Varsity hit unknown depths in extraordinary finale

OPINION: It may be of scant consolation to those who came second in last Saturday's Manawatū club rugby final that it had the most dramatic denouement since finals began in 1980.

That was when the same two protagonists went at it, Gary Walker's College Old Boys downing the late Alan McRae's Varsity 22-12 in the first such final.

But Saturday's was next level, not that the winners were underdogs, nor because of the swathe of combatants playing on one leg or having taken the cortisone jab, but because after 43 minutes the Cobblers appeared poised to post 50 or 60.

I was resigned to composing a one-sided report, having no inkling the Massey tertiaries were about to enact the heist of all time by winning 34-33 after being in deficit by 21.

With 11 tries scored, the 67 points were the most in a final, eclipsing the 64 in 1997 when Te Kawau downed Feilding Old Boys 37-27.

Having inadvertently overheard COB's pre-match sermon delivered in florid lingua as their nearby ball-boys closed their ears, there seemed no way the dogged but ear-bashed Cobblers would dare lose after that harangue.

But beware, rugby is not an 80-minute game. The Scarfies proved to be patient beings. They'd taken 82 minutes and a 100-metre try to evict minor premiers, Old Boys-Marist, in the semifinals and took 89 minutes to score the winning touchdown in this final.

Varsity had endured three straight finals defeats against Feilding between 2019 and 2021, had lost five of their 12 matches this year and yet wound up with the Hankins Shield.

Stunned College OB devotees in their proud maroon glanced back at the scoreboard which showed 10 minutes 37 seconds of overtime, recalling the clock myth when Manawatū lost the Ranfurly Shield to North Auckland in 1978.

That time the minute hand was manually operated by a codger who was far from being an official arbiter, but the fable suits those who believe Manawatū was ripped off. This time the referees' association ran the timepiece.

Not that it mattered on Saturday because penalties over-rode everything and they came in floods against a short-handed COB defending their tryline trench. Ironically, it was a lad named Sword who delivered the coup de grace.

More minutes were taken up by gleeful Varsity celebrants rushing about vaulting on anything in sky blue as their reserves invaded the pitch, while prop Nick Grogan was figuring out how to hoof the conversion.

Then the presentation microphone went dead.

Never have there been so many injuries in a year of club rugby, COB always reliant on B-team reinforcements filling their bench and Varsity never better than half strength.

While COB were without their four under-20 players in South Africa, the four who played in those positions were among their best on the day.

COB have been the colossus of finals, having won 31, while Varsity, who now have only four teams, were once the most populated club in the country as young farmers flocked to Massey University.

Each letter of the alphabet was used to name their 26 teams which at peak included two senior sides and a dozen colts teams.

Back then the university ran the diploma in agriculture course (now way south at Telford in Balclutha) and fewer students are taking agricultural degrees. Every year the Dip Ag guys alone filled up to three colts teams.

Recently it has helped that Varsity have had burly Pasifika players including giant flanker Etika Vudiniabola, an aviation student. With 47 players used this year, it's going to be a team photo of width.

Hybrid vigour pays off berry well

The New Zealand Warriors' attack is not only looking sharp, but the emergence of Rocco Berry in the centres has been a revelation.

We knew his All Black father Marty who, in 1996, played for both the Hurricanes and Manawatū (out of High School Old Boys) under coach Frank Oliver.

Marty made the All Blacks from Greytown in Wairarapa-Bush and now Rocco will probably end up playing for the Kiwis from there after being fullback with the St Pat's Silverstream 1st XV.

While the Hurricanes missed nabbing him, he always wanted to play rugby league, and he spent two seasons playing league in Queensland for Redcliffe who were then a Warriors feeder club.

Next year he might have competition from Roger Tuivasa-Sheck when he returns to the Warriors, especially with Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad ensconced at fullback.

Marty Berry played two seasons in Italy at the end of his career in 1999 and some rugby league in the French second division. That was with St Cyprien near Perpignan, until they had money problems.

Then he went into rugby coaching and last year with the Hunter Hawks in Newcastle, New South Wales. Now, at 56, he's coaching the Leprechaun Tigers in Edmonton, Canada.