Amazing Rugby Week - Random Ramblings
Sounds like I'm not the only one still busy pinching myself to make sure that I'm not dreaming. The dream of Bay of Plenty holding the Ranfurly Shield is now a reality. Not without some last minute hitches in typical BoP fashion, thanks to some minor second division Union desperate for a day in the sun, but nothing can derail this most remarkable week.
The Mafia journey began in foul weather on Sunday morning and the meeting point at the Bombay's saw several buses and many cars stop off. But with everyone operating on different timelines, rather than one big large convoy we ended up with several small informal ones, HoriBOP leading a bus and about 8 cars down the motorway and for the assault on Eden Park.
From the start the terraces felt like we were at a home game for the BoP, and that feeling only grew as the Auckland-based BoP Mafia contingent arrived right on kickoff, fresh from a top effort demolishing kegs of Ranfurly beer! It would seem that "fans" of the Auckland team were saving their money and waiting for a "real challenge" later on in the season. Mafia banners were out in force, from "Bring Back Hori" to "Get off the Grass" to "We will BOP you"... along with the usual shameless marketing material to draw in more Bay fans to the Mafia.
It was a top effort from the Mafia contingent, only distracted by the cheerleaders on occasion, and a desire to torment the humourless security guard stationed out in front of us. I wonder if he is still busy shaking his head at us claiming we'll take the Shield... but more on the security team at Eden Park will doubtless appear in the "Know your Enemy" section in future days.
At halftime there was cautious optimism... along with brief pauses to make sure we'd still have our vocal chords intact for the final minutes of the game. In some ways there was relief that we weren't massively ahead like in the game that didn't happen in 1996. We weren't sure if our blood pressure could take a choke from a long way in front again...
As the game went on the Bay fans in the terrace were whipped up into a frenzy. For the final 10 minutes everything seemed to be in slow motion. Tahana's final try sparked delirious scenes. Tahana said later he wasn't sure of the try and couldn't look at the big screen, but knew it would be awarded it when he heard a certain crowd erupt!
Full time and strangers hugged strangers like they'd just met long-lost friends. People yelled, screamed, stood silently with stunned smiles, others shed tears, all celebrated in their own way a very special moment. Reporters, cameras... and security guards... all came our way. 10 minutes later also came the Bay players on their victory lap. Strained voices once again rose into a roar, followed by yet more high fives & hugs.
Leaving the ground led to more screams and yells, and phone calls from people in the US... and Palmerston North. Heading back to the motorway with Radio Sport the station of choice we basked and wallowed in the attention of Murray Deaker, and laughed at the cretinous Doug Golightly for his moronic "The only surprise will be if the Bay get within 30 points" the day before. Paul Abbot came on air and we cheered. In fact, we cheered everything, with a Bay scarf trailing out the window on the motorway we waved and yelled even at a police car ready to catch speeding motorists - he had the right colours on his vehicle...
After a detour via Hamilton I turned up at Worlds End in Tauranga to greet the Shield along with a couple of hundred others - and the TV1 and TV3 news teams, and local media. Not many bars would hum like this on a cold Sunday night!
The team arrived back around 11:30pm if my memory serves correctly, and the Shield was soon working its way around. I managed to sneak a few photos of it with me, my brother, and other Mafia members. Will have to post them when scanned... The players were in great form, Taufa'ao Filise didn't even seem to notice or mind HoriBOP referring to him as "Aleki" several times in conversation! HoriBOP also managed to record a late night interview for "morning report"
The next day we arose to the news that some clown from Hawkes Bay was trying to rain on the parade. Luckily it seems he has been shown to be fairly spiteful, but not much else.
With my voice still shot from the game, Strepsils were called for, as was an interview called for by TV3. They edited most of my comments out later that evening, as hoarseness added to a voice already "made for the Internet" wasn't a good sound...
Had my photos developed not long after, and they have been shown proudly around all week, the next step as well as a scanner is to have one enlarged and framed! Informal Mafia discussions also centered around how much money we would need to find to keep Jacko at the Bay after the end of the season. Frantic behind the scenes efforts also revealed that Liam Barry and Rob Nichol couldn't comment on the eligibility saga until the QC's report was released. It would also seem that Ian Condon may have received a few e-mails from unhappy BoP fans, and the Mafia lobbied Radio Sport over the issue behind the scenes.
It has been a good week for the Mafia, there are now another 100 of us, and from the e-mails we have received, many are somewhere on cloud 9. Some have now decided that "there is a God" and that their "life is now complete", others that "Paul Tupai is a huge legend", some told us that "Ian Condon acted like jilted school-girl", others that "dreams do come true". All are celebrating.
On media watch at the same time as Bay Imports monitored the media from Sydney, the good news of the QC report came through at around 3pm. I'm sure I could hear the yells of delight from Bay Imports all the way from Sydney! Those of us lurking on www.thesilverfern.com at the time agreed it felt like winning the Shield all over again. Our attention now turned to sticking the boot into Waikato as our great leader HoriBOP was interviewed yet again. Rumour has it that Waikato may be 'protecting' their number 1 ground at Waikato stadium to keep it in top shape for their "first Shield defence" against Auckland next week. Nothing like being optimistic I suppose...
More Strepsils are being taken to build up our resistance to hoarseness... see you at the Waikato game!
GOOOOOOO THE BAAAAYYYYYYYY!!
Current Ranfurly Shield holders.