Wellington first-five Aidan Morgan tries to clear the ball past Hawke's Bay utility back Ollie Sapsford in Wellington last year. Photo / NZME
Giant Hawke’s Bay Magpies mascot Hawkeye won’t be allowed on to Wellington’s Sky Stadium for Saturday’s Ranfurly Shield challenge and so he won’t be going on a capital sojourn.
Answering a query from Hawke’s Bay Today, a Wellington Rugby spokesperson said on Thursday that “unfortunately” the trailer which carries the 58-year Hawkeye “won’t be able to go on the ground at Sky Stadium”.
The spokesperson also said that in addition to weight and size specifications which had been provided, it needed a “wind rating”.
He would’ve been in the trusty hands with barrister Eric Forster answering the call after Hawke’s Bay Today revealed earlier that Hawkeye needed to hitch a ride to the capital, but the final say went to the weather.
A disappointed Forster, who was going to tow it but is still himself going, said: “Rugby needs to be a bit more tribal, and this is all part of it.”
The ground is owned by the Wellington Regional Stadium Trust, established by the Wellington regional and city councils, but the decision was made by the Wellington union.
The MetService forecast for Wellington is for “a few” showers, and “strong southerlies” only and easing in the evening, making the parking of Hawkeye a risk anywhere else other than a sheltered corner of the field in the waterfront stadium affectionately known as “The Caketin”.
Hawkeye has big history with Magpies Ranfurly Shield endeavours, having first appeared for a challenge against Taranaki in New Plymouth in 1965, and being on hand during Hawke’s Bay’s famed 1966-1969 shield reign, featuring, among many others, Tremain’s father, captain Kel Tremain.
Meanwhile, head coach Brock James has kept the tight five and backline intact from last Saturday’s win over Southland in Invercargill as the Magpies try to regain the shield which Wellington claimed with a 19-12 win in Napier last year, ending a three-year reign since the Magpies claimed the prize with a win over Otago in Dunedin in 2020.
The change to the starting lineup is in the loose forward, with Sam Smith shifted from the flank to the subs bench, and Marino Mikaele Tu’ u shifting from No 8 to the flank to make way for the return of Devan Flanders.
The running rugby of the two sides in 2023 shapes for an exciting match, with interest particularly in the performances of the two first five-eighths – Magpies No 10 Lincoln McClutchie, who has scored 427 points and could end the match in 4th place among the highest-scoring Magpies representatives of all time, and Aidan Morgan, who has scored over 200 points in 34 appearances for Wellington.
There’s a big Hawke’s Bay-Wellington history in Ranfurly Shield rugby.
It was Wellington that Hawke’s Bay first beat in a Shield challenge, a 19-9 win at Athletic Park, Wellington in 1922 and starting the winning era that did not end until almost five years later.
In 1967 there was a 12-12 draw in Napier, the Magpies saving the shield only with a last seconds dropped goal from first five-eighths Blair Furlong, and there was a dramatic 13-12 win to Wellington defending the shield at Athletic Park in the capital in 1982.
Hawke’s Bay has in all successfully challenged for the shield six times, with three of those wins being in the past decade, back to a 20-19 win over Otago in Dunedin after Hawke’s Bay had been without the shield for 44 years since 1969.
It’s a tough challenge, with NPC defending champions Wellington having won all 9 games this year, and last weekend setting a Wellington Lions record of 19 consecutive wins, with a 26-6 win over North Harbour in Porirua, while the Magpies are 6th on the NPC ladder with six wins and three losses, but going into the challenge with big wins over Manawatu and Southland in the past fortnight.
The TAB on Friday had Wellington a warm favourite to win, paying $1.33, while the Magpies were quoted at $3.20.
The Magpies team for the match starting at 2.05pm is: 1 Pouri Rakete Stones, 2 Tyrone Thompson, 3, Joel Hintz, 4 Geoff Cridge, 5 Tom Parsons (captain), 6 Marino Mikaele Tu’u, 7 Josh Kaifa, 8 Devan Flanders, 9 Brad Weber, 10 Lincoln McClutchie, 11 Jonah Lowe, 12 Chase Tiatia, 13 Nick Grigg, 14 Ollie Sapsford, 15 Lolagi Visinia.
Subs: 16 Jacob Devery, 17 Tim Farrell, 18 Bo Abra, 19 Frank Lochore, 20 Sam Smith, 21 Folau Fakatava, 22 Stacey Ili, 23 Caleb Makene.