A timely goal by Deans

Press, 23 September 1988, Page 41

A timely goal by Deans

Little did Canterbury know when it uplifted the Ranfurly Shield from Wellington on September 18, 1982, that it was about to start on a record-equal-ling sequence of shield defences (25). Yet Canterbury came so very close — two minutes in fact — to joining Wellington as the province with the shortest tenure of the treasured Log O’ Wood (seven days). Its first defence was a week after the celebrated victory and the opposition was Counties, a team to be feared, a team which had won the previous three fixtures against Canterbury at Lancaster Park. Canterbury’s fears were not misplaced and as the scoreboard clock moved towards the final minute most of the crowd of 37,000 were starting to feel that sinking feeling when one’s prized possession is about to be taken.

Five minutes before the end, Joe Harvey (who assumed the goal-kicking responsibilities when Warren McLean was injured) gave Counties a 15-12 lead with a penalty goal from handy range. Canterbury surged back and the ball was spun along the backline, but it had not gone through the chain before the Counties right wing, Robert Kururangi, intercepted and sped clear for what seemed certain to be the match-winning try. However, the Southland referee, Kerry Henderson, was one person unimpressed by the sight of Kururangi heading towards shield glory.

He had noticed a Counties back off-side earlier in the movement and went to the spot about 40m from the Counties posts. So it was left to Robbie Deans to save the shield with an angled kick which, while always within his range, had added pressures.

The tension had become too much for hundreds of children, and some not so young, and the excitment flowed over to the confines of the field.

An experienced rugby writer who was savouring the spectacle from the embankment instead of the press box in the No. 3 grandstand clearly re-

members the scene to this day. “As Deans was preparing to kick there were hordes of little dervishes inside the dead-ball area and others stealing on to the playing field while a few white-coated gentlemen tried unsuccessfully to hold them back.” In spite of the distractions, however, Deans’s concentration was so great that he was oblivious to happenings all around him and he made no mistake, children spewing on to the field even before the flags were raised.

It took some minutes before sanity was restored and the match finished. In those dying moments Canterbury had to repulse several spirited attacks as Counties threw the ball about with gay abandon. John Ashworth, a little late to a ruck, finally cleared the ball over the touchline and Canterbury players slumped to the ground as Mr Henderson signalled no-side.

Deans later confessed that he was unaware of all the hullabaloo about him as he kicked the gaol which tied the scores and kept the shield in Canterbury. He was quite amazed when he later watched replays.

The match never reached gret heights, but it contained all the ingredients which make up the best in shield rugby — two evenly balanced teams staying in close contact and keeping the viewers tense and in suspense until the dramatic ending is played out.

If Deans was the herd of the play, Garry Hooper played an equally important part earlier in the game when he saved a certain Counties try by deflecting a pass from

Peter Clotworthy to an unmarked left wing, Glen Wilcox. Even earlier in the piece, Hooper and Jock Hobbs took Wilcox in simultaneous tackles as he dived for the line, the ball falling from his grip. Warwick Taylor tackled fiercely and frequently in midfield and Dale Atkins made progress off the back of the scrum, but Canterbury was more than a little lucky to retain the shield. It did, however, and that result heralded the start of a magnificent era.