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A jubilant Southland celebrate with the Ranfurly Shield - Source: Photosport -
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Teak-hard southern men reached for their tissues at the same speed as rugby historians rifled through the record books after one of the great Ranfurly Shield outcomes in Christchurch on Thursday night.
Southland not only ended 50 years without the famous domestic prize but their 9-3 upset of holders Canterbury injected a life into the provincial lifeblood of the game.
The toppling of a rugby juggernaut and the wild celebrations it sparked at AMI Stadium surpasses anything the marketing men or razzle dazzle rugby can do to get an increasingly apathetic New Zealand public returning to the national sport.
It was a tryless, error-filled encounter on a wet evening but that won't be remembered as the community in the deep south rejoices over the summer.
Just ask manager Leicester Rutledge, the Southland stalwart who reckoned he had failed in 20 Shield challenges as a player, coach or manager.
For too long he has reflected on the closest of them, the 9-9 draw with Auckland in 1976.
Rutledge sensed something special was on the cards last night.
"For the last two days the planes, the trains, the buses have been full and they've all been headed to Christchurch," he told Sky Sport.
That support was obvious throughout the game but the fervour in the stands may be eclipsed at Invercargill Airport later this morning when the victorious team and Shield touch down.
"This caps a wonderful period of Southland rugby, it doesn't get any better than this," former All Blacks flanker Rutledge said.
Since North Auckland's 1978 reign, the Ranfurly Shield has barely been pried free of Auckland, Waikato, Wellington or Canterbury.
The exception was three short tenures - Taranaki in 1996, Bay of Plenty in 2004 and North Harbour in 2006.
Emotional celebration
Captain Jamie Mackintosh said the players didn't realise how much victory meant until they went sideline to celebrate with emotional fans.
"Leicester Rutledge is the old boy of our team, he's been there since I started. To see him crying is pretty awesome," Mackintosh said, relishing the trip south.
"I think we're in for a big couple of days."
It was Rutledge's son Jason, whose performance at hooker encapsulated the commitment of a Southland pack who established dominance in the second spell.
The challengers were fortunate to be level 3-3 at halftime after being camped on defence through the early stages but their fortitude made them stronger.
When first five-eighth Robbie Robinson landed the first of his three penalties soon before halftime, Mackintosh sensed a momentum shift.
"We knew they had done so much attacking and it was 3-3," the giant prop said.
"We hadn't played any field position and we wanted to test them under the high ball and put them under a bit of pressure.
"We finally got some phases in the second half. It wasn't pretty but we picked and went just like they did to us because it was pretty wet."
Missing up to eight All Blacks, Canterbury failed to respond and are left focusing on the defence of their Air NZ Cup silverware.
Their home semifinal as top qualifiers next week could well be against Southland, who needed victory last night to ensure a place in the playoffs.
The remaining round 13 fixtures will determine the playoff makeup, with Wellington, Hawke's Bay, Auckland and Waikato all in contention to fill the two remaining berths.
Canterbury Second five-eighth Tim Bateman, who took over as skipper when flanker George Whitelock limped out of the game early, said his inexperienced players would learn plenty from the defeat.
"We prepared this week like it was a final and that's the sort of rugby we can expect for the next two weeks," he said.
"The guys have to drop this one as fast as they can and come out next week with all guns blazing."
Once celebrations die down, Southland will aim to maintain their late-season surge in the playoffs.
They have all summer to prepare for a sixth Ranfurly Shield tenure.
And it should last longer than the 1959 reign, which began with a defeat of holders Taranaki but ended a game later at the hands of Auckland.
