Wellington, Hawke?s Bay and the Ranfurly Shield in the 1960s

Above: Wellington fans at the parade in Napier on the morning of the Ranfurly Shield challenge in 1967, Leo the Lion, leading supporter Dick Burke and ‘I'm just mad about Wellington' man. Evening Post 30/9/67.

Following on from their many battles of the 1920s (see our story last week), Wellington's and Hawke's Bay's Ranfurly Shield rivalry resumed in earnest in the 1960s with a pair of epic battles.

After defending the Ranfurly Shield 24 times in the 1920s, Hawke's Bay won it again at the end of 1966 by beating Waikato 6-0. The Magpies then launched a 21-game tenure in the province's second great era.

Of these 21 defences between 1966-69, they successfully repelled two challenges from Wellington.

In fact, one of the most famous Ranfurly Shield matches of them all was on 30 September 1967 when Hawke's Bay saw off Wellington's challenge right on the final whistle courtesy of a last-gasp dropped goal that saved the day.

First five-eighth Blair Furlong potted the crucial kick from the base of an attacking scrum inside Wellington's 22 in the 80th minute, to clinch a 12-12 draw which was enough to see the shield stay in Magpie country for the summer of love that followed.

Furlong had spent the previous season in Wellington and had represented Wellington B. Four years earlier as a teenager he had fluffed a similar dropped goal attempt in a Ranfurly Shield challenge against Auckland and the Aucklanders had retained the shield with a 3-3 draw. But on this occasion, he became an instant cult hero as the 25,000-strong crowd flocked on to McLean Park to celebrate.

It was heartbreak for Wellington, who had been leading 12-6 early in the second half and, led by powerhouse prop and captain Ken Gray and the educated left boot of first five-eighth Mattie Blackburn, were in control and looked likely to bring the Log o' Wood back home to Wellington for the first time since 1963 after their previous tenure had lasted just a week. Wellington's points had come from the respective boots of fullback Mick Williment, who kicked two penalties, and Blackburn, who potted two dropped goals.

Hawke's Bay had scored the only try of the match when right wing Mick Duncan crashed over near the corner through the tackle of Wellington flanker Graham Williams. Fullback Ian Bishop added a penalty for the home team.

In a hard-fought, forwards dominated battle, Hawke's Bay battled back late in the second half. The turning point came when Blackburn was forced from the field injured -? the victim of a deliberate late tackle by Hawke's Bay and All Black flanker Kel Tremain. From there, Bishop kicked his penalty to put his side behind 12-9 and Furlong potted the equaliser and shield-retaining goal on fulltime.

Of note, Tremain's goal from a mark had been the winning score in the Magpies' 6-5 win over Wellington two years before in 1965 in a non-shield match. Wellington had beaten Hawke's Bay 20-6 in 1966 in another non-shield match.

For legendary Wellington coach Bill Freeman who led Wellington teams to famous wins over the Springboks in 1965 and the British and Irish Lions in 1966, this was one of several near misses for his teams in bringing the shield to Wellington. These included 3-0 and 11-0 losses to Taranaki in 1964 and 1965, a 14-6 loss to Hawke's Bay two years later in 1969 and a 3-3 draw with Canterbury in 1970.

Furlong was indirectly involved in the key play of the Bay's 14-6 win over Wellington on 30 August 1969 with another dropped goal attempt. Only this one missed and it was then that the action unfolded. Wellington fullback Gerald Kember waited for the ball to bounce so he could safely snaffle it and dot down for a 22-metre re-start. But chasing up Furlong's dropped goal was Hawke's Bay flyer Bill Davis and he leapt high, re-gathered the ball and scored a try out of nothing.? In the end, Hawke's Bay out- scored Wellington three tries to one, with Wellington's try scored by halfback Ian Stevens.

Thirteen years later, in 1982, Wellington got one back on Hawke's Bay by beating them 13-12 in a Ranfurly Shield defence at Athletic Park. It seemed the shield was heading to Napier again when Hawke's Bay led 12-7 late in the contest. But wing Bernie Fraser slid over for the second of his two tries and fullback Allan Hewson saved the day with a sideline conversion. ?