Rugby: Triggs recalls tough encounter

Hayden Triggs came off the bench to score a vital try in the last clash. Photo / Richard Robinson

Hayden Triggs is the sole survivor of the last Maori All Blacks-NZ Barbarians clash in 2010, and he carries fond memories of that epic encounter.

The 33-year-old Maori lock came off the bench to score a vital five-pointer in a nine-try thriller that was decided by a superb Hosea Gear score in the dying throes.

"That was off a wee scrum move [coach] Jamie Joseph set up. That was a bloody good team, that one," recalled Triggs, ahead of tonight's game at Eden Park. He is not wrong. There were 10 present or future All Blacks in the Maori, while the Barbarians had nine. Ben Smith played at second five, while first five Colin Slade, centre Rene Ranger and prop Jamie Mackintosh had blinders. The Barbarians led 31-30 until Hosea Gear's late score, which came from some slick five-eighths play by Stephen Brett and Luke McAlister.

Tanerau Latimer played a big hand in Triggs' second-half score.

"We attacked from the 40m, a couple of phases, I got the ball, passed it back inside to him and Lats busted about 3-4 tackles then lobbed it back to me on the inside. I think it was Alby Mathewson who tried to stop me," Triggs said. "I remember after that Jamie Jo saying I was a game-changer!

"We had Liam Messam, Lats, Luke, Hosea. Both teams were star-studded, the best outside the All Blacks at the time. It was an exciting, free-flowing game. I'm pretty sure that's what we'll find [tonight] as well."

Over 9000 turned up at the newly named Toll Stadium in Whangarei. The atmosphere was highly charged, though maybe not quite like the days when 40,000 packed Okara Park in Northland's Shield glory days of the 1970s.

That match was the first of a three-game internal tour to celebrate 100 years of New Zealand Maori rugby, which was capped on a stirring Wednesday night in Napier when a Hosea Gear hat-trick saw them to a 35-28 win over England.

"It was a massive year for Maori rugby. That was the first time we had a design on our jersey and it was unreal to have an internal tour focused on the Maori cultural hubs of New Zealand. There was massive support and expectation to represent Maori well. I think we did that."

Triggs holds that tour as one of his special rugby memories and feels the work done by successive coaches Joseph and now Colin Cooper has made the team more professional.

Triggs knows the importance of tonight's game. He is without a Super Rugby contract, so is playing for his future when he links up again with North Harbour for the ITM Cup.

"But look at the Baabaas. There's some exciting talent for the present and future. We are preparing as if it's another test match."