Fans celebrate historic win

Hawke's Bay Rugby Union members and fans experienced every emotion while watching the game at the Gintrap yesterday evening.

Celebrations continued long into the night at the Gintrap bar in Ahuriri as 44 years of Ranfurly Shield pain was washed away with a nailbiting Magpies win over Otago.

Hawke's Bay Rugby Union members and fans rode the rollacoster, as every play and bounce of the oval ball brought further excitment and anticipation.

As the game's momentum shifted from Otago to Hawke's Bay and back so did the emotions of the 100 or so fans. Oohs and aahs were accompanied by screams of ecstasy and disappointment as the live action was broadcast across the pub's big screens.

At halftime, with the score in Hawke's Bay's favour at 13-9, the tension inside the bar rose as the faithful sensed a rare chance to snatch New Zealand rugby glory.

The crowd grew jubilant and began to celebrate after first five Ihaia West produced some individual brillance to score under the posts and extend the lead to 20-9. "Not long now," were some of the murmours from the crowd. "It's ours, we might just win this," said one fan.

In all historic sporting contests, there is always a dramatic shift of momentum in the dying minutes and the Ranfurly Sheild still brings out the inner pride and passion for every provincial player.

Otago gave themselves a chance when centre Jayden Spence scored but flyhalf Hayden Parker's missed the conversion. At 20-14 it was Hawke's Bay's match to lose, and the Gintrap crowd knew it.

Minutes, seconds were being counted down. Every Hawke's Bay knock-on, lost ball, bad pass it didn't matter as long as the defence held till the end.

Then incredibly as the Otago fans at Forsyth Barr Stadium began one final hurrah to try to get their team up, not wanting to relenquish the shield after winning it last week for the first time since 1957, the blue and golds scored in the 73rd minute.

In the final seconds, after a long series of rucks, Otago had one final chance to win the game with a dropped goal. Everyone in the room knew it was coming, everyone prayed to the best but also prepared for the worst.

"Charge down!" screamed the sea of black and white. A mad scramble for the loss ball saw the referee blow his whistle for a knock-on and the end of the match.

"It's a once in lifetime thing,!" said one fan following the win. "This is huge, its going to be the biggest, rowdiest night ever,!"