Nathan vividly recalls match-winning try

By CHRIS RATTUE

It is one of rugby's famous photographs, and for nearly 40 years, Waka Nathan's copy has been in storage.

But the old photograph, showing Nathan scoring the last-gasp, match-winning try for Auckland in Canterbury's 1960 Ranfurly Shield challenge, will see the light of day.

"I'm going to get it framed - it was such an amazing game," the 60-year-old Nathan said at his pork bone shop in Mangere Bridge.

"It's just one of those things. I put it in the old trunk and forgot about it."

Nathan doesn't have photographs from his playing days on show, but this one might even get pride of place in the shop he and his wife, Jan, bought 20 months ago.

The 1960 match at Eden Park started with drama, as Auckland arrived late due to the unusual amount of traffic around the ground, meaning the kickoff was delayed for 10 minutes.

As Nathan remembers it, Canterbury even sought to take the shield by default.

"That's definitely what [coach] Fred Allen told us, although maybe he was just stirring us up, which it did," Nathan said.

The legendary Allen says he told his players before the match that Canterbury wanted to borrow the shield to be photographed with it, so the Christchurch paper would have the picture in time. Allen wasn't called "The Needle" for nothing.

Nathan's try came after Auckland snatched a tighthead from All Black Dennis Young with time up.

Mac Herewini put in a kick, Nathan grabbed the bouncing ball on the goal-line and, with Wilson Whineray urging him on, headed behind the posts.

Auckland fullback Mike Cormack, now Nathan's lawyer, slotted the conversion for the 19-18 win.

"I've been asked about it so many times, especially when Canterbury and Auckland have a shield match," Nathan said.

"The ball bounced just over the goal-line. I can still see it clearly.

"Even with the crowd noise, I could hear Wilson Whineray yelling at me, but I intended getting round the posts anyway."

It was the fifth defence in a record-setting 25-game run by Auckland.

Nathan has now gone full circle, returning to work in the suburb of his childhood.

In the intervening years, the Nathans brought up their three daughters in Howick. They have just moved to Papatoetoe from Pukekohe.

Nathan, who worked for 24 years for Lion Breweries, owned the Manukau Tavern and sold insurance before buying the pork bone shop.

His most disappointing time in rugby came as the Maori advisory board member on the New Zealand Rugby Football Union during the 1981 Springboks tour.

"I don't know if the board even had a proper vote. I believed, coming from Maoridom, that you welcomed your visitors," he said.

"But I said in a television interview that the tour should be cancelled if things got too bad. The interview was never shown."

Nathan has had little direct involvement with rugby for 20 years, but goes to matches, and considered travelling to Christchurch for this Auckland challenge.

He still sees old team-mates such as Herewini, Barry Thomas and Pat Walsh, who owns a hotel near Nathan's shop.

"Ranfurly Shield rugby is like playing tests - I think it's still the same today," he said.

"I'd love to be playing now. Imagine getting paid that money for doing the thing you love.

"In 1963 we toured Britain for 36 games and lost one, on 10 bob a day.

"If it wasn't for my injuries, I wouldn't mind getting out there again.

"I just can't believe where the time has gone."