Rugby: Banner match always a crunch

Former NBHS players Kevin Douglas, left, and Philip (Huck) Berry discuss a 1950s three-peat by their former school in Polson Banner matches. Photo / Warren Buckland

Expect Warwick Holmes to cop a bit of flak when former Napier Boys' High School 1st XV rugby players gather for a pre-Polson Banner game luncheon today.

The retired Napier coroner and solicitor was a member of the 1956 NBHS 1st XV which beat Palmerston North Boys' High School 14-6 in Palmerston North to bring the banner, one of the country's oldest secondary school rugby trophies, home. The 113th edition of the annual fixture will be played in Napier today with the hosts eager to win it for the first time since 2013.

"Warwick fought his way over what he thought was the tryline to score what he thought was a try. It happened to be a touchline ... he got a bit disoriented," recalled one of his props on that occasion, Philip (Huck) Berry.

Holmes, Berry, 76, and former flanker Kevin Douglas, 75, will be among seven members of the 1956 team at their table at today's luncheon which will be attended by 180 former players. Captain Graeme Leadbetter, Mervin Harding, Doug McInnes and Milton Cunningham will be the others.

"We didn't have any players go on to be All Blacks but we were a very well-balanced team," Berry said.

A retired sales rep for Government Life, Douglas, pointed out another highlight for the 1956 team was beating Hastings Boys' High School 8-0 in one of the curtain-raisers to the Magpies' international against the Springboks. Key players in the team were powerful lock Gordon Love who went on to play for Northland and Hawke's Bay, future Magpies prop Tony Nattrass who also became a national wrestling champion and the two wingers, Baxter O'Brien and Ron Clifton, who were both sprint champions.

Berry, who retired in 2008 after 38 years as a physics teacher at NBHS but still teaches part-time at Sacred Heart College, and Douglas played in the 1957 fixture which NBHS won 9-0 courtesy of three penalties from Berry.

Berry also played in the 1958 edition at Palmerston North and kicked a last-second conversion from the sideline to secure a 5-all draw and the banner for another year.

"The banner game was always the crunch match of the year. No matter what happened in the other games during the season it was the definitive game of the 1st XV's season," Douglas explained.

"It's no different today," Berry said before listing future All Blacks Robbie Stuart, Richard Turner, Zac Guildford and Brad Weber, as "some of the better" players he has seen in recent seasons.

The original silk banner was donated by the 1902-12 NBHS headmaster, Mr A.S.M. Polson, and has the colours and the crest of the two respective schools on the reverse sides.

The winning school's date of win was embroidered on their side of the banner by their headmaster's wife.

Both Douglas and Berry said the coach of the 1956 team, teacher Alan Hunter, did a superb job.

"He now lives in Christchurch and has been back a few times for Polson Banner games. I wouldn't be surprised if he turns up this week," Berry said.

Handy Palmy players they faced included loosie Peter Cameron and future Manawatu, Wellington and New Zealand Universities rep Gary Hermansson who is attending his fifth Olympic Games in Rio as the New Zealand team's sports psychologist.

TV3 sports presenter Hamish McKay, a Palmerston North Boys' High School old boy, will be the guest speaker at today's luncheon and organiser Chris Tremain is confident it will become an annual event.

The full NBHS team for today's 12.30pm game is:

Humphrey Shield, Al Momoisea, Mitch Drew, Nathan Giles, Brayden Cunningham, Zarn Sullivan, Joshua McIntyre, Nick Hutton, Will Tremain, Joshua Bokser, Hunter Harding, Toby Holden, Cameron Huata, Tyrone Thompson, Fasitau Simati, Substitutes: Louis Coombe-Gray, Kaine Cargill-Issacs, Joshua Gimblett, Jack Vaimoli, Nikau McGregor, Samuela Korosigasiga, John Kerr/William Parsons.