Rugby: Counties Manukau discover joyous flair of days gone by

By D.J. Cameron

Perhaps it was the jingoistic outburst from the public announcer who tried to convince the smallish crowd that Counties Manukau were full to the brim with confidence as they ran out to play Northland in the first-division rugby match at Pukekohe Stadium on Saturday.

Or had the home players read the pertinent piece in the programme in which Rod Ketels, that honest-to-goodness Counties and All Black prop of not too long ago, spoke fondly of amateur fun his team-mates used to have in the days when Barry Bracewell and Hiwi Tauroa had Counties performing what these days would be regarded as try-scoring miracles?

The magic lives on. Counties Manukau cast aside the sackcloth that came with five consecutive losses, brushed off the ashes of their previous Saturday's Battle of the Bullring, and within 17 minutes had a 20-0 lead from three tries and a couple of goals.

Then Northland caught the fever of a perfect spring afternoon, cracked on two converted tries and were still in contact 19-27 after a first half of total joy.

Early in the second half Northland picked up to 24-30, but then Counties - much the tidier side and not so inclined to leave the loose ball lying about - broke away again.

Still, just before the end Hayden Taylor's corkscrew run brought Northland a try and a bonus point to make sure they did not journey home on Saturday evening without a point for their contribution to an afternoon of sterling and sometimes stunning rugby.

Among the heroes were the indomitable Glenn Taylor, the Northland skipper, who had a hand in most of the action, and perhaps in the further education of Gary Wise, an intelligently unobtrusive kind of referee from Hawkes Bay.

Joggie Viljoen played splendidly at halfback for Northland and Jared Going, if a little long in the leg for a first five-eighths, is developing well as a brave member of that famous brood.

But Counties Manukau won, even with the late loss of Joeli Vidiri and Paul Tom, because they rediscovered some of that old Counties flair, whether it came from Gus Leger's powerful work in midfield, the incredible defence of Glenn Marsh or the apparently jet-propelled jaunts of John Akurangi, who would quite definitely not be the worst hooker/lineout-thrower/ruck-organiser/loose attacker in the championship.

Afterwards Mac McCallion, the long-suffering Counties Manukau coach, had a smile on his face and a cleansing ale in his sights. He deserved it, after his men had earlier offered their own toast to the way Counties used to play in McCallion's day.