Rugby: Mud, sweat and tears for battling Harbour

By CHRIS RATTUE

North Harbour's season came down to a cut-throat clash against Taranaki in New Plymouth.

Not that they knew for sure at the time of the game, in the second-to-last round.

But they had an inkling. There was a good chance that Harbour and Taranaki would end up level on points, and if so, the result of that game would be the tiebreaker.

In rough conditions, Harbour succumbed 3-13. Ultimately, even a bonus point would have got them through to the semifinals.

It exposed what has often been North Harbour's Achilles heel. They can dazzle, entertain, play as good and exciting rugby as you will see in New Zealand, although coaches Wayne Shelford and Allan Pollock have steered the side towards a more structured game.

But with a lightweight pack, they struggle in bad conditions. And in those key games that make and break seasons, they often find the hurdle just too big.

Three of Harbour's four losses - against Taranaki, Canterbury and Waikato - came in poor conditions.

Design and circumstance led them to playing two super-quick and lightweight flankers in Matua Parkinson and Craig Newby, and their pack includes the lightweight lock Matt Lord.

Potentially terrific on hard grounds, but always susceptible in the wet seems to be Harbour's label.

The flaw was most obvious in a disastrous tactical game against Canterbury, where the players apparently ignored the coaches' instructions to use a kicking game.

There were some courageous wins, especially against Northland, when they had to overcome decisions that went against them in Whangarei.

But that Taranaki game is the one they will remember.

"When we played well, we played very well, but we were bitterly disappointed to miss making the semifinals by a bonus point," said assistant coach Allan Pollock.

"Those are the [tiebreaker] rules and we knew them at the time, so we have no gripes.

"But if you are just talking about how to separate teams, then points for and against is surely a truer reflection of how you have played over a whole season.

"Using just one game doesn't take into account things like home advantage, the weather conditions or whatever. It puts it all on one game."

Those around the Harbour camp regarded Rua Tipoki as one of the outstanding contributors, even though the centre was not always over-enthused about his own season.

Harbour, looking for a backline linchpin with Walter Little in the twilight of his career, based a lot of their work around Tipoki.

That may have reduced the amount of running done by Tipoki, who has the most lethal sidestep in the New Zealand game.

But he showed a growing maturity with his kicking game and ability to work players around him into space.

Parkinson, who had a painful back problem through the season, and Newby were a dynamic combination.

Parkinson has hit a vital point in his career. With Josh Kronfeld off the scene, he will learn just how he is regarded in the top echelons when the All Blacks and New Zealand A sides are named.

Newby is also at an interesting point. As a sevens player, he has a "greyhound" physique designed for the constant running involved with the national team.

If he wins a Super 12 contract, he is likely to bulk up, at which point the real judgments about his 15-a-side rugby future can be made.

Whether Shelford and Pollock return for a fourth season remains to be seen. They expect to find out this weekend whether they have to reapply for their jobs.

On the face of it, the Harbour squad should not undergo too many big changes next season.

Marc Ellis has retired and Brumbies prop Rod Moore is uncertain if he will be able to return.

Unless the province can find another quality tighthead prop, Moore's return would seem vital for a side who need to show that they can consistently grind out results when the weather and situation demand.