending his career with Leo’s men. He remained a highly enigmatic character, coaching the senior team in Taita, where he grew up, before moving his family to Australia in 1980. John Dougan died in 2006, aged 59, failing to regain consciousness following triple bypass heart surgery.
In the case of both Rumball and Dougan, there was speculation that the newly appointed coach in 1970, former Magpie, Derek Tombs, had no great plans to include either in his first representative side named. The shield was gone (and many supporters in the Bay believe this was the sole reason for Dougan’s departure) but in truth, in both of their positions, there was some considerable talent available and therefore some equally stiff competition for them to make the new Hawkes Bay side.
Although retirements were few at the end of the 1969 season, a core group of players had been together in the Hawkes Bay line-up for many a year and had achieved plenty throughout their careers. Thanks to Le Quesne’s enrichment of the youth policies, there were some very talented youngsters nearing maturity or beginning their climb through the ranks.
With Ian Bishop the new points record holder and the Hawkes Bay Rugby Union having profited by approximately $180,000 during the Shield's stay in Napier – not to mention the extra dollars made by Publicans, Hoteliers, food outlets, petrol stations and the like – there was cause for both sides to celebrate with gusto that Saturday evening.
“There were mixed feelings when the shield was lifted. Obviously there were a few of us splinter bums that had served our apprenticeship champing at the bit to compete regularly in such an exciting environment. We had a very mature group relatively and many of them were in the twilight years of their careers and considering retiring anyway, so the feelings of loss were not so harsh on those lads.”
Graham Wiig, 2011
“I suspect most people won’t be sorry to see it go. As the game develops under the new laws, we will see more attacking rugby. The game has become more fluid and for this reason I consider that the shield will change hands more frequently in the future. No team has yet mastered the new laws and greater emphasis will have to be given to the role of the fullback in the modern game. Ours will be the last long reign with the shield.”
Colin Le Quesne (Shield ’69 / Shield Fever)
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Ian Penrose and shield, back in Christchurch to a tumultuous reception.
In Canterbury’s case, the euphoria of the players was extended well into Sunday morning and during a stopover at Wellington Airport on the way back home, most of the forward pack went into the city to continue celebrating and missed their connecting flight to Christchurch.
So when captain Penrose and the balance of the team and management duly arrived at Harewood Airport, several heroes were absent. 10,000 loyal fans had turned out to welcome the return of the team and shield, some of the more parochial among them carrying new spring Canterbury lambs, in recognition of their provinces finest export product.
A week or so after the match, Ian Penrose received a rather unusual memento from his sides win in Napier. Some nuns sent him a box with a set of black and white poi’s. They indicated that they used to listen to all the shield games in their Hawkes Bay convent and once the trophy was gone, it was fitting that the poi’s go also.
When facing the 1970 season, Canterbury’s major dilemma was in that they were expecting to have an unprecedented amount of players away with the All Blacks themselves and suitable replacements for those players would need to be sought.
Of the side which lifted the shield, five players did make the trek to the republic; McCormick, Cottrell, Hopkinson, Burns and Wyllie. Ian Kirkpatrick also went, but by the start of the 1970 season, he had transferred back home to Poverty Bay.
Twenty year old Howard Joseph was considered a long shot to make the All Blacks after touring Japan, Hong Kong and Hawaii with the NZ Universities side in February and March. He played for the beaten Possibles side in the early trial, but such was the quality of midfielders available to the New Zealand selectors, Joseph missed out. His only appearance for Canterbury was on June 13th at Athletic Park, in Canterbury’s 24-6 demolition of Wellington, before seriously breaking his leg and missing most of the domestic season.
Gary Bacon came on as a replacement in the early trial, but by this time he had transferred to Whangarei where – after playing for the South Island and the New Zealand Juniors in 1969 – he struggled to make the North Auckland side and virtually disappeared from first class rugby.
Such was the rugby depth in the Canterbury province that they were able to retain the Ranfurly Shield, turning back eight challengers; South Canterbury (19-8), Waikato (14-9), Taranaki (13-3), Buller (14-5), Mid-Canterbury (28-8), Southland (20-9), Otago (16-12) and continuing the pattern of recent seasons established in the Bay, a nail biting season finale, in this case a 3-3 draw with Wellington.
Some of the new talent brought into the team would go on to glittering All Black careers of their own, most notably hooker, Tane Norton and first five-eighth, Doug Bruce. Most of those in the side that lifted the shield from Hawkes Bay already had or were to give stellar service to Canterbury rugby during the 1970’s.
Fergi McCormick made the trek to South Africa with the All Blacks, playing in the first three tests, but was dropped by coach, Ivan Vodanovich, for the last in favour of Wellington’s Gerald Kember. With injury worries to both half backs, Laidlaw and Going, Fergi enthusiastically volunteered to play half back in the test – and trained as such – in the event that neither regulars were fit enough to take the field.
A year later – under pressure from up and coming fullback’s - most notably Otago’s Laurie Mains – he made the first test side to play the touring British Lions, but this would turn out to be his swansong in the All Black shirt.
‘King’ Barry John of Cardiff and Wales, not only guided the Lions to victory with his surgical boot, but brought the curtain down on Fergi’s test career by tormenting the Linwood legend in the Carisbrook bog.
The Lions management and strategists had perceived weaknesses in McCormick’s positional play and noted the amount of ‘fumblings’ he had made in the Canterbury clash the Saturday before. They set out to systematically ‘pull him to pieces’ through the boot of John, who duly obliged.
Ian Kirkpatrick became the All Black captain in 1972, following the retirement of Colin Meads. It was an honour that never sat comfortably with the popular 'Kirky', but he continued as one of the outstanding flankers in world rugby through the 70's.
Ian Kirkpatrick played in all four internationals against the Lions. In 1972, following Lochore’s retirement and Meads shock omission, he was made captain of the All Blacks for firstly an Internal tour of the country, then three tests (all won) against the ‘hapless’ Wallabies and finally on the seventh All Blacks tour to the UK, France and North America.
The captaincy role did not sit all that well with Kirkpatrick and the predicament for him was exacerbated by the problematic All Black tour, which saw the Otago prop, Keith Murdoch, sent home after a late night incident in a Cardiff hotel, which followed the first test against Wales.
Poor handling of the incident by the team management - virtually bullied into making their decision to dispatch Murdoch home by the rugby boards of the four home unions - and the attitudes of some of the team members toward the public and press, soured the tour on the whole for the New Zealanders.
Following the disastrous 10-16 loss to England at Eden Park in 1973 (the All Blacks also beaten that season in Dunedin by their U23 counterparts), Kirkpatrick was replaced as skipper by Andy Leslie of Wellington. He retained his blindside role however, playing all three tests across the ditch against Australia in 1974 and then in the end of year International against the Irish in Dublin.
He played in the one off test against Scotland on a water-logged Eden Park in 1975, a match won 24-0 by New Zealand. In 1976, Kirkpatrick played the test in Wellington against Ireland (won 11 - 3) - scoring a try - and then toured South Africa with the All Blacks, playing in all four test matches in the series lost by 1-3. The following season he played all four home tests against the touring British Lions side, then – unmercifully after all that he had given New Zealand rugby – ‘Kirky’ was dumped by the selectors before the 1977 end of season tour to France.
Ian Kirkpatrick was the only player to have ever captained both the North and South Island’s. When he retired, early in 1979, he had amassed 289 first class games and scored 115 tries. 113 of those matches were for New Zealand (including 39 tests, nine of them as captain).
He held the try scoring record in all tests by an All Black with 16 (which stood for six seasons until surpassed by Wellington’s Stuart Wilson) and dotted down no fewer than 50 times in the black shirt of his country.
After playing in the first three internationals in South Africa in 1970, it is known that Alister Hopkinson fell out with coach, Ivan Vodanovich and not only didn’t play the final test, but did not play for his country again.
He and team-mate, Alex Wyllie were to the fore in a series of fearful skirmish’s that broke out during the Canterbury-British Isles encounter of 1971. Tempers had been flaring throughout the early stages of the match, with the Canterbury side later much maligned for their apparent lack of desire to play rugby and wholehearted intention of simply maiming the Lions side, one week before the first test.
For the record, the tourists won the match by 14-3, but at some considerable cost. Two props – as a result of the fighting – sustained injuries of such a nature that their respective tours were ended then and there. Scotsman, Sandy Carmichael, received multiple fractures to his right cheekbone and both eyes had gashes and severe bruising and swelling from being continually punched in the face.
Irishman, Ray McLaughlin – not only an immensely powerful scrummager but also a fully paid up member of the tactical intelligentsia – punched ‘Grizz’ Wyllie (one of the toughest of All Blacks of any generation) in the back of the head and dislocated and broke his thumb.
Alex Wyllie, when he retired in 1979, had played 210 matches for Canterbury, more than 100 of them as captain. He led the side to victory over the 1973 Englishmen, the 1975 Scots and the Irish in 1976 and played in two Canterbury sides (1969 and 1972 as skipper) that won the Ranfurly Shield. His affinity with the trophy went beyond the playing field. He was later coach of the great Canterbury side which held the shield from 1982 – 1985.
His record for New Zealand was equally as impressive. Eight months after the Earl of Ranfurly’s notable gift to kiwi rugby was wrestled from Hawkes Bay’s possession, Wyllie was in the All Blacks en route to South Africa, where he appeared in the second and third tests. In 1971, he played at No. 8 for the second, third and fourth tests against the Lions, called in to replace Alan Sutherland (who had broken his leg) following the first test defeat in Dunedin by 3-9.
He was not required by the selectors for the internal tour of 1972 by the All Blacks, or for the three home tests against the Wallabies. He did captain the South Island (beaten 8-19 by the North in Christchurch) and after Lyn Davis had relinquished the role, ‘Grizz’ took over the reins as captain of Canterbury and was in the best form of his career.
This could not be ignored and he not only regained his All Black jersey for their tour to the Northern Hemisphere, but played in all five test matches; Wales (19-16), Scotland (14-9), England (9-0), Ireland (10-10) and the loss to France by (6-13), scoring tries against Scotland and Ireland. His final test match for New Zealand was the 1973 loss to England on Eden Park, where many of the All Blacks fell on their own swords. Of that team, Bob Lendrum, Mike Parkinson, Terry Morrison, John Dougan, Wyllie, Sam Strachan and Murray Jones never played for the All Blacks again.
In 1982, Wyllie became coach of Canterbury and immediately enjoyed success when the red and blacks won the Ranfurly Shield off Wellington and went on to hold the trophy for a then record equaling three seasons. In 1986 he became a national selector and (along with Auckland’s John Hart) was an assistant coach to Brian Lochore when the All Blacks won the inaugural World Cup a year later.
In 1988 he succeeded Lochore as All Black coach, much to the annoyance of many Aucklander’s who believed that Hart should have been given the job. Despite initial success, he was replaced by John Hart before the 1991 World Cup, but later went on to various coaching roles in England, Ireland, South Africa and from 1996-99 was in charge of the Argentina national side, the Pumas, taking them to the quarterfinals of the 1999 World Cup.
Canterbury would remain a provincial powerhouse throughout the 1970's, with great players such as Alex Wyllie, Fergi McCormick, John Phillips, Doug Bruce and Lyn Davis, as pictured at left.
Wayne Cottrell played in fifteen matches in South Africa in 1970, but only the first test. During open play, a tremendous and hard tackle by Springbok centre, Joggie Jansen, not only flattened and hurt Cottrell, but shattered his confidence for the rest of the tour and his form unfortunately slumped.
He was back to his best in 1971 and played in all four tests against the British Isles – at second five-eighth for the first three, then moved into fly half for the last to cover a concussion suffered by Bob Burgess during the Wellington test.
Cottrell scored a try in the 14-14 draw, the result enough to ensure that the 1971 British Lions side would become the first (and so far only) touring side from the four home unions to win a test series in New Zealand.
Wayne Cottrell played the first match of the 1972 season for Canterbury against the ‘Cantabrians Club’ (won by 27-25) – a Commonwealth Games Benefit match, the 1974 Christchurch games a little more than eighteen months away – and (along with Alister Hopkinson and Jake Burns) promptly retired from all first class rugby.
Still only 28 years of age, Cottrell decided to concentrate on the family bread and pie making business, the trade providing him with his ‘rugby nickname’ of ‘Baker’. Wayne Cottrell played 72 matches for Canterbury.
Wayne 'Baker' Cottrell graces the cover of the June 1971 Sports Digest magazine, as the All Blacks prepare for the coming test series against the British Lions.
In 1971, Howard Joseph played in the winning Possibles side in the main All Black trial in Auckland and was afterward selected in the squad and as a reserve for the test match in Dunedin against the touring British Lions. Following the All Blacks defeat in that match, Joseph was called into a rearranged backline and make his test debut in his home town, the famous 22-12 win, the only All Black victory of the series. Joseph retained the centre berth for the third test in Wellington.
But another loss in the test in the capital saw Joseph become the victim of what had previously been his good fortune. Mick Duncan had come on as a replacement during the third test, when Manawatu’s Bob Burgess had been concussed. In a quick reshuffle, Cottrell moved into fly half, Joseph to second five-eighth and Duncan to centre. The Hawkes Bay man made the most of his fifteen minutes on the field and held the position for the final test.
Joseph had also played for NZ Universities against the Lions and made his last appearance for Canterbury at centre in the Ranfurly Shield defence against North Otago (won by 14-0), before – at the tender age of twenty-one - knee cartilage damage ended his career soon thereafter.
Lyn Davis had to wait until 1976 (aged thirty-two) to make his test debut for the All Blacks against Ireland in Wellington.
He toured South Africa that same season as Sid Goings understudy, playing in thirteen matches and – again following an All Black defeat by the British Lions, the second test of 1977 – he replaced the very maestro for the third and fourth tests of that series.
The veteran pair were getting too long in the tooth and both were usurped by the newbie’s coming through the ranks, namely former magpie, now Manawatu representative, Mark Donaldson. Lyn Davis played another couple of seasons for Canterbury, finishing with 167 matches for the province.
Jake Burns played a mere eight games on the 1970 South African tour, the only time he was selected as an All Black.
Hamish MacDonald first played for his country during the internal tour of 1972 and – overlooked for the three home tests against Australia – was selected to tour with his old mate Kirkpatrick’s All Blacks to the United Kingdom at season’s end, where he partnered Peter Whiting in all five test matches.
It appeared that he had not survived the fallout from the disastrous test loss to England in 1973, as he was left at home when New Zealand toured Australia a year later, John Callesen of Manawatu being preferred. But he fought his way back for the end of season tour to Ireland, where he opposed two Irish and Lion legends in Willie John McBride and Moss Keane in the only test match.
MacDonald transferred to North Auckland early in 1975, where he played the remainder of his provincial rugby. He maintained his position in the All Blacks, playing the one off tests against Scotland in 1975 and Ireland in 1976. He toured South Africa the same year, playing in fourteen of the twenty-four fixtures, including the first three tests. In the final test he lost his spot to Frank Oliver, rewarded for some sterling performances on tour and did not play for the All Blacks again.
Despite having five players away with the All Blacks in South Africa, the 1970 Canterbury side had the resources to repel eight challenger's for the Ranfurly Shield, complete with their own cliffhanger in the final defence of the season against Wellington. A late dropped goal by Fergi McCormick ensured a 3-3 draw.
Kerry Tanner became an All Black in 1974, playing in all four test matches that year; three against Australia in Australia and the end of year test against Ireland at Lansdowne Road in Dublin. He played in both ‘one off’ tests against Scotland in 1975 and Ireland in 1976 and made the trek to South Africa in ’76, playing in the first test match. His form had suffered by this stage, but Tanner was suffering from a blood disorder, wrongly diagnosed as Influenza.
Alan McLellan played for Canterbury until 1972, where the eventual rise of Bill Bush (and Tanner) kept his appearances to a minimum. Backing up his appearance in 1969, an 8-6 victory over Otago, he toured Japan, Hong Kong and Hawaii and with the NZ Universities side in 1970, playing in ten of the eleven tour matches and scoring six tries and then played all three home fixtures against Wellington (8-9), Marlborough (24-6) and the newly amalgamated Nelson Bays union (32-5). He made the Universities side again in 1971, playing against Manawatu (23-16) and the British Isles (6-27), along with Howard Joseph. In 1970 and again in 1971, he received an All Black trial and played for the South Island.
Derek Arnold played only three further matches for Canterbury in 1970, including the Ranfurly Shield defences against Mid-Canterbury and Southland.
Robin Woolhouse and Max Moore played for Canterbury during 1970 and ’71. Woolhouse played for the South Island in 1970. His final season for Canterbury was a most successful one, scoring fifteen tries. Max Moore played for NZ Universities in 1970 against Nelson Bays, replacing the original selection, future Magpie, Jim Francis of Massey University.
Holding the newly acquired Ranfurly Shield, with Kel Tremains jersey draped around his shoulders, Ian Penrose listens while Ian Bishop acknowledges the crowds reception at becoming the highest individual point scorer in shield history.
Ian Penrose made a further twenty-eight appearances for Canterbury, retiring at the end of the 1971 season, having played a total of 103 matches, 64 of them as captain.
Although never truly regarded as a serious All Black prospect, with so many great loose forwards around the traps during his playing days, Penrose was never-the-less a tremendous, intelligent captain and a magnificent asset to Canterbury rugby.
He regards the victory over Hawkes Bay as the finest moment of his career.
Other first class matches played in New Zealand on September 27th, 1969 were; Otago 30, North Otago 0 (Oamaru). Auckland 14, North Auckland 14 (Auckland). Waikato 25, Bay of Plenty 14 (Hamilton). Wellington 34, Taranaki 14 (Wellington). A Canterbury XV 24, South Canterbury 9 (Christchurch).
The Hawkes Bay ‘B’ team completed a successful season the week before the Canterbury challenge, defeating Wellington ‘B’ at Petone by 14-11. This was the only loss the Wellington side suffered during 1969 and was all the more meritorious from a Bay point of view, with the visitors down by 0-11 at half-time.
Narrow losses to the Saracens (6-11) and Manawatu ‘B’ (13-16) were the only defeats in six matches played, with wins recorded against Bush twice (26-8 and 20-13), Poverty Bay ‘B’ (20-14) and Wellington.
The team was selected and coached by former Magpie, Derek Tombs, who in 1970, took over at the top when Colin Le Quesne retired. During 1969, his ‘B’ team players were constantly being called into the shield team as cover, exposing a third tier, many of the players going on to earn their full Hawkes Bay stripes during the 1970’s, amongst them Paul Carney, Peter Hobdell (top try scorer with four), Jock Eddy, Robbie Stuart, Graham Wiig, Richard Hunt, Geoff Wilson and Terry Thornton.
Robbie Stuart and Dannevirke’s Duncan Hales (soon to transfer to Christchurch) would both go on to become All Blacks. Hales (as a Canterbury player) first made the New Zealand side for the 1972 internal tour, playing in seven of the nine matches, quickly followed by all three home tests against Australia. He played in seventeen of the thirty tour matches on the All Blacks 1972-73 tour of North America, the United Kingdom and France, playing centre in the first test against Wales in Cardiff.
Although his International career was rather short lived, he later played a pivotal role for Manawatu as a second five-eighth during their Ranfurly Shield reign of 1976-78.
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Had Hawkes Bay held the shield against Canterbury in the final shield match of 1969, the red and blacks – on their four yearly North Island tour (and also South Canterbury) – would have been guaranteed another crack at the log in 1970.
Although hypothetical of course, this is how the challengers would have fallen with the actual results in brackets; East Coast (57-3), Canterbury (17-3), Auckland (14-13), South Canterbury (24-10), Counties (31-3), Bay of Plenty (17-12) and Poverty Bay (47-0).
With the holder being afforded the luxury of staggering its challengers, the likely order above may well have been different, presumably with Canterbury and Auckland being moved to the end of the season. A Hawkes Bay XV played Bush in Pahiatua on June 1st (33-9), it is likely that this match – date and venue changed to Napier – would have been the first challenge of the year.
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The 1969 rugby calendar drew to a close, the shield gone and a time for all in the Bay to reflect on three absolutely glorious seasons. On October 4th, the Centurions club from Wellington staged a match between their invitation XV (in this instance, the 1969 New Zealand Junior side that had so convincingly defeated Tonga) and a team of representatives from the Wellington union.
It was the first time that the Centurions club had put on such a fixture on Athletic Park since 1964, when a side drawn from the New Zealand Colts side which had toured Australia played Wellington. Mick Duncan and Robbie Stuart played for the Centurions side, beaten by 8-20, Stuart (as a trialist for the Tongan match) called in late to replace Auckland forward, Peter Whiting.
Canterbury’s Gary Bacon and shield match reserve Les Dickson also played in the festive match. The Centurions were captained by North Auckland’s Bevan Holmes and – besides himself – contained the following who had played against Hawkes Bay during their shield tenure; Bob Lendrum (Counties, 1968) and Graham Whiting and Tony Marriner (King Country, 1969).
Their efforts in defending the shield on 22 occasions earned Blair Furlong (kicking) and Neil Thimbleby in support, All Black spots on the following seasons tour to South Africa. Cantab's are Bacon, Penrose and Kirkpatrick attempting the tackle.
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#1 song in NZ (26 September - 2nd October, 1969): SAINT PAUL - Shane