Ben Bacon of Ponsonby ahead of the Gallagher Shield semifinal against Grammar TEC at Western Springs Stadium. Photo / Photosport
Ben Bacon of Ponsonby ahead of the Gallagher Shield semifinal against Grammar TEC at Western Springs Stadium. Photo / Photosport
One club rugby team dripping with history – and another living the stuff of fairy tales.
That's the backdrop to Auckland's premier club rugby final at Eden Park on Saturday, which is shaping as an occasion truly befitting the presentation of the Gallaher Shield for the 100th time.
Club rugbyaristocrats Ponsonby – who have won the Auckland championship more than any other club - will face a Manukau Rovers club which has not tasted glory since 1973 but is enjoying a rare year of revival in which it has cultivated a reputation for improbable comebacks.
The Gallaher Shield final is part of a triple-header at Eden Park which starts with the Auckland Storm playing Manawatu in their Farah Palmer Cup fixture at 2.25pm and finishes with a highly anticipated "Battle of The Bridge" NPC fixture between Auckland and North Harbour (under a new format, where all 14 Provincial Unions compete for the one national provincial title).
Ponsonby have history on their side in the showdown with Manukau. Their most recent 2019 title success was their 50th (including four in pre-union days), while they have not lost a Gallaher Shield final since 1991. Since the Gallaher Shield was introduced in 1922 Ponsonby have claimed it 35 times, while the club also holds the record of eight consecutive titles (from 2004-11).
But Manukau will bring the X factor for a turbo-charged occasion few of their supporters (and at least 11 bus-loads of them will be heading north) have experienced, given their last time they held the Shield, Norm Kirk was Prime Minister and we still had black-and-white TVs.
Ponsonby coach Peter Leuluso'o, in his seventh season at the helm, has enjoyed Gallaher titles with The Ponies in 2018 and 2019 – but also the hurt of losing at the semifinal stage last year.
He expects any burden from Ponsonby's illustrious history will be carried easily by his players.
"The good thing is we have got some players this season who are new to the final arena," Leuluso'o said. "And when you haven't won anything previously, you get desperate.
"We saw that in last week's semifinal (a 31-12 win over Grammar TEC) with extra commitment and sacrifice and players prepared to do whatever needed to be done."
But Leuluso'o is also full of respect for a new-look Manukau team this season.
"This year they have been a completely different team in the way they played for each other with really good energy and crowd behind them that gave a good buzz," he said.
"When we played earlier in the season they gave us a touch up, and we weren't really in it for most of the game."
Ponsonby have not set the house on fire this season, but have somehow mostly got the job done without ever playing as well as they are capable.
Key player for Ponsonby is skipper Wiseguy Faiane, who directs play expertly from first-five, while another to watch is blindside flanker Kaleb Emile-Vaoga who has risen through the club's U21 ranks.
When Ponsonby and Manukau clashed in round robin play on April 30, Manukau won 36-31.
And while Ponsonby finished top of the round robin standings to claim the Alan McEvoy Memorial Shield ahead of second-placed Manukau, that honour came primarily due to Manukau edging out third-placed University 31-30 in the final round, when Ponsonby had the bye.
It was heady stuff considering a year earlier Manukau had almost lost this match-up by 100 points.
A week later the Manukau legend grew as they again beat University in the semis, coming from 0-19 down deep into the second half to win 21-19 thanks to a converted try to Faletoi Peni with the last play of the game.
But Manukau's coach development manager Boa Athu believes the real pivotal point for his team came back on July 2 in a 32-33 home loss to Waitemata.
"We had an understrength team and were facing a star-studded Waitemata team with eight rep players and were trailing 11-30.
"We put up a huge fightback, and while we still lost by one point, it really sparked the imagination, not just of the team, but of our supporters. Even in losing, we made a real connection.
"'Heart' can be the hardest thing to coach, and we discovered we had a lot of it. We were also team with a lot of X factor and comfortable playing whoever.
"Quite often with our games it seems that the first half doesn't quite go to plan and we give the opposition a head start before we suddenly spring into life like good racehorse heading for the finishing post."
Ten months earlier Athu had sat down with new coach Doug Sanft, who had come from Ardmore Rovers along with a couple of players – and a few more from Eden - and set an objective of making the top four. This they achieved with three weeks to spare.
Skipper Savelio Ropati has been huge at flanker for Manukau, while No 8 Neta Matakaiongo is colloquially known as the "man with the biggest heart in club rugby".
Manukau have won the Gallaher Shield twice – in 1968 and 1973, and on both occasions there was a Ponsonby link.
In 1968, before the days of an actual grand final, on the last weekend of the season Manukau triumphed 20-16 over Ponsonby to claim their first title.
And when Manukau won their only other title in 1973, it was after their coach, Albie Prior, had initially sought to sign on with Ponsonby, according to Ponsonby club historian Paul Neazor.
But Athu reckons history can be overstated.
"I was 2-years-old last time Manukau won. So some of us have waited a lifetime for this and it will be a very special occasion whatever happens.
"Our philosophy is to be creative and the players trust and believe in what we are doing.
"But above all we want to have a good time because that has been the formula for us. History is irrelevant."
# Auckland Transport has advised travel on buses and trains is included on all regular services with your match ticket from 12pm until end of service on Saturday. Please retain your match ticket after match for journey home with public transport. Face masks or coverings are required on all public transport.
Eden Park timetable, Saturday:
2.25pm: Farah Palmer Cup, Auckland Storm vs Manawatu.
4.35pm: Gallaher Shield Final, Ponsonby v Manukau.
7:05pm: The Battle of the Bridge, Auckland v North Harbour.
