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Jubilation as supporters witness Steamers triumph |
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Written by Matthew Torbit
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Tuesday, 17 August 2004 |
SOME Bay of Plenty fans stood in stunned glorious silence, mouths agape. Others yelled and hugged any person within reach wearing blue and yellow. ``We did it! We did!'' screamed a red-faced Kerry Russell of Mount Maunganui.
This was the scene at Eden Park yesterday when the final whistle blew on the greatest moment in Bay of Plenty rugby history as the Steamers took the Ranfurly Shield off Auckland 33-28.
Shawn Ngatai of Otaramarae calmly said: ``This is the best rugby day of my life.''
The burly man gazed on to the park with a serene smile on his face as Steamers captain Wayne Ormond held the shield aloft to the frenzied crowd.
``It's just fantastic,'' he said.
Eden Park was awash in a sea of yellow and blue as thousands of Bay fans filled the stands to see history in the making - matching, if not outnumbering, the ranks of Auckland supporters.
They had gathered to see the Ranfurly Shield demons of the previous 84 years exorcised, during which the Bay had lost all 18 challenges.
Adorned in face paint, wigs and banners, a core group of ardent Bay supporters gathered on the western terrace and immediately made their presence felt with merry chants.
At halftime, with the Steamers trailing 15-20, Bop Mafia organiser Nick Baker calmly stated: ``We're still in it.''
Part way through the second half, as the crowd sensed the impossible was about to happen, the level in vocal support stepped up - and one over-excited fan found himself ejected from the terraces.
The crowd's chant, ``Bring back Hori'', quickly changed to ``Bring back Lloyd, bring back Lloyd'', as two burly security staff escorted a skinny blue and yellow face-painted lad to the gate for alleged misdemeanours.
With minutes to go and and a five-point lead to the Steamers, Muturangi Whitewood said it was still to early to celebrate a Steamers victory.
``Don't forget what happened in '96,'' he warned sternly, recalling that year's one-point loss.
But as the final whistle sounded, the Mount Maunganui man let out a huge sigh of relief and allowed a huge grin to spread across his face. ``It's been a long time coming,'' he said.
After the game in the ground's car park, a sheepish Lloyd Anthony of Welcome Bay said he managed to catch the final moments on the big screen from the footpath outside the stadium after being booted out.
``I guess I was just a little bit too enthusiastic,'' he said as a group of his mates bear-hugged each other and screamed uncontrollably.
One of his companions, James Honeybone of Bethlehem, said he felt ``absolute jubilation'' at the final whistle.
``All those years of being so close - this bloody well makes up for the '96 game.''
As dejected blue and white supporters quickly drifted away, several thousand Bay fans remained at Eden Park to witness the Log o' Wood being passed into Bay of Plenty hands.
Afterwards, they spilled deleriously on to the streets, gently reminding any Auckland supporters they encountered of the result.
During their journey back to the Bay, motorists draped scarfs from car windows as a jubilant yellow and blue motorcade made its way home.
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