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In case you hadn’t realised Wellington challenge for the Ranfurly Shield this weekend, and go in as favourites. So why the collective fear and trepidation coming out of the Capital? Even the normally parochial Dominion Post is telling its readers not to get excited, and not to look ahead. To people not from Wellington this seems odd. After all Wellington lead the Air New Zealand cup by a mile, and look likely to be the first team to ever go through the season claiming maximum points. They have a mix of old heads and new stars, have a few soon-to=be All Blacks in their side, and have had the luxury of playing ex-All Blacks off the bench for most of the season. Well, it’s a long story. A story that is more than 26 years long. For a start Wellington has never had a proper Shield Era. Not only have the likes of Southland and Hawkes Bay had tenures that can be called eras, but so has Manawatu. Wellington’s main claim to fame with the shield is the week-long era in 1974. And when they last held the Log of Wood in 1982 they were lucky to scramble through 4 defences against Lower North Island team (with Hawkes Bay missing 2 match-winning drop goal attempts in the last 5 minutes) before Wayne Smith and Canterbury ran away with the shield. And so the 26 years begin. 1983. Canterbury 20 Wellington 16 This should be easy. A rematch within a year, and the bulk of the dominant Wellington side of the first half of the 80s was in place. And when Bernie ran through to score a try just before half-time with the visitors 12-6 up it looked all over. But he knocked on when it would have been easier to score and the screw was not turned. Wellington were still on top though, largely through Murray Pierce dominating the lineouts. Murray Davie had had enough of this and decided to break Pierce’s jaw with a haymaker from behind. The sound of a breaking bone could be heard by everyone except one person at the ground. Pierce retaliated and to add 3 points to injury someone called Robbie Deans slotted the resulting penalty. The balance had shifted, and Atkins went over for the match winning try in the last 5 minutes. 1985. No challenge Auckland had lifted it the week earlier.
This time the challengers were unbeaten for almost 2 years under the guidance of Kirton and travelled to take on Hart’s All Black laden Auckland. So Kirton thought he would outsmart them, and picked Perez at #10 and got him to kick all day, thereby ignoring the likes of Schuster, Pokere and Gallagher outside him. Nice theory Ernie, and at 21-21 with 10 minutes to go he looked quite perky pacing up and down behind the goalposts. But this Auckland pack had won the World Cup a few months earlier, and ground out a couple of tries at the end. That was the end of the very good 80s Wellington era. 1989. Auckland 29 Wellington 6 Wellington in decline. Not in it. 1991. Auckland 31 Wellington 21 Flattering scoreline. Still not in it. The not so legendary Scott Keith was captain. 1993. Auckland 51 Wellington 14 Remember how David Kirk coached Wellington for a year? That’s right here. It’s hard enough going to challenge for the shield with Huia Gordon in your pack. It’s even harder when he gets sent off early for being an idiot. A towelling. Auckland lost it the next week. 1995. Canterbury 66 Wellington 17 This is where the bit about not getting too excited too early comes in. Following 5 very bleak years, Wellington were starting to build again. There were even some fringe All Blacks in the squad, and the week before had demolished the previous season’s NPC finalists North Harbour at home. Everyone got excited. The Evening Post ran a full front page piece during the week with big Bill Cubavati symbolically frying legs of lamb. The next time Cubavati was seen was when he was popped out of the scrum by Richard Loe. Again and again and again. The challengers were mauled. This was not a beating, it was complete humiliation for a large contingent of travelling fans. Wellington got their 2 tries after Canterbury gave up scoring. 1999. Waikato 30 Wellington 24 North Harbour got 4 challenges before Wellington were to get another one. At least this challenge was competitive. But this was in the middle of a 21 match shield era for the Bellringers. In the end, too many penalties were given away and Waikato kept it for the sason. Two weeks later Wellington went back to Hamilton and comfortably won the NPC semi to make their first final in the pay-off format. 2001. Canterbury 31 Wellington 29 The match that people are still getting over. One of the most notorious shield matches of all time. Wellington started this match in a hurry; with one of the best provincial backlines ever assembled carving it up in the first half. O'Halloran, Umaga ran at and through Mehrtens at will, and Fa’atau, Cullen and Umaga scored tries. But, gradually, the defenders’ forward machine got going, and Wellington were starved of ball. Adding to this was the legendary performance of Steve Walsh who delivered a 21-4 penalty count in favour of the holders in a match he was later that week to describe as “still coming down from” Throw in a couple of sin-binnings, missing a blatant penalty try when Spice was taken out without the ball with Wellington 16 points up, and the challengers were out on their feet when that midget Ben Blair went over for the match-winning try in injury time. 2003. Canterbury 38 Wellington 38 Not as heart-breaking as the scoreline suggests. Canterbury were in control throughout, kicked their goals, and it was only a converted try to the visitors that gave the illusion of ever having been in the hunt. Still, not many shield challenges end in a draw. 2005. Canterbury 15 Wellington 14 Wellington scored the only try, Canterbury won the match. It was that Ben Blair again, who this time repelled the challenge with the boot by kicking 5 penalties in what was a dreadful game. Wellington scored the only try of the match, and had the better of the 1st half going in 5 points ahead. But then they choked. This was not a 2001 style choke when things went against them. They choked because they changed the way they played as the clock started ticking down. Not unlike 1987, Wellington ignored their superior backs when the pressure went on, and tried to outmuscle a pack with All Blacks all through it. And Blair chipped away for the victory.. So there it is; 10 challenges over 26 years. Not as many as you would expect. But, ignoring the blowouts in the 1990s when Wellington were at rock bottom there is the familiar theme of over-expectation, inexplicable tactic changes, and last minute losses. And that’s before getting to the issue of refereeing. That is why no-one in the Capital is allowing themselves to get too excited.
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