Super Rugby - Who's it going to be?
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Chris B." data-cid="600111" data-time="1469432778"><p>
I was at that game. There was no shortage of belief that we would win before the match - we did not fear Auckland in 1985 - but, by halftime belief had pretty much dissipated, at least among the crowd.<br><br>
One of the greatest comebacks (and matches) ever. Certainly the best match I've ever been to.</p></blockquote>
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I was at the game too. Brilliant atmosphere. The embankment was spilling over. I remember confidence from the crowd and the players, but also a real apprehension because everyone knew that Auckland team was fucking good. <br><br>
That was one hell of an era. I went to every Saturday defence. I would then rush home to watch the highlights at 4pm (hard to imagine games weren't broadcast live back then). As a young fella it is what got me hooked on rugby. -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Stargazer" data-cid="600181" data-time="1469448755">
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<p>I think you guys lost me somewhere at the end of the previous page ...
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<p>It's al right, we've got this:</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='
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<p>Hmm, why isn't it embedding? Anyway, SFW.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="canefan" data-cid="599815" data-time="1469348179"><p>
We won the shield off the mooloos and only managed one defence (Marlborough) before Canterbury took it off us. I still remember Wayne Smith's try in Bernie's corner</p></blockquote>
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Not my recollection.<br><br>
You had it for a season at least I thought. Some bloody good challenges too. Until [Quinster]"Awaay to Wayne Smith ... a strong run by Wayne Smith ... aaand a brilliant try to Wayne Smith!"[/Quinster] -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="booboo" data-cid="600265" data-time="1469486175">
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<p>Not my recollection.<br><br>
You had it for a season at least I thought. Some bloody good challenges too. Until [Quinster]"Awaay to Wayne Smith ... a strong run by Wayne Smith ... aaand a brilliant try to Wayne Smith!"[/Quinster]</p>
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<p>A quick check shows Wellington beat Waikato in the last RS game of 1981. Wellington then defended the RS against Marlborough, Wanganui, Hawke's Bay and Taranaki before losing to Canterbury. Canterbury were lucky not to lose the RS in their first defence - a 15-all draw with Counties.</p>
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<p>I went to the Canterbury-Hawke's Bay RS game in 1983. The weather was terrible.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Bovidae" data-cid="600270" data-time="1469487127"><p>
A quick check shows Wellington beat Waikato in the last RS game of 1981. Wellington then defended the RS against Marlborough, Wanganui, Hawke's Bay and Taranaki before losing to Canterbury. Canterbury were lucky not to lose the RS in their first defence - a 15-all draw with Counties.<br><br>
I went to the Canterbury-Hawke's Bay RS game in 1983. The weather was terrible.</p></blockquote>
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Robbie Deans kicked a last minute penalty from near the half way mark to give Canterbury the draw. That was when I first noticed Robbie. -
<p>I still sing the proclaimers re-write they must have used in the 90s</p>
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<p>"we're on our way</p>
<p>to lift the shield from Eden Park today</p>
<p>Mooloo, Mooloo, Mooloo Mooloo</p>
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<p>We're on our way</p>
<p>to lift the shield from Eden Park today-ay-ay-ay</p>
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<p>something something</p>
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<p>We want the rugby shield more than anything</p>
<p>ooo oooo ooo ooo</p>
<p>It's time for us to sing</p>
<p>We're sitting on the log of wood</p>
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<p>ah the good old days where the log really meant something. Foster scoring to nick it off the Aucks. Naki fucking winning it. Harbour (and Wellington's. oh, and Otago's) ongoing Shield heartbreak. Fucking Matt Carrington that fluffybunny. But then Wayne Ormond and Glen fucking Jackson!! you beauty!</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Crazy Horse" data-cid="600274" data-time="1469487840">
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<p>Robbie Deans kicked a last minute penalty from near the half way mark to give Canterbury the draw. That was when I first noticed Robbie.</p>
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<p>Give it a boot, Robbie. Give it a boot</p>
<p>When the heat's on Robbie's got his boots on</p>
<p>Boot it Robbie!</p>
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<p>Crazy Horse is right though - there was some apprehension because the Orcs had cleaned our clocks in 1984 at EP. But, in '83 they'd come down talking up their new unstoppable superstar, JK, and we'd stuffed them badly.</p>
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<p>We were in the pub the night before the Auckland game and a Maori guy was in there - I think he was wearing an Auckland jersey. As we were leaving, he said to us, "You boys think you're going to win tomorrow, don't you. That would be a fucking joke!" We gave him a bit of shit back and left.</p>
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<p>Early in the second half most of the Aucklanders were sitting in the northeast corner of LP (No. 3 stand?) and they started celebrating and singing something along the lines of "we've won the shield". And then we scored and they shut up. And then they started and were stopped again. For the last 10 minutes you could have given them megaphones and they wouldn't have been heard.</p>
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<p>Great days - but a different time.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Bovidae" data-cid="600175" data-time="1469446950"><p>The full song was:<br>Now here's a little story about some lads I know<br>They're known throughout the country as the Waikato front row<br>They've got a little chorus and a chorus we all know<br>So tell me are you ready? Yes. Up and under here we go.......<br>And it's up and under here we go<br>Are you ready, yes or no<br>Up and Under here we go<br>It's the song of the Waikato front row</p></blockquote><br>Thanks very much for this!!!<br><br>I don't want to be OTT - but I remember that song well and associate childhood memories with it, so to have the actual lyrics is amazing to me.
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So a new winner for 2016.
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="601784" data-time="1469908314">
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<p>So a new winner for 2016.</p>
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<p>Yeah - Hurricanes or Lions.</p>
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<p>As if anyone needs any more evidence that the competition has gone to the dogs since 2008. Christ any old riff-raff can win it these days.</p>
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<p>Bad enough when the Bulls won, but then the trail of shit really begins with the Reds, the Chiefs (twice FFS), the Tahs (it's rotten to the core). The Highlanders think, Christ, anyone can win this, we might as well.</p>
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<p>And now it comes to this.....</p> -
<p>History heavily favours the 'canes right? </p>
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<p>Only the Crusaders and Highlanders have won away havent they?</p> -
<p>It a</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Chris B." data-cid="601829" data-time="1469924791">
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<p>Yeah - Hurricanes or Lions.</p>
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<p>As if anyone needs any more evidence that the competition has gone to the dogs since 2008. <strong>Christ any old riff-raff can win it these days.</strong></p>
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<p>Bad enough when the Bulls won, but then the trail of shit really begins with the Reds, the Chiefs (twice FFS), the Tahs (it's rotten to the core). The Highlanders think, Christ, anyone can win this, we might as well.</p>
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<p>And now it comes to this.....</p>
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<p>Apparently anyone can win it these days, except the Crusaders of course.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Nepia" data-cid="601832" data-time="1469925219">
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<p>Apparently anyone can win it these days, except the Crusaders of course.</p>
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<p>The finals are like a slum - we don't go there anymore. :)</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Chris B." data-cid="601834" data-time="1469925518"><p>The finals are like a slum - we don't go there anymore. :)</p></blockquote>You better hope we win so the curse I laid on the Saders will be over barely before its begun
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<p>I think it all ended (or to quote or possibly misquote Churchill, the beginning of the end) after the glory days of the great AB Shield team of the 1920s. They were such a juggernaut that when the Wellington lead NZRU conspired to remove the Shield from their grasp provincial rugby went into a funk for 30 years with the Shield being shared between the frozen tundras of Otago and Southland for most of that time. Luckily the Magpies embarked on another glorious reign in the 60s that restored the lustre back into provincial rugby. However, when they out thugged by Fergie McCormack and his thuggish Canterbury team of the 60s things went really pear shaped and Marlborough took the Shield. Yes, you read that correctly Marlborough.</p>
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<p>Therefore the NZRU created the NPC to ensure there was another competition should the likes of Marlborough ever steal the Shield again. The NPC served us well, even if the NZRU feared a return of Hawkes Bay dominance and conspired in a number of various nefarious ways to keep the Magpies in the 2nd Division. The untoward focus on keeping the Magpies down meant that the NZRU missed the Auckland elephant in the room and they managed to create a juggernaut to rival the great Magpies of the 1920s.</p>
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<p>Then the recently Canterbury dominated NZRU created the franchise system as a way to help the inbred South Island attract and retain North Island talent but other posters above have given the tapestry of that recent history so I wont repeat it although there were still some late hiccups that should be acknowledged, with Bay of Plenty somehow managing to win the Shield for the first time. </p>
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<p>There you go. As Wurzel will likely agree the history of NZ rugby is all about the Bay!</p>
