Tributes for a St Pat’s rugby legend
Shield.
St Pat’s finished the season with the remarkable record of games played 22, won 20, drew two, lost nil, points for 384, points against 83, scoring 74 tries, 23 conversions, 20 penalties and 12 dropped goals. O’Neill scored six of the tries and three dropped goals.
Hollinshead recalls it took a Darryl Innes dropped goal for St Pat’s to draw 14-all with Kereone in the Waikato Breweries Shield final.
Both teams had class all over the paddock.
St Pat’s had a string of players with first class experience, including Bill Birtwistle with 11 tries in 12 appearances for the All Blacks, including seven tests.
Number eight O’Neill, backs Hollinshead, Innes, Alan Keily, Andy Bell and forwards John Turney and Keith Tickelpenny all played for Waikato, while O’Neill and winger Barry McTamney represented Wairarapa Bush, O’Neill and Innes were selected for New Zealand Marist and O’Neill played for Harlequins. The Baker brothers, Doug, Dave, Eddie and Errol all played for Waikato Ma¯ ori.
The star-studded Kereone side was coached by ‘The Boot’ All Black fullback Don Clarke and included three of his brothers, locks Brian and Graham, and first five Doug.
The St Pat’s team of 1967, coached by O’Neill, also enjoyed a memorable season, winning the New Zealand Marist Spillane Cup Tournament, Phoenix Cup, Te Awamutu club competition and placed fourth in the Waikato first division club competition.
O’Neill was also at the helm of the Te Awamutu Sub Union representative team selected by the late Guru Singh that uplifted the Peace Cup off South Waikato in 1967 and repulsed several tough challengers that came along before the end of the season over O¯ torohanga, Paeroa, Cambridge, Morrinsville and Maniapoto.
Te Awamutu pipped Sir Colin Meads’ King Country rep-laden Maniapoto side with an extraordinary late long-range solo Bill Birtwistle try between the posts in an epic encounter at Albert Park.
Hollinshead said it was like playing King Country in those days. Maniapoto had around 12 King Country reps, including Colin and Stan Meads, and Te Awamutu has never had so many Waikato representatives.
“It was the toughest games any of our players ever played in. Our pack was much smaller than theirs. I will never forget that day our forwards (Robin O’Neill, Link Quarrie, Graham ‘Gumpy’ Kay, Keith Tickelpenny, John Turney, Eddie Baker, Hec Martin, Dave Baker, Mike Daly) locked horns with those greats.”
Stan Meads said his Maniapoto team went to Albert Park all guns blazing and came away with their tail between their legs.
“I didn’t know Robin O’Neil that well but he impressed me as being a good leader and a good guy,” said Meads.
“Robin was also a fine player who should have featured in more than a handful of games for Waikato.”
O’Neill gained a late call-up to the Waikato side in 1967 after the province had lost its opening three national championship games.
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