Wynne Gray: The day Hamilton came to a halt

Waikato v Auckland. It seemed that annual clash always occurred on Queen's Birthday Monday in Hamilton to begin both unions' representative programmes.

It was not until the NPC was accepted that the traditional Rugby Park match shifted dates and location.

Promotion about the game was redundant.

Nothing much else mattered in Hamilton that day, there was never any doubt it was the country cousins' chance to deal to the city slickers.

It was a heavyweight rugby clash.

For decades the rivalry between Waikato and Auckland was more intense than any other provincial matches.

Auckland would assemble in the morning for the bus ride down State Highway 1 while a fair chunk of Hamilton's population turned out for a street parade. The city's focus was squarely on the game and the afternoon kickoff at Rugby Park.

The New Zealand Railways bus carrying Auckland would arrive at somewhere like the Commercial Hotel for the players to have lunch and prepare for the match. It was often a 2pm kickoff so the dairy farming community could attend the match and still be home in time for milking.

Once the game was over and the after-match festivities concluded, Auckland would get back on the bus for the late-night trip home.

"It was always a heck of a game," one Auckland veteran of those clashes recalled.

"If we won then it looked like we would keep our place in the team but if we were beaten, especially during Fred Allen's time, then we got a bit twitchy about probable changes in personnel."

Some things still remain the same for tomorrow's match between the provinces.

It will be a daytime kickoff and both sides will be twitchy about a result after both were defeated in earlier rounds by Bay of Plenty.

Rugby Park has been transformed into the magnificent Waikato Stadium, arguably the best rugby arena in the country, while Auckland travel today to get prepared for this third round NPC match.

Rival coaches John Mitchell and Pat Lam have both played in these furious neighbourly contests but tomorrow is their coaching debut.

Both men were loose-forwards, captained their provinces and played for the All Blacks though neither played a test. Lam is the younger man at 35 (Mitchell is 40) yet he beat Mitchell to an All Black jersey in 1992 and later captained Samoa and played at two World Cups.

Mitchell pulled on the red, yellow and black Mooloo colours 134 times and famously, in his 50th victory as Waikato captain, led his side to the Ranfurly Shield triumph against Auckland in 1993.

That match was at Eden Park but it must rank high in the history of epic clashes between the provinces and is right up with Mitchell's best memories of meetings between the unions.

"We managed to get up twice against them in '92 and '93 on Eden Park and that was quite unknown. We always were seen as the little brother in the backyard, really," Mitchell said.

"Even now, Auckland are seen as the team to beat. Let's face it, they have won the last two NPCs so they set the standards for other teams to aspire to. They have wonderful resources and the most talented players in the country."

Mitchell said it was always a monumental battle when he played against Auckland.

Lam played his Auckland blazer game against Waikato in the early 90s at the old Rugby Park. "There was plenty of mud, I remember, but we won. The other game I recall vividly was the game the next year when Waikato came and got the Shield. I was not involved in that one.

"I did not have that many games against Waikato," he said.

"But they always had great loosies like Mitch, Duane Monkley, Richard Jerram and we always knew it would be a real battle against their pack. It was always very torrid up front because they had some great quality forwards."

The cowbells do not give Lam nightmares but he remembers the din they created.

"They were very annoying but it is all part of the atmosphere and it is something else down there."

Lam has been on a tour of the Waikato Stadium but never watched a game of rugby there.

The ground inspires him but most of all he wants to be impressed by the result tomorrow so he and the team can have a pleasant bus ride home.

The last 10 times:



2003: Auckland 15 Waikato 33

2002: (final) Auckland 40 Waikato 28

Auckland 16 Waikato 25

2001: Auckland 21 Waikato 13

2000: Auckland 24 Waikato 13

1999: Auckland 33 Waikato 19

1998: Auckland 23 Waikato 24

1997: Auckland 29 Waikato 31

1996: Auckland 27 Waikato 7

1995: Auckland 37 Waikato 15