Ranfurly Shield fever returns to Oamaru tomorrow when North Otago takes on Auckland in its 11th challenge for the log o' wood.
The game kicks off at 2.05pm at Whitestone Contracting Stadium. Eight new players have been named in the North Otago 22-man squad for the shield challenge against the Pat Lam-coached Auckland side.
Waitaki Colts and St Kevin's Colts will battle it out in the curtain-raiser. Kick-off for the game is 12.45pm.
Although North Otago's Ranfurly Shield history began in 1946 it is appropriate to note that Bill Laney, who was later mayor of the Oamaru Borough for many years and afterwards MP for the region, was in the first Otago side to win the shield, in 1937.
Bill Laney went on to coach North Otago and the Excelsior club while a master at Waitaki Boys' High School, after representing New Zealand Universities on a tour of Japan and Otago.
North Otago played its first challenge on August 27 the following year, going down to Otago at Carisbrook by 12-0.
The 1938 team: J. Campbell, J. Bruce, A. Anderson, C. Davey, J. Jackson, D. Gillies, R. McLaren, E. Strachan, W. Watts, J. Easton, J. Johnston, J. Mather, R. Brown, D. Grant, and W. Muldrew.North Otago played its second challenge on September 28, 1946 against the holder Southland on Rugby Park, Invercargill.
North Otago played its second challenge on September 28, 1946 against the holder Southland on Rugby Park, Invercargill.
North Otago had not experienced a great season, losing the four matches played during the season. It lost to Southland 3-15, with halfback Viv Wright kicking a penalty.
The 1946 team: D. S. Loder (selector), D. Russell, A. Hopley, A. Kilgour, H. Pittaway, R. Harris, D. Gillies, E.Wright; R. McIntosh, L. Cameron, R. Brown, E. Cleverly, R. Miller, E. Strachan, R. Wilson, E. Harris. M. Griffin (replacement).
The following year North Otago, in the last match of the season, lined up against Otago at Carisbrook, Dunedin.
North Otago had enjoyed a reasonable season, playing six games and winning three, losing two and drawing one 10-all against New Zealand Maori in Oamaru.
It was, however, put to the sword by Otago to the tune of 42-3, with North Otago's only points coming from a 70m try to winger Mort Fountain, a master at Waitaki Boys, who died last month in Christchurch, aged 90.
The 1947 team: D. S. Loder (selector), Jack Halvorsen, Pop Kilgour, Ted Collins, Boyd Robertson, Mort Fountain, Duncan Gillies, Frank Diver; Stan Mosely, Bob Robertson, Rob McIntosh, John Gallagher, Henry Golder, John Buzan, Dick Wright, Massey Sutherland.
FINEST CHALLENGE
North Otago had to wait a further 24 years for a crack at the shield when it lined up against Canterbury at Lancaster Park, Christchurch on August 21, 1971.
This was possibly the finest effort by North Otago in a Ranfurly Shield challenge.
Six All Blacks lined up in the Canterbury backline: Fergie McCormick, Howard Joseph, Duncan Hailes, Doug Bruce, Wayne Cottrell and Lyn Davis, with Ian Hurst in the reserves.
Five members of the pack were All Blacks or were to become All Blacks: Alex Wylie, Jake Burns, Tane Norton, Alistair Hopkinson and Hamish McDonald.
Canterbury took the game 14-0 after leading by only 6-0 at halftime.
It was a day on which North Otago had its chances but goalkicker Paddy Ford was astray.
The 1971 team: N. L. McNee (selector), Norm McKenzie, Brian Carlyon, Doug Hurst, Ian Rowell, Graeme Johnston, Phil Gard, Gary Eckhold; Allan Turnock, Ian Craig, Paddy Ford, Doug Grant, Russell Gibson, John Wilson, Gary Wilson, Ron McGookin.
Few rugby fans will forget Marlborough's defeat of Canterbury in that now famous challenge.
It was all tied up at 6-all when from a scrum on the Canterbury 22, Marlborough first five-eighth Tony Goddard calmly dropped a goal to make it 9-6.
And then that magical moment when Marlborough winger Brian Ford scooped up a ball 70m from the Canterbury line.
He broke three weak tackles but McCormick was coming across on defence.
Ford hesitated to slow McCormick and then broke the tackle to race into history.
North Otago was given the second challenge by Marlborough, which in its first defence had put away Wairarapa-Bush, 36-0.
North Otago pushed Marlborough all the way but could not breach the defence.
Paddy Ford kicked two penalties and fullback Jeff Gardiner landed a massive 55m field goal into a strong northerly breeze before Marlborough held on to the shield, 26-9.
The 1973 team: N. L. McNee (selector), Jeff Gardiner, Graeme Johnston, Robbie Gillies, Phil Gard, Brian Carlyon, Geoff McLeod, Gary Eckhold; Paddy Ford, Don Ross, Gary Wilson, Bernie Pringle, Ray Matthews, Garth Dovey, John Whyte, Russell Gibson.
Marlborough repelled challenges from Wanganui (30-6), Nelson-Bays (29-9), Mid-Canterbury (36-9), and West Coast (18-0), before South Canterbury, under Ken Milne, arrived in Blenheim on August 17, 1974.
Tony Goddard kicked a dropped goal and goalkicking lock Graeme Cocks added a penalty, but South Canterbury killed Marlborough's hopes with a late try, taking the shield south, with a score of 18-6.
North Otago immediately placed a shield challenge with South Canterbury and was accepted, but there was to be a bitter argument between South Canterbury and Wellington.
The first indication that all was not well came on the night of August 22 when the South Canterbury Rugby Football Union met and decided that matches set down against Wellington (September 3) and Taranaki (September 10) would not be shield challenges.
It was decided that the only challenges would be against North Otago (August 31) and Mid-Canterbury (September 21).
The NZRU decided in Wellington's favour but before that game South Canterbury had to repel North Otago.
It did by so 9-3, with Thomsen scoring a try and Doug Nicol adding a dropped goal and a conversion while Paddy Ford kicked a penalty for North Otago.
The 1974 team: N.L. McNee (selector), Paddy Whyte, Chris Conlan, Gerald Hanna, Phil Gard, Graeme Johnston, Bill Johnson, Gary Eckhold; Garth Dovey, Don Ross, Bernie Pringle, Jeff Matheson, Roger Newlands, Ray Matthews, Gary Wilson, Paddy Ford.
Canterbury was the shield holder in 1983 when North Otago mounted its seventh challenge.
It was against a redoubtable Canterbury side which that season won all of its games in New Zealand and defeated the Lions, as well as repelling nine shield challenges.
There was concern in some quarters in North Otago about the wisdom of participating in the challenge and some country players decided to make themselves unavailable.
Canterbury banished North Otago with an 88-0 win, scoring 17 tries.
Robbie Deans scored three and converted 10 of the tries scored that day.
The 1983 team: P.M. Ford (selector), Ross Wilson, Donald Muldrew, Lindsay Smith, Gary Bloomfield, Phil Winter, Peter Cook, Grant Morton; Brent Harvey, Peter Kilgour, Russell Mains, Peter Johnston, Phil Hope, John Tennant, Bruce Gray, Peter Fogarty.
North Otago's fortunes slumped in the '80s and leading up to its 1993 challenge against Auckland it had won only seven of the 68 games played over the previous seven seasons.
But despite the lack of form, 5000 people turned up in Oamaru on September 1 to see North Otago thumped 5-139.
It was Auckland rugby at its best as the All Black-studded side produced scintillating rugby.
But the local side struck first when from a planned move on the Auckland goal line fullback Brent McEwan scored to put North Otago in front, 5-0!
The 1993 team: J. Tito (selector). Brent McEwan, Hayden Hunt, Grant Slater, Simon Raki Raki, Craig Hore, Sean Matthews, Bernie Miller; Simon Shaw, John Taeiloa, Peter Mason, Sammy Talanoa, Lindsay Roundhill, Shane Curle, Jeff Wilson.
Replacements: Barry Stevens, Ronald Senior, Jason Drummond, Geoff Keeling, Gary Byrne, Mike Mason.
North Otago's next challenge was in 2000 when Waikato, after beating West Coast 99-3 in Greymouth, arrived in Oamaru for the challenge on July 8.
Dean Paterson scored North Otago's only try while Simon Porter kicked four penalties as Waikato rollicked home, 95-17.
The 2000 team: G. Moore (selector). Toetu Palamo, Ross Skinner, Matt Saunders, Mike Mavor, Dean Paterson, Simon Porter, Justin Rawcliffe; Regan Laughton, Ross Hay, Wayne Miller, Campbell McKenzie, Hunter Darry, Willie Tapealava, Atalea Katoa, Barry Fox.
Replacements: Aaron Johnston, Ali Fanene, John Jones, Mike Cant, Gary Byrne.
Three years later almost to the day Rob Penney and Aussie McLean brought Canterbury south for North Otago's tenth Ranfurly shield challenge.
Having won the third division NPC title the previous year, the challenge was the first of the matches in North Otago's first season in second division.
It showed it had pace and ability, scoring four tries against Canterbury with Campbell Mackenzie, Pila Fifita, Scott Mayhew and Mike Mavor dotting down for the home side, and Michael Ruthven and Tevita Asi kicking conversions.
Canterbury ran in 13 tries, with Ben Blair converting 10 of them in the 85-24 win.
The 2003 team: G. Moore (selector). Luke Herden, Scott Mayhew, Mike Mavor, Steve Kotua, Pila Fifita, Michael Ruthven, Ryan McCarthy; Ray Ofisa, Ross Hay, Karl Christensen, Campbell McKenzie, Nathan Archibald, Atalea Katoa, Hotili Asi, Barry Fox.
Replacements:Watisoni Lotawa, Tevita Asi, Justin Rawcliffe, Kahu Ahotaeiloa, Maka Makasini, Gary Byrne, Pita Fifita.
