Provincial Classics
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@nzzp said in Provincial Classics:
Since we're on the Counties train, I went to a Lancaster Park Counties v Canterbury game in the late 1990's. Canterbury were up something like 23-0, but then Counties turned on a display of 'get the ball to Jonah and Joeli in space' and wound up winning 33-31 (from memory). Glorious - afternoon rugby, some fantastic tries, and a memorable game.
... and I just googled the hell out of that, and couldn't find any record of it. Does it live only in my memory? Anyone else remember that one?
I managed to find this from what I think is the final round of the 1998 round robin which is probably what you are referring to?
Score 49 - 42 Counties
7 Tries – Vidiri (4), Lee, Lomu, Leaupepe; 7 Conversions – Crichton.
Ref – G Wahlstrom -
That team would be the greatest era, before my time. Henk Habraken coached me at junior boys, played with John Spiers son and he bought dads wool. He loved it when I had a year playing for Pukekohe. A couple of my Mums Fowlie cousins had a few games with them in that era too.
The third or fourth best era would be when we got the shield, gained promotion and made top four. Around the time Bundee Aki was coming through.
Some handy players in the Era of Pat Walsh too.
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@KiwiMurph said in Provincial Classics:
@nzzp said in Provincial Classics:
Since we're on the Counties train, I went to a Lancaster Park Counties v Canterbury game in the late 1990's. Canterbury were up something like 23-0, but then Counties turned on a display of 'get the ball to Jonah and Joeli in space' and wound up winning 33-31 (from memory). Glorious - afternoon rugby, some fantastic tries, and a memorable game.
... and I just googled the hell out of that, and couldn't find any record of it. Does it live only in my memory? Anyone else remember that one?
I managed to find this from what I think is the final round of the 1998 round robin which is probably what you are referring to?
Score 49 - 42 Counties
7 Tries – Vidiri (4), Lee, Lomu, Leaupepe; 7 Conversions – Crichton.
Ref – G Wahlstromspot on, that sounds right. Do you have a link?
That team of the mid to late 90s was sensational. It wasn't just the stars out there either - the front rowers (Lee LIdgard), Jim Coe at lock, Errol Brain at the back, Danny Lee at 9, Loki Crichton, the Marsh's and then wingers that were off the charts. Strong all over the place.
Counties were my second team for ages, loved to see them play, loved the players. That dream run in 97 was incredible.
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@nzzp I think Blair Feeney was pretty key in that side. Don't forget the likes of Andrew Roose and Api Naevo too. Quality, quality side. Semi innovative with the uniform change too, even if it was a copy of the North Sydney Bears. Errol Brain was one of the best post game interviewees ever.
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@shark said in Provincial Classics:
@nzzp I think Blair Feeney was pretty key in that side. Don't forget the likes of Andrew Roose and Api Naevo too. Quality, quality side. Semi innovative with the uniform change too, even if it was a copy of the North Sydney Bears. Errol Brain was one of the best post game interviewees ever.
Agree with all this except for the uniform change, the old jersey was much better, the North Sydney Bears copy rivals that mythical Central Vikings jumper for ugliness.
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@kiwiinmelb Counties didn't win. They never won the Shield until 2013.
I was at that 79 game on the Terraces. It was the last game I saw in NZ for 13 years.
Akl had only just lifted the Shield from North Auckland and had to face the challenge of Counties in their first defence. Counties were undefeated for the season and had been crowned NPC champs .
EP was packed (50K in those days) on a fine spring day. First half was attritional but Counties took a deserved 3-0 lead into the break.
Akl pack stated to assert dominance in the second half before Counties broke out from inside their 22 and scored from a speculative kick helped in large measure by the ref inadvertently obstructing the Akl cover defender. 9-0 to Counties.
However Akl took control of the game and the much vaunted and popular Counties side choked. They started putting balls out on the full, missing tackles etc but with 15 minutes to go Akl still hadn't converted the pressure into a score. They then scored a couple of unconverted tries. One to Farrell can't remember the other. 9-8 Counties. Less than 5 minutes to go and inexplicably Counties tried to run it from under their own posts and got nailed. Penalised at the resulting ruck. 11-9 Akl.
Cue much jubilation in the stands and on the pitch (well for half the crowd) and a very, very big night.
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@Nepia said in Provincial Classics:
@shark said in Provincial Classics:
@nzzp I think Blair Feeney was pretty key in that side. Don't forget the likes of Andrew Roose and Api Naevo too. Quality, quality side. Semi innovative with the uniform change too, even if it was a copy of the North Sydney Bears. Errol Brain was one of the best post game interviewees ever.
Agree with all this except for the uniform change, the old jersey was much better, the North Sydney Bears copy rivals that mythical Central Vikings jumper for ugliness.
I didn't say it was better. I said it was "semi innovative".
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@shark said in Provincial Classics:
@Nepia said in Provincial Classics:
@shark said in Provincial Classics:
@nzzp I think Blair Feeney was pretty key in that side. Don't forget the likes of Andrew Roose and Api Naevo too. Quality, quality side. Semi innovative with the uniform change too, even if it was a copy of the North Sydney Bears. Errol Brain was one of the best post game interviewees ever.
Agree with all this except for the uniform change, the old jersey was much better, the North Sydney Bears copy rivals that mythical Central Vikings jumper for ugliness.
I didn't say it was better. I said it was "semi innovative".
I don't think making something uglier is semi innovative.
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@Nepia said in Provincial Classics:
@shark said in Provincial Classics:
@Nepia said in Provincial Classics:
@shark said in Provincial Classics:
@nzzp I think Blair Feeney was pretty key in that side. Don't forget the likes of Andrew Roose and Api Naevo too. Quality, quality side. Semi innovative with the uniform change too, even if it was a copy of the North Sydney Bears. Errol Brain was one of the best post game interviewees ever.
Agree with all this except for the uniform change, the old jersey was much better, the North Sydney Bears copy rivals that mythical Central Vikings jumper for ugliness.
I didn't say it was better. I said it was "semi innovative".
I don't think making something uglier is semi innovative.
you're clearly not in a marketing departmetn
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@nzzp said in Provincial Classics:
@Nepia said in Provincial Classics:
@shark said in Provincial Classics:
@Nepia said in Provincial Classics:
@shark said in Provincial Classics:
@nzzp I think Blair Feeney was pretty key in that side. Don't forget the likes of Andrew Roose and Api Naevo too. Quality, quality side. Semi innovative with the uniform change too, even if it was a copy of the North Sydney Bears. Errol Brain was one of the best post game interviewees ever.
Agree with all this except for the uniform change, the old jersey was much better, the North Sydney Bears copy rivals that mythical Central Vikings jumper for ugliness.
I didn't say it was better. I said it was "semi innovative".
I don't think making something uglier is semi innovative.
you're clearly not in a marketing departmetn
No, but I do work closely with them when I reach the end of my Indesign skills.
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@dogmeat said in Provincial Classics:
@kiwiinmelb Counties didn't win. They never won the Shield until 2013.
I was at that 79 game on the Terraces. It was the last game I saw in NZ for 13 years.
Akl had only just lifted the Shield from North Auckland and had to face the challenge of Counties in their first defence. Counties were undefeated for the season and had been crowned NPC champs .
EP was packed (50K in those days) on a fine spring day. First half was attritional but Counties took a deserved 3-0 lead into the break.
Akl pack stated to assert dominance in the second half before Counties broke out from inside their 22 and scored from a speculative kick helped in large measure by the ref inadvertently obstructing the Akl cover defender. 9-0 to Counties.
However Akl took control of the game and the much vaunted and popular Counties side choked. They started putting balls out on the full, missing tackles etc but with 15 minutes to go Akl still hadn't converted the pressure into a score. They then scored a couple of unconverted tries. One to Farrell can't remember the other. 9-8 Counties. Less than 5 minutes to go and inexplicably Counties tried to run it from under their own posts and got nailed. Penalised at the resulting ruck. 11-9 Akl.
Cue much jubilation in the stands and on the pitch (well for half the crowd) and a very, very big night.
You remember the details of the game a lot better than me , it may have been the lion reds,
But the lasting impression on me was the nature of the crowd ,
Something in NZ I was only used to seeing at test matches
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@Billsy111 The Bay didnt challenge for the shield in 1993, you must be thinking of a different team or year.
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@Baron-Silas-Greenback Yes they did. They played Auckland at Eden Park and got beaten 69/31.
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@Billsy111 said in Provincial Classics:
@Baron-Silas-Greenback Yes they did. They played Auckland at Eden Park and got beaten 69/31.
You are a bit new on this forum so it's understandable that you won't "get it". The Bay, at the moment is Bay of Plenty. The other lot are known as Hawkes, until the beat the bay
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@Billsy111 Some inside jokes here are ten years+ in the making and have gotten pretty obscure.
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@Kirwan said in Provincial Classics:
@Billsy111 Some inside jokes here are ten years+ in the making and have gotten pretty obscure.
FABSH?
