Shield stays put in front of packed park

Lansdowne Park has hosted some memorable rugby occasions over the past 94 years, but Sunday’s Ranfurly Shield defence would have to be right up there among the best.

The scene was well and truly set. The park looked a picture. The earlier-forecast wet weather had made way for a warm, sunny day. The ground was sold out. The Tasman Mako, who a week earlier had claimed the famed Log o’ Wood, brought their prize to town for the first defence in their history – 50 years since the famous Marlborough Shield era had ended. Their opponents, the unbeaten Wellington Lions, arrived at the park with a side laden with Super Rugby players and All Blacks.

For a couple of hours on Sunday afternoon, the New Zealand rugby spotlight was fixed on Marlborough rugby headquarters.

And the game did not disappoint, writing another enthralling chapter in the history of the nation’s most famous domestic sporting prize.

As if fending off a talent-stacked Wellington outfit was not enough of a challenge, a couple of setbacks in the first quarter added to the drama and nearly derailed the defenders.

Firstly, lock Quinten Strange, a key figure in the Mako set piece plans and talismanic leader, was forced from the field with a torn muscle, then hooker Quentin MacDonald followed soon after with a calf tear, both players pivotal to the side’s lineout success.

Consequently, the Mako lineout went to pieces, inaccuracy thwarting attacking set-ups and inviting the hungry Lions back into the match.

Lesser sides may have crumbled but the Mako hung tough, defending their line with passion and, at times, pure desperation.

Up front props Ryan Coxon and Sam Matenga again shouldered a huge workload, Antonio Shalfoon likewise, while the loose forward mix of Sione Havili Talitui, Tim Sail and Fletcher Anderson tackled relentlessly and carried hard when called upon.

The bustling aggression of crowd favourites Timoci Tavatavanawai amd Levi Aumua, the cool heads of inside backs Finlay Christie, Campbell Parata and David Havili, plus the silky running of Macca Springer and Kyren Taumoefolau, ensured the challengers never got their nose in front, although they twice closed to within a point in the second spell.

Although the final scoreline looked comfortable enough, with the Lions denied a bonus point, the game could have swung either way until the final five minutes when Tasman put an exclamation mark on a great day out with their fourth try.

Mako coach Gray Cornelius, whose heart rate had just returned to normal after the late drama of the shield win last week, had to sit through another edge-of-the-seat encounter.

“I’ll take that any day of the week,” he said with a grin. “I don’t mind having a fast heart rate when the boys perform with the amount of grit and passion that they did today. I am so proud of them.”

Although the coaching group had formulated plans to alleviate their lineout woes at the break, Gray said the players had taken control.

“To be perfectly honest, by the time we got into the changing rooms at halftime the lineout leaders had come up with a number of solutions already … that was driven by the lads and speaks volumes of their preparation and commitment to winning this game and keeping the shield in our region.”

Other key factors were the influence of the 7000-strong crowd and the support of the entire Tasman region.

“We got so much energy from the crowd and also got energy from the whole region this week. Obviously last week was a big game physically and mentally, so we had to get our heads back in the game.

But the support we had from the community, from Golden Bay, through Picton to here, that’s what makes guys get up when they are tired and make that extra tackle.”

Havili compared the occasion to the 2019 NPC semifinal when the park was also packed.

“It’s awesome … I am just really grateful and appreciative that Blenheim can come out today … we really love playing in front of a home crowd.”

After being part of the All Blacks’ environment and missing the past four Mako matches, Havili said he was, “just grateful to be back, to get some minutes under the belt in competitive circumstances”.

“The team played well last week and to be able to back it up against a quality Wellington side means we are trending upwards.

“We are building a lot of depth now … sometimes over the past few years we haven’t been able to finish, but you can see the growth in the players and now we can handle those big moments.”

Taumoefolau, who scored the pivotal third try for Tasman after having a previous effort ruled out for a foot in touch, said, “nothing beats playing at home”.

“I knew [the first effort] was close. I thought I did the job but it was just out. Luckily, I got a second chance,” he said.

“We knew it was going to be a tough old battle … the term for us was ‘stay in it’, so no matter what happened, whether we were down on the board or we were up, we just had to keep fighting … that is what a shield match is all about.”

Next up for the Mako is two away games, against Waikato on Sunday, September 22, then Otago on Saturday, September 28. Then the shield goes on the line in the final two round robin matches, both in Nelson, against Auckland on Wednesday, October 2 and Taranaki just four days later.

“The big picture is the [NPC] competition”, said Gray.

“What today does give us is some certainty in our mind when our next defence is … but we have two games before then to concentrate on first. If we can manage to secure home play-offs that is very important to us. And if we can get crowds like this it provides that extra boost we are looking for.”

Scores: Tasman 28 (Timoci Tavatavanawai, Finlay Christie, Kyren Taumoefolau, Nic Sauira tries, Campbell Parata 2 pen, con) Wellington 15 (Tjay Clarke 2 tries, Jackson Garden Bachop pen, con). HT: 8-3 Tasman.