Lindsay Knight: An(other) Auckland trifecta

When Auckland lifted the Ranfurly Shield off Canterbury a fortnight ago their feat passed with little recognition. And should they beat Wellington in the NPC final tomorrow night, it could be another accomplishment in danger of not quite earning the recognition and accolades it deserves.

Understandably, of course, the chief rugby focus is on the World Cup and the jitters New Zealanders, increasingly mystified by the planning of coaches John Mitchell and Robbie Deans, are feeling about the All Blacks' chances.

But in Wellington tomorrow the young Auckland side, having been the despair of many fans only a few weeks ago, are poised for one of the great trifectas in New Zealand domestic rugby.

If Auckland win they will have finished the season as holders of the Ranfurly Shield and also NPC champions.

And they will also be the host union for the Blues Super 12 franchise whose side, with only one loss in the competition, prevailed over their Canterbury-based arch foes, the Crusaders, in an all-New Zealand final.

The latter triumph requires some qualification.

Strictly speaking the Blues are not the Auckland provincial team. North Harbour and Northland are also partners in the franchise, but that is a minor quibble.

Everyone knows who dominates the Blues, and of the Blues team that won the final only two of the starting XV, prop Deacon Manu and wing Rico Gear, were non Aucklanders.

To suggest then that there would be no Auckland treble if Wellington are overcome in the NPC would be pin pricking.

Where would such a three-pronged crown rate among the achievements of New Zealand provincial rugby?

Pretty well near the best, even though a similar feat has already been achieved.

The precedent was set in 1996 and again it was by Auckland and the Blues.

In the euphoria that was aroused by Taranaki upsetting Auckland (minus heaps of All Blacks in South Africa) for the Ranfurly Shield, it may have been forgotten that Auckland ended the season as holders.

When Zinzan Brooke, Robin Brooke, Michael Jones, Sean Fitzpatrick, Olo Brown and company returned from South Africa they duly rumbled all over Waikato to regain the shield.

The same players then comfortably won the NPC final over Counties-Manukau - then their partners in the Blues, and who a few months previously had won the inaugural Super 12 final from the Natal, or as they are now known, the Sharks.

Since then no one else has won all three in the year, not even Canterbury, aka the Crusaders, in their golden seasons between 1997 and 2002.

They won the NPC title in 1997 and again in 2001 and in the latter season played through the season as the shield holders. They were the Super 12 champions in three consecutive years between 1998 and 2000 and again last year.

They held the shield between 2000 and last year but never won all three in the one season.

They were within an ace of doing so in 2000 but lost a close NPC final to Wellington, being denied a victory when referee Paul Honiss declined to award a last-gasp penalty try, even though a professional foul by Wellington's Dion Waller appeared to be blatant.

It looks a fairly safe assumption that what Auckland/Blues achieved in 1996, and may repeat tomorrow night, will remain something exceptional.

Since the NPC adopted a playoff system in 1992, it has been clear that to defend the shield through an entire season and then undergo another psychological rev-up for the semifinals has been devilishly difficult.

Auckland failed in 1992, so did Waikato in 1993 and Canterbury in 1994, and although Auckland did the shield-NPC double in 1995 the shield was won at the end of the season. Through 1997-2000 Waikato found considerable difficulty balancing shield defences with away NPC matches.

An Auckland treble this year cannot be taken for granted, given the history of the past 10 years and Wellington's chances should not be discounted.

But if the third leg is struck tomorrow night, then it will be another ominous signal for the rest of New Zealand rugby.

Canterbury have been the pre-eminent union of the past five or six years, and that has been reflected in their dominance of the All Blacks and at the present World Cup.

But it is clear that the next few years are going to belong to what could be another Auckland dynasty almost as grand as that from 1984 to the mid 1990s.

Past winners

New Zealand premier provincial trophy holders since 1992:

1992: Auckland (shield), Waikato (NPC)

1993: Waikato (shield), Auckland (NPC)

1994: Canterbury (shield), Auckland (NPC)

1995: Auckland (shield, NPC)

1996: Auckland (shield, NPC), Blues Super 12

1997: Waikato (shield), Canterbury (NPC), Blues (Super 12)

1998: Waikato (shield), Otago (NPC), Crusaders (Super 12)

1999: Waikato (shield), Auckland (NPC), Crusaders (Super 12)

2000: Canterbury (shield), Wellington (NPC), Crusaders (Super 12)

2001: Canterbury (shield, NPC), ACT Brumbies (Super 12).

2002: Canterbury (shield), Auckland (NPC), Crusaders (Super 12).