Shield held: Canterbury survive a Bay of Plenty comeback, 33-28

The Ranfurly Shield does something to a game of rugby, and it did it again on Saturday.

Canterbury held on to the Log o' Wood 33-28 against Bay of Plenty at One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha, in their first defence since taking it off Otago 19-15 the week before. That win started Canterbury's 18th tenure, a record, and for about ten minutes on Saturday afternoon it looked like being one of the shortest.

Canterbury had the thing under control at 21-7 by halftime. Dallas McLeod scored twice inside the first 39 minutes, Jone Rova had crossed in between, and Andrew Knewstubb was steering it. Comfortable enough.

Then Benet Kumeroa scored on halftime, and the game changed.

What followed was the sort of second half that makes Shield rugby worth the drive. Lucas Cashmore went over on 50 minutes. Kumeroa got his second on 56, which is a fine afternoon's work for a loosehead prop. Reon Paul crossed on 61. The Steamers did not miss a kick all day, four conversions from four, and suddenly it was 28-28 with about fourteen minutes left and a very quiet home crowd.

Canterbury found one more. Chay Fihaki made the break, Daniel Lienert-Brown threw the inside pass, and Toby Bell was there to take it in the 71st minute. It went unconverted, which left five points in it, and it stayed that way. A later Canterbury try was pulled back for a knock-on.

It is worth noting that Bell was reportedly making only his fifth NPC appearance. Not a bad time to score your first Shield-winning try.

The bit that will haunt the Bay

Here is a coincidence you could not write. 33-28 is the exact score by which Bay of Plenty won the Ranfurly Shield off Auckland on 15 August 2004, twenty-two years to the day. That remains the last time the Bay held it.

Their captain Naitoa Ah Kuoi did not hide from what it felt like.

"Footy's still alive, footy's back and oh my God, that hurt."

He also said something that will resonate with anyone who has been close a few times:

"I've lost seven finals and I would love to win one, especially for the Bay."

In the build-up, coach Richard Watt had framed it exactly right: "It's a one-off, very rare event, so we've just got to embrace it, and lap up the history of it all." No.8 Nikora Broughton said members of the 2004 team had been in touch. "Times might have changed, the Shield hasn't."

They were right about that.

What it means

Canterbury sit second on the ladder, unbeaten at 3-0, with the Shield still in the cabinet. Bay of Plenty are eighth, and take a losing bonus point and a lot of belief out of a game they might have won.

And the Shield does not sit still. Northland challenge Canterbury on Thursday 20 August, fresh off a 42-0 win over Taranaki, sitting fourth and playing as well as anyone in the competition.

The Log o' Wood keeps its habit of making every week feel like the biggest one.