OUT THE BLOCKS | What are your favourite NPC moments of the season?

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

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Scotty (0:15)

We are gonna be talking this morning about the NPC.

Izzy (0:18)

Yes.

Scotty (0:19)

And I thought last night, I went to bed, and I thought to myself, what are your moments of the season? In all seriousness, and I love this to be our text line side hustle today, what are your favorite moments of this NPC season? The Shield took us on a hell of a trip, did it not? Bay of Plenty, almost got it. Canterbury beat Otago, they've got it. Northam went to Canterbury, did the unthinkable.

Did the unthinkable. Still leads to one I think, and this should be enshrined in Ranfurly Shield lore, that's L-O-R-E, that Rob Rush's story about seeing David Holwell after the game.

I played 120 odd times for Northam, never saw the Shield, my son plays two games and he's got his hands on it. I mean, that sums it up for me. That sums it up. And I just think that story line alone, then counties go to Whangarei after Northam had seen Northam Tassies, and from nowhere, I mean, from the cellar of the competition ladder, go to Whangarei and they win the Shield. And then, your bird gang pitches up, thinking, here's a go, here's a go. We're going to do what you did, Izzy. What you did in 2014

Izzy (1:54)

Yeah.

Scotty (1:56)

And I was there, had the pleasure of calling that game, and they couldn't do it. Counties held on to the Randfellig Shield. The log of wood has been a joy this year.

Izzy (2:07)

That still hurts because they did a walkthrough. It feels like they're only training for the weekend, and basically celebrated like they should, and we couldn't get the job done. 12-7. What a doozy.

Scotty (2:18)

It was a doozy. Then I think of Kyren Talmoifalout, not just smashing the record for tries, but doing it on a night where he scored four.

Izzy (2:26)

Did he score four? Yeah, that was crazy. Ridiculous.

Scotty (2:29)

I mean, ridiculous.

Izzy (2:32)

He's got the most tries in a season.

Yeah, in one season. Absolutely. Smashed it.

Scotty (2:37)

Nineteen for the season, so...

Izzy (2:39)

Can I talk about one moment that really stood out for me? And this is a union that is pretty close to my hawks bay. And I want to give a massive shout out to Manawatu.

I have been really, really pleased with the way that they have delivered this year. They've had a young squad that has been chomping at the bit for the last couple of years. This year, they produced some magical results. I've been going through the year, and I can't look far past week nine, when they went to Auckland, and they beat Auckland at home at Eden Park. I think it was 1960, 1970, since the last time they beat them there. And I just, I picked it. That's the reason.

Scotty (3:21)

I picked it.

Izzy (3:22)

I just seen something in this team, and that would probably be a moment where I was like, man, I love this competition. You've got the smaller unions going up there to Auckland and beating them on their home turf.

Scotty (3:34)

TK Houdon, what a season. I mean, absolute weapon. And Manawa Two doing that, and the women doing it too, in the Farrah Palmer Cup to win the JJ Stewart.

I don't know if many of our listeners know that the JJ Stewart is the Ramfellows Shield for Women's Rugby.

So what an incredible week for Manawa Two Rugby that was, as well. I agree, Dagg, and then I think of the crowds that turned up in Southland, as they do each and every weekend, and largely go unnoticed and unrewarded because it's not very often you get the camera shot of the terrace. It should be compulsory for all directors of Southland Games to have a camera permanently on the terrace. Places... I think the Rugby Park Terrace in Southland could be the greatest, greatest square meterage of concrete steps in the country on game day.

Izzy (4:31)

Never watched a game from the terrace?

Scotty (4:33)

Oh my gosh. It's a beautiful thing.

Izzy (4:36)

Can't imagine it would be chaos.

Scotty (4:37)

It is absolute carnage.

Izzy (4:38)

I always remember the story when you were telling me you're up in the commentary box up in that little sky rise.

Scotty (4:44)

He said the Maimai.

SPEAKER_1 (4:45)

Before they built the tower for the World Cup.