The Ranfurly Shield is heading to Southland for the first time since 2011 after the Stags stunned holders Waikato 25-10 in a classic NPC encounter.
In horrid conditions in Hamilton, Southland defied the odds against a Waikato side boasting four current All Blacks - Ollie Norris, Samipeni Finau, and LukeJacobson in the forward pack, with Anton Lienert-Brown lining up in the midfield.
But the Stags were undeterred. Trailing 10-3 after 20 minutes, they clawed their way back into the contest to claim the Log o’ Wood and secure their third consecutive win of the season.
Southland captain Sean Withy told Sky Sport the Shield triumph means everything to the province, evoking memories of their famous reigns in 2009 and 2011.
“We tapped into what it was in 2009 and 2011, and we know the Shield means so much to our province from then, that’s what we really wanted to do,” Withy said.
“We wanted to bring the Shield home. People still talk about those days and we wanted to write our own script and create our own history.”
Waikato were defending the trophy for the first time, having claimed it only eight days earlier from Taranaki. But they were undone by a Southland side that grew stronger as the match went on, particularly in a decisive second-half burst.
The turning point came during a 10-minute period when the Stags struck twice to seize control. In the 51st minute, with Southland leading 11-10, No 8 Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa broke from the base of a scrum and surged down the wing before linking with halfback Nic Shearer, who slid over in the corner.
Just nine minutes later, Byron Smith’s clever chip kick over the Waikato defence was gathered by Fletcher Morgan, who beat two defenders to score.
From there, the Stags never looked back, closing out one of their most famous victories of recent times to the delight of the small band of travelling fans.
Waikato halfback Xavier Roe admitted to Sky Sport the visitors simply had more desire.
Southland's Fletcher Morgan scores and celebrates his try. Photo / Photosport
“Southland just brought a lot more heart than us,” Roe said. “They just wanted it a lot more. They were better technically as well, and used the wind to good effect in that second half. Full credit to them, they were awesome.”
Southland’s first defence will be on Saturday against Canterbury, the only unbeaten side in the competition after five rounds.
Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.
