The pride behind All Black helping Tasman Mako defend Ranfurly Shield

For the first time ever, Tasman Mako have successfully defended their status as the current holders of the Ranfurly Shield. Tasman got the job done over Wellington 28-15, with All Black David Havili playing a part in a thrilling win over the previously undefeated Lions.

When Campbell Parata slotted a long-range penalty goal to win the Ranfurly Shield challenge over Hawke’s Bay the weekend before, Havili was in South Africa. As Havili celebrated the triumph, he was swarmed by fellow Tasman All Blacks Will Jordan and Ethan Blackadder.

But, after returning home to New Zealand, the 29-year-old was one of 12 All Blacks released to play in the sixth round of the NPC. Havili would come up against fellow national squad members Billy Proctor and Ruben Love who were named to play for Wellington.

Havili took his place at inside centre, with Crusaders enforcer Levi Aumua lining up just outside him in the No. 13 jumper. Tasman took the lead in the 11^th minute through winger Timoci Tavatavanawai and never surrendered their advantage as they held on for a clinical win at home.

Riley Higgins had made it a one-point game with 18 minutes to play after scoring the Lions’ second try of the afternoon, but Tasman were a class above. It was another historic occasion for the Mako, with Havili earning "the right" to call himself a Ranfurly Shield winner.

“Yeah, pretty special,” Havili said on SENZ’s Scotty & Izzy. “The whole week I sort of looked at the shield and I wanted to earn the right and win it on the weekend.

“It was a hell of a game. Wellington stayed in it sort of until the 80^th minute. We had a few injuries throughout that game and to be able to come out on top was extra special for the support we had turn out at Lansdowne Park.

“… we saw that yesterday with a couple of big try-savers from a few boys and to be able to go deep into the phase count and get crucial turnovers from our loosies. It’s something that we definitely spoke about during the week and it’s something they did against Hawke’s Bay.

“I’m just happy to be a part of it and get that opportunity to play for it and hold it again.”

Ethan de Groot, George Bell, Pasilio Tosi, Josh Lord, Samipeni Finau, Luke Jacobson, George Bower, Harry Plummer and Patrick Tuipulotu were the other nine All Blacks released for their respective provincial duties.

The NPC’s announcement last added another layer of intensity, pressure and expectation to these provincial fixtures. Take the Ranfurly Sheild defence, history was already riding on it, but the three All Blacks in that clash were tipped to have strong performances.

That’s pressure.

That’s the life of an All Black.

“There’s always a wee bit of pressure there,” Havili explained.

“I just wanted to go out there and play like I hadn’t won it and yeah, it was my first time playing for it and that’s what was motivating me the whole week was to go out there and win it.

“We played some (good) footy to keep the Lions out from our line and it was a wee bit messy through that later half of the game but I thought the boys played really well for the backend of the half and we scored some great tries after 78, 79^th minute

“We came out on top.”