Rugby: Northland rue losing 'big one'

By Chris Rattue

It was like hearing that classic line from one of Northland's many fishing holes.

"It was this big," says one bloke, with his arms outstretched, "but it got away."

In this case, it nearly was that big. And it certainly got away.

The big fish was Otago, 1998 NPC rugby champions. And the little bloke on the rocks was Northland, the sprats of the 1998 season when they won nothing in nine attempts, including suffering a record thrashing at Carisbrook.

Otago came to the Northland Rugby Stadium in Whangarei on Saturday minus some very good players - including six All Blacks, among them the great Kronfeld and Wilson.

But they still had an All Black inside back combination, Super 12 players all over the park, supposedly some of the most promising front rowers in the country, and a respected Super 12 locking combination who should know more about each other than a couple of cell mates on a long stretch.

The champions got away with an opening-round win, 21-14, but only just. And it was hardly deserved.

"We're not all that pleased with the way we played," said Otago manager Des Smith yesterday. Which, considering some of the dour quotes the likes of Tony Gilbert and other southern rugby luminaries are famous for, is a bit like saying, "We were crap."

The Otago scrum went belly up for periods, although the young front rowers like Carl Hayman and Andrew Hore did get their moments of revenge. It was so awful in the early stages that the Northland scrum looked like a team of Carl Hoefts and Olo Browns, and Otago looked as if they should have been doing bob-a-jobs or selling Girl Guide biscuits. All very strange, considering their respective positions last year.

In the end, though, Otago had enough nous to do the business. They were gifted an early try to Romi Ropati when hooker Jason Hammond was dazed in the tackle by Isitolo Maka and lost possession. Otago's second came when the Northland scrum did not stand up, giving Kelvin Middleton enough of a start to charge down halfback Sam Pinder's clearing kick and Pita Alatini pounced.

Nick White rumbled on a long run - for a prop - to the corner for Northland's only try. White was denied another when he could not get the ball over the line, and Jason Hita was denied a couple of times in the closing stages.

In the end, Northland didn't know whether to laugh or cry. It was an encouraging effort. But you don't get a better chance to bowl the champions than playing at home when they've turned up short- handed.

"I think the Northland rugby public and a lot of the hierarchy were very pleased," said coach Bryce Woodward. "As players and coaches, we were bitterly disappointed that we let it get away."