Provincial Classics
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I've still never seen the game where the Bay lifted the shield in the mid-2000s...
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Getting my games mixed up. We played Counties in the final but I don't think it was much of a game. The semi vs Waikato was a ripper I'm sure. Angus Gardiner definitely mowed down a back in one of those games to save a try though.
@shark OK I've just found some highlights of the 97 final. Tony Marsh broke through, was in the clear and was tackled by Leon MacDonald who was the last line. He managed to offload to Craig Glendinning who was a fairly small replacement flanker, but a fellow flanker nonetheless, and Gardiner had tracked back and brought him down. So not exactly Sattler on Byrne but a stirling effort and recognised as such by the commentary team, and the crowd who went bananas. Certainly a try-saver and at 19-3 and 42 mins in it could have got Counties back into it.
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@mariner4life You can get the DVD of it from Matheson Sports International.
@Billsy111 said in Provincial Classics:
@mariner4life You can get the DVD of it from Matheson Sports International.
I don't own a DVD player
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Getting my games mixed up. We played Counties in the final but I don't think it was much of a game. The semi vs Waikato was a ripper I'm sure. Angus Gardiner definitely mowed down a back in one of those games to save a try though.
@shark said in Provincial Classics:
Getting my games mixed up. We played Counties in the final but I don't think it was much of a game. The semi vs Waikato was a ripper I'm sure. Angus Gardiner definitely mowed down a back in one of those games to save a try though.
Semi was amazing, vidiri was huge. I won a bunch of money on this new thing called sports betting, and town in Hamilton was absolutely heaving. The Outback went very close to running out of piss.
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I went to a shield game at Eden Park in 79 I think it was that left an impression on me , I was about 17, Auckland had only just won it
Auckland v Counties , Counties won, they had a team that was flying at the time, I was living in Auckland but had done most of my growing up in Counties area, there with my Auckland mates ,
Those were the days where you could take your own Beer into the ground, chilli bins full of it , place was rocking,
There were drunken punch ons out in the streets leaving the ground, spot fires breaking out everywhere ,like scenes from an old western movie with random knocked out bodies around the place, which wasnt much of a big deal then , different times thats for sure
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@shark said in Provincial Classics:
Getting my games mixed up. We played Counties in the final but I don't think it was much of a game. The semi vs Waikato was a ripper I'm sure. Angus Gardiner definitely mowed down a back in one of those games to save a try though.
Semi was amazing, vidiri was huge. I won a bunch of money on this new thing called sports betting, and town in Hamilton was absolutely heaving. The Outback went very close to running out of piss.
@mariner4life said in Provincial Classics:
@shark said in Provincial Classics:
Getting my games mixed up. We played Counties in the final but I don't think it was much of a game. The semi vs Waikato was a ripper I'm sure. Angus Gardiner definitely mowed down a back in one of those games to save a try though.
Semi was amazing, vidiri was huge. I won a bunch of money on this new thing called sports betting, and town in Hamilton was absolutely heaving. The Outback went very close to running out of piss.
That game was awesome, that really was a game where one player made all the difference.
Was that also back in the small Outback version, before they opened up the "eating" area?
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The last 20 mins sucked.
I seem to remember that it was Marsh and Leaupepe that did the damage in the 2nd half.
@Bovidae said in Provincial Classics:
The last 20 mins sucked.
I seem to remember that it was Marsh and Leaupepe that did the damage in the 2nd half.
I was a neutral for that game so was just watching for the rugby. But it really did look like Waikato had it in the bag for a long time.
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@Bovidae said in Provincial Classics:
The last 20 mins sucked.
I seem to remember that it was Marsh and Leaupepe that did the damage in the 2nd half.
I was a neutral for that game so was just watching for the rugby. But it really did look like Waikato had it in the bag for a long time.
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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?
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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?
@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 -
The Counties team of the mid to late nineties was one of the great Counties teams. The best during my lifetime.
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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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@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@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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@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.
@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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@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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@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.
@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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I went to a shield game at Eden Park in 79 I think it was that left an impression on me , I was about 17, Auckland had only just won it
Auckland v Counties , Counties won, they had a team that was flying at the time, I was living in Auckland but had done most of my growing up in Counties area, there with my Auckland mates ,
Those were the days where you could take your own Beer into the ground, chilli bins full of it , place was rocking,
There were drunken punch ons out in the streets leaving the ground, spot fires breaking out everywhere ,like scenes from an old western movie with random knocked out bodies around the place, which wasnt much of a big deal then , different times thats for sure
@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.
