It's RANFURLY SHIELD time

City or the Bush?

By TANYA KATTERNS - The Dominion Post | 5:00AM - Thursday, 02 July 2009

HORI THOMPSON: The youngest player in Wairarapa's 1950 shield-winning team.
“Anything is possible, isn't it? I'll be backing Wararapa-Bush, no question about that.”
— PHIL REID/The Dominion Post.

It has been 59 years between drinks but the drought has not dampened shield fever as Wairarapa-Bush embark on a stoic challenge to regain the country's most well-known sporting trophy.

At least 5000 heartland supporters will flock to Masterton's Memorial Park today as Wairarapa-Bush battle to snatch the Log o' Wood from Wellington. Kickoff is at 3.05pm.

If the betting odds are anything to go by, however, Wairarapa go into the game as underdogs. TAB bookies have the team at $100 to win or draw and Wellington at $5 to win by 50 to 80 points, and $6 to win by 111-plus.

Not since 1950 has Ranfurly Shield fever reached such fervour in Wairarapa. Then the local team captured the shield with a 3-0 drop-goal win over Canterbury.

One of that team's star performers and captain on the day, former All Black Alan "Kiwi" Blake, said they were the heady days of Wairarapa rugby.

"It was such a great win for us because not only were we playing in Canterbury's turf but we were not expected to be any challenge to them at all."

The day was so special that the boots of fullback Alf Mahupuku, whose drop goal sealed the match, are kept for posterity at Wairarapa-Bush Rugby Union headquarters.

However, Wairarapa's hold on the shield was shortlived.

The youngest player at the time, Hori Thompson, said most players thought the season had ended so left the region for shearing work.

"The coach turned up on a Thursday at work and said, ‘You guys are playing this weekend’. Most of the lads had been drunk for two weeks since the win ... and no one had been training." Wairarapa went down 17-14 to South Canterbury in the first defence.

Today's tussle would be a showdown between the power of a city side and the more laidback form of country lads, Wairarapa-Bush chief executive Phil Taylor said.

"We are the gumboot boys and they are the briefcase lot. We train two or three times a week while they train maybe every day. All we want to do is perform to our best."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/wellington/2557233/City-or-the-Bush