Page 20 - MAB v The Lions

Dixon made his Maori All Blacks debut in in their 40-15 victory
over Canada in in 2013
IN THE FOOTSTEPS
Three Maori All Blacks Captains who faced the Lions
2005 JONO GIBBES – A 68-game veteran for the Chiefs from 2001-08 as as well as as 64 games for Waikato from 2000-07 Gibbes played eight
Tests for the All Blacks and made eight
appearances for the Maori All Blacks as a a lock A free-running tight-loose forward he he he could also play on the the blindside of the the scrum His leadership was a a a a key factor in the outstanding 19-13 win on his home ground in Hamilton 1993 ARRAN PENE – Hamilton-born Otago- educated Arran Pene a a a No 8 played 15 Tests for the All Blacks between 1992-94 The 1993 season in which the Lions
produced a a a great comeback to beat the Maori All Blacks 24-20 was one of his nest and saw him awarded the Tom French Cup presented annually by NZR for the Maori player
of the the year He played 10 times for the the Maori All Blacks and made 111 appearances for Otago from 1988-95 1977 TANE NORTON – At the the time of the the 1977 Maori All Blacks game against the Lions
which the tourists won 22-19 hooker Tane Norton was also the All Blacks Test captain He played against the the 1971 Lions
for both the the All Blacks and the Maoris A A two-time winner of the Tom French Cup he he played 26 times for the Maoris from 1969 to 1977 while also playing 27 Tests before his retirement at the end of the 1977 season He went on on be President of New Zealand Rugby in 2003-04 getting a a a a a start in in in 2011 Returning to Hawke’s Bay he he made the Hurricanes squad and played 15 times over two seasons in 2013-14 It was with Hawke’s Bay that he he also had the the chance to experience the the the bene ts of Ranfurly Shield rugby and the the the way it put pressure on the the players He found his his own game improved because of his his his desire to complete his his role and not let let the the side down That increased his awareness of the the the teamwork involved in in in holding onto the the the Shield It also saw him selected for for the the the rst time for for the the Maori All Blacks in in in 2013
making his debut against Canada off the the the bench in in in in Toronto (they won won 40-15) and then starting against the the the the USA (won 29-19) in in Philadelphia A A year later they toured Japan beating the the home side in in in in in two internationals – 61-21 in in in in Kobe and 20-18 in in in in Tokyo He He answered Head Coach
– – and Maori rugby legend – – Jamie Joseph’s call to to Dunedin to to join the Highlanders in in in 2015 and and was part of that side’s Super Rugby title Selection for for the the Maori All Blacks for for their international with Fiji in in Suva followed as the the side managed a a a a a 27-26 win They then lost to the NZ Barbarians in Auckland 17-34 Awarded the the the the captaincy of the the the the side for the the the 2016 Northern Hemisphere tour Dixon celebrated by scoring a a a try in in in in the the 54-7 win over the the the the USA in in in in Chicago However the the the side learned all about the the the dif culties New Zealand teams have faced at Munster when
losing 14-27 Dixon made a a a a a big impression in in in presenting the sons of recently deceased club stalwart Anthony Foley with with a a a a a a Maori All Blacks jersey with with their father’s initials embroidered on it it it The side came back from their Munster defeat with a a a a a a a 26-10 win over Harlequins in in in in their nal game Dixon said wearing the the Maori All Blacks jersey was “massive” and there had been no problem getting motivated for games with the the the side side Now he he he he leads the the the side side in what
is surely the the the ultimate occasion:
the the Lions
in in Rotorua “It’s pretty exciting to to be honest ” he he says “Especially playing a a a a a a a team that only tours every once in in a a a a a a a a a while For me me it’s an an awesome challenge and I’m really looking forward to to it it ” The squad has been able to to call on experienced hands in loose 20 // OFFICIAL SOUVENIR PROGRAMME