The Battle of the Bridge is a provincial rugby rivalry worth reviving
It should be New Zealand provincial rugby’s greatest rivalry, but the Battle of the Bridge barely rates a mention on the list of great contests. Is 2017 the year to change all that? Scotty Stevenson certainly hopes so.
I have a soft spot for North Harbour. I really do. I once captained an under-19 grade Harbour side to three consecutive losses so I know all about defeat in the white, black and maroon. It was a hell of a team, too, back in 1996. It was built around three clubs – Takapuna, East Coast Bays, and Silverdale, and when we played each other in club footy it is fair to say there was not a lot of love lost. I still remember the club final against Silverdale. We lost 9-6 thanks to a late dropped goal. It was 21 years ago and I still hate thinking about it.
I played for Takapuna, and our home ground was Onewa Domain, the scene of the last great violent final in New Zealand provincial history. That Eric Rush and Robin Brooke were both sent from the field back in that 1994 season climax is evidence enough that the bad blood between Harbour and Auckland had boiled over that day. That Eric managed to knock out Zinzan Brooke probably deserved more that a card. It is one of the singular achievements of his, or anyone else’s rugby career. It deserved a medal.
There was more to that game than Eric Rush’s act of divine thuggery, of course. It was a ripper of a contest, really, with Colin Hawke doing his best to control a level of aggression more often seen in a shearers’ brawl at the Golden Fleece Hotel than on the playing field of a televised rugby final. That it remains the most famous game between these two provinces is both historically wonderful, and rather disconcerting.
Truth is, there have been some great games between Auckland and its upstart breakaway neighbour but rarely (if ever) have they reached the unadulterated levels of hatred that made that 1994 game famous. I’m not one to espouse violence as a virtue but by God that game had some feeling. The packed embankment, the windy afternoon, the week-long wind-up marketing campaign, the fact Auckland thought they should host the game – it all coalesced around eighty minutes of unbelievable entertainment.
Ian Jones was putting in grubber kicks down the sideline, Robin Brooke was kicking anything that was living until he was sent off, Blair Larson was swinging arms at heads and somehow wasn’t sent off, Waisake Sotutu was just looking like a boss with his legendary moustache. So good! Where are we now?
The sad truth is North Harbour have only won once against Auckland since 2006, and long before that, their fan-base had deserted them. A once packed Onewa Domain turned into a pitifully patronised Albany Stadium, and it has largely remained that way. I have never figured out why that is the case. Albany is easy to get to for those who dwell on the shore, it’s a perfectly good stadium with a good view of the ground, and the team is not exactly complete cake, as a title last year would tell you.
Anyway, stadiums, crowds, night games, SKY television, blah, blah, blah… the real question is how a rivalry between two provinces separated by the Diet Sydney Harbour Bridge, boasting a combined population somewhere around the one million mark is not the biggest thing in the game. It’s a mystery. No, it’s more than that. It’s a total debacle.
I say it is time to get back on the horse here. The Battle of the Bridge should not be some low-key mid-season showdown. It should be Auckland’s Old Firm, our most anticipated and talked about game all year. It should split families, strain friendships, earn and cost lunch bets, destroy marriages, make you choose between your children. It should be the biggest thing in town, not something that is happening next door while you hang out in a mega mall.
I say for Father’s Day you head along to Albany in the late afternoon and watch the battle reborn. Or at least let your dad go. He’ll remember Ofisa Tonu’u on fire in that 1994 final, and the Bunce-Little combination in full swing. He’ll remember the punches and the blood and Sean Fitzpatrick’s head-gear. He’ll even remember Warren Burton.
It’s a shame we don’t remember more.
Comments on RugbyPass
No Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
3 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
3 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
54 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
54 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
3 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
54 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
54 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
54 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
18 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
18 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
54 Go to comments