Rugby: Ranfurly Shield akin to tests in ITM Cup

Craig Philpott with the symbol of provincial rugby supremacy. PHOTO/FILE

Rugby fans revere and appreciate the Ranfurly Shield but what it does for Magpies coach Craig Philpott and his team isn't always that conspicuous.

"Ranfurly Shield's interesting because that's probably as far as we get to test match rugby in the ITM Cup so the pressure that comes with that tells you a lot about the character of the individuals but also your team," says Philpott, fortunate to have had the Log o' Wood here for the past couple of seasons.

It gives him a decent snapshot of how players react under pressure, what their priorities are and the shield's significance, not just to the team but to the Bay because the symbol of provincial union supremacy is already steeped in the historical tapestry dating back more than 100 years.

"What it tells us is that it's important and we put a huge amount of emphasis on looking after that but that conversely has an impact on how you play when you're away from home," he says of a season where their performance on the road came under scrutiny.

That has posed a robust challenge for the Magpies since the end of last season to address that balance while making the shield a priority to retain.

The biggest part of the Magpies' job this time of the year is keeping their finger on the pulse of what's happening club wise.

"But we're naive if we don't keep an eye on what's happening outside.

"There are clubs coming in, trying to take our players as much as we're trying to look around but that's just the nature and landscape of the environment we're in so that's where rugby has got to," he says, outlining how a couple of last year's Magpies will be plying their trade for the Manawatu Turbos this season.

"We accept that that's going to happen so our mission is to make sure the guys who are our shop window are committed fully to being part of our group."

That ongoing process starts from the minute the final whistle goes in the ITM Cup, heralding in "a succession programme".

Philpott's philosophy also centres around not just nurturing talent but growing exemplary individuals in society.

That is reflected in the training group started last November with seven contracted Magpies among them, devoid of 16 hybrid players fulfilling Super Rugby commitments.

At the Magpies gym, Philpott impressed on the training group the responsibility of defending the log come July.

"That's because our Super Rugby players aren't going to be around so this is a massive, massive carrot for you guys to work really hard for but it's also a massive obligation to this province that we have to make sure we're ready to go come next July."

The response at the gym as well as performances with the advent of premier club season heartens the coach.

"Club rugby's just started and we're seeing guys already putting their hands up," he says, after Jorian Tangaere (Clive) and Billy Ropiha (Taradale) dotted down for a hattrick of tries.

"They are all pushing good weights in the gym and getting PBs in there. We've got a testing next week so I'm sure it's going to throw up some good results."

Keeping talent in the Bay is at the top of the agenda and that has prompted a change in the way the union is looking at the muster in its talent ID programme.

"We've got a new strategy on board but we're focusing on identifying talent younger and working hard on it so we can keep those guys here."

Last year typifies that intention when the union acquired three high school boys, Mason Emerson (Hastings Rugby and Sports), Jonah Lowe (Clive) and Hugh Renton (Hurricanes' wider training group), as fully contracted players to assume the mantle of Magpies this season.

"We knew they were capable of going on to represent us with maturity so we made an investment earlier on that they were going to be part of us in the next five to 10 years."

Philpott says the intention isn't to limit players to studying at the Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT) if they want to pursue qualifications at a university outside the region.

"It [EIT] provides a great place to study but there are some guys who want to be engineers and want to be accountants so they need to go somewhere else so we want to make sure those guys are locked into us even if they do go away," he says, adding talent attending Victoria University don't have to play for Wellington Lions.

The ideal scenario is to have them playing club rugby here while studying extramurally but, like Renton, it isn't an issue if they are in the Canes' stable because that enables the Magpies to keep an eye on them.

The special treatment is reserved for Bay born and bred or "those we like".