A REMINDER FOR CANTERBURY Dropped goals were vital in Taranaki's last shield era

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32394, 5 September 1970, Page 11

A REMINDER FOR CANTERBURY Dropped goals were vital in Taranaki's last shield era

(By

J. K. BROOKS)

'THE presence of the drop- "*■ kicking specialist, J. E. Irving, in the Taranaki Rugby team which challenges for the Ranfurly Shield today is a reminder of the importance attached to this form of scoring by Taranaki during its last Shield era.

During 1964 and 1965, Taranaki scored 15 dropped goals in as many matches, with R. H. Brown, the captain, gaining 12 of them. In the 1964 game against North Auckland, Taranaki gained all its 12 points from this source, Brown kicking three and T. P. O’Sullivan one. Brown also kicked three dropped goals to help Taranaki draw with Wanganui, 15-all, and another of iris efforts contributed to Canterbury’s defeat in a game in which no tries were scored.

In another close game in 1964, Taranaki beat Wellington, 3-0. on the strength of a prodigious drop-kick by N. McD. Patterson, the second string full-back.

However, in 1933, when Taranaki challenged Canterbury for the shield, it was a drop-kick against Taranaki which kept the shield in Christchurch. Taranaki led, 15-11, with two minutes to go, and the •trophy seemed certain to go north. Then R. Hazelhurst popped over a dropped goal—which was worth four points—and the match was saved. Taranaki has won the shield on three occasions, the first in 1913 after five attempts which failed in spite of occasional appearances by J. Hunter, H. J. Mynott and H. L. Abbott, of the 1905 All Black side. Taranaki held the shield for six matches in 1914 with a team which included seven players who were All Blacks or who later played for New Zealand. But in the last challenge before World War I, Taranaki succumbed to Wellington. During the succeeding 43 years Taranaki failed on 12 occasions to win the shield.

But it came desperately close to success in 1933, against Canterbury, in 1949, when it lost, 6-5 to Otago, and in 1953, when it drew with Waikato. Its efforts eventually met with success in 1957, when it beat Otago, 11-9. It

staved off nine challenges in 1958 and four in 1959 before bowing to the intensity of Southland’s forward game.

During this period it was well served by the AU Blacks P. S. Burke and Brown, and three men who later played for New Zealand, t{. J. Urbahn, J. F. McCulldugh and O’Sullivan. In $6O, Taranaki was well heated by Auckland, with K. P. Hurley, the veteran of today’s game, scoring a try, and the side again went down to Auckland in 1962. But in 1963 it gained its third shield success at the expense of Wellington, which was defending it for the first time after beating Auckland.

Before losing the shield to Auckland in 1965, Taranaki defended the trophy 15 times, with K. C. Briscoe, the All Black half-back, blossoming as a goalkicker. He is the top scorer for his union in shield games, with 76 points, followed by Brown, with 69.

Although it had backs such as O’Sullivan, McCullough

and T. N. Wolfe in the side, Taranaki relied greatly on the kicking of Brown and Briscoe and crunching forward power. This was a formula which spelt success on most occasions, although Wanganui ran the holder close on two occasions, losing, 14- in 1963 and drawing, 15- in 1964. The burly Wanganui wing, C. L. Pierce, scored all his side’s points in these matches with a try and eight penalty goals. But the kick he really wanted—a conversion in the second match—did not succeed, and the shield stayed in New Plymouth.