Teenage players inspire mates to hold fast

By DAVID LEGGAT

Northland 32 Nelson Bays 13

Sport is loaded with tales of how celebrated figures of the past have helped inspire the current standardbearers with a few well-chosen words on the eve of a big day.

But Northland went back to the future as they counted down to their NPC promotion-relegation match against Nelson Bays in Nelson.

At their final team meal in Whangarei last week before flying south, the Northland players were told what it would mean to the province if they retained their first division place by a couple of teenagers.

Josh Barry and Willie Jobe, members of the Northland under 19 squad, addressed the players, and their words carried plenty of weight.

Jobe's father and grandfather played for the province. Both players clearly have their ambitions tied to the country's northernmost province.

"They told us why they wanted us to stay in the first division. That made us realise who we were playing for," two-try hero and lock Tim Henwood said.

The idea came from coach Bruce Hodder and his assistant, former Northland midfield back Mark Seymour.

"We're thinking about the future as well as the past," Hodder said.

"Often you drag people out of the past. Tails [former captain Glenn Taylor] came down, [former loose forward] Richard Hilton-Jones had spoken to the boys about how important it was for Northland, so it was great to see the future in front of these guys as well.

"Sometimes in this professional era you don't realise the history and all the links within a team. That's something we're keen to maintain and develop."

When the scoreboard at Trafalgar Park read "Nelson Bays 13 Northland 0" after half an hour on Saturday - and deservedly so - the flock of seagulls circling above the Northland end of the ground, where just about all the play had taken place until then, could have drawn an analogy with vultures hovering over the kauri carcass.

Nelson Bays, with the wind behind them, had shown what a good scrum, plenty of spirit and prospering from opponents' mistakes could achieve.

However, Henwood's first try, barging over to round off virtually Northland's first attack with any bite, got them on the board and gradually they took charge as the second division champions ran out of puff.

The critical moment came midway through the second half when Nelson Bays had forced a scrum in front of the Northland posts and seemed to have gathered a second wind.

Referee Paul Honiss pinged them for engaging too soon, Northland scooted away down the other end and that was effectively the game.

Captain Jared Going drew Northland level with a try after an overlap had been created and, as Nelson Bays repeatedly coughed up possession in the tackle, hooker Tim Dow, Henwood again and Hayden Taylor added further tries.

Relief was the overriding emotion for Northland, who had been pushed far harder than most predictions.

"I don't really rate these sort of games," Going said. "We've got everything to lose. It's all in the second division team's favour."

No 8 Jake Paringatai, first five-eighth Julian Huxley, lock Brad Taylor and Going all made weighty contributions for Northland in a game which had its share of niggly moments.

Nelson Bays should be happy with their season, even if they were left with a feeling of having tripped on the last step to the summit.

"The boys gave it everything," coach Wayne Love said. "It's just disappointing at the end of the day to get close to something and you can't quite take it away."

If they had, it would have been a giant step towards winning a place in the premier division slated for introduction in 2006. They might get in anyway, but on Saturday it was Northland who could breathe more easily of the two as they eyed the immediate future.

Going, son of Northland and All Black legend Sid, was asked what sort of reception he would have got if the game hadn't been won. He laughed.

"I might have had to keep going further north and head for the bush."


NPC fixtures, results and standings
Division One | Division Two |