Pioneers of Rugby in Wellington 106: Alby Makeham

Alby Makeham was a halfback and one of the most well-known and respected figures in Wellington rugby throughout the 1950s decade.

From winning the Jubilee Cup at the start of the decade, to helping orchestrate a famous Ranfurly Shield win for Wellington in the middle of it, to bringing his representative career curtain down a local legend, Makeham was one of those players that saw international honours elude him.

The Jubilee Cup win was in 1951 with Poneke. This was Poneke’s first standalone Jubilee Cup since 1932 and they wouldn’t win it again 1975. Like that later side, Poneke was billed as one with few stars and the sum of its parts carried the day.

Makeham was undoubtedly a key cog in this effort.

Poneke started 1951 with a 24-17 win over Hutt, lost their next two, then clicked into high gear with a 16-3 win over St Pat’s Old Boys followed by a 17-11 victory over defending champions Marist Brothers Old Boys that had the Dominion comment that “Poneke’s “intensive forward play that has dominated the game in recent years as well as anther sample of sparking back play common this season is putting them in good stead to…challenge for the title this season.”

Another decisive win for Poneke in 1951 was undoubtedly their 14-3 King’s Birthday Monday defeat of eastern suburbs rivals and competition leaders Oriental. In bitterly cold conditions at Athletic Park, Poneke scored a decisive try early in the second spell when electric No. 8 Jim Grbich charged down a clearing kick and Vic Calcanai converted. A super tight second half of the competition saw Poneke come through the pack and win.

It was three years before Albert James Makeham first played for Wellington. There were several talented halfbacks in the capital at this time,  not least All Black Vince Bevan and others such as Brian Steele who was the All Blacks halfback in 1951.

Makeham was a Wellington representative between 1954-59, playing 54 matches for his province. After making six appearances in 1954, he made 12 in 1955, 13 in 1956 and 15 in 1957 – his most fruitful seasons.

He earned the nickname Alby “kick it again” Makeham

Makeham was known for having a fast, sound pass and a strong kicking game and would talk for the full 80 minutes.  These attributes came to the fore in several famous matches that he played in, for both club and province.

He earned the nickname Alby “kick it again” Makeham and one such famous match was for Wellington against South Africa in 1956. The touring Springboks won 8-6, but Makeham was part of a stirring performance from Wellington which pushed the tourists all the way.

Wellington teams won and lost the Ranfurly Shield twice in three years in the early to mid-1950s, and Makeham was involved in many of these games. Wellington challenged Canterbury in 1955 and lost 30-11, but the following year they had another shot and this time assistant coach Vince Paino hatched a plan which heavily involved Makeham.

Before playing Canterbury, Wellington had met Southland, Otago and South Canterbury and Canterbury’s spies in the stands saw no deviation from their usual free running tactics and saw no cause for concern – especially given that star wing Jarden was out injured for this game.

Lindsay Knight recounted the story in his book Shield Fever: “Paino’s plan basically boiled down to two elements. The first was to realize the Canterbury style was built round feeding off the opposition’s mistakes. Therefore, the fewer mistakes Wellington made the better. Wellington thus had to play closer to the scrum. If halfback Alby Makeham had the chance he was to kick, aiming between the middle of scrums and lineouts. First-five Jackie Dougan was also to kick in similar fashion and if he did pass to his second-five Kara Puketapu he was designated to go in and take the tackle. The object of this was to isolate Canterbury’s dangerous centre Alan Elsom, who in 1955 which his crash tackling, had been the key figure of the match. The second aspect of the plan was to nullify Canterbury’s use of the blindside.”

The tactics worked perfectly and Makeham was Player of the Match in the 8-0 win.

The following week Jarden returned to the side and Wellington locked the shield away for the summer with a 9-6 win over Auckland.

Makeham also played cricket in the Hutt, then mercantile cricket for Poneke until he died.

He was an All Blacks trialist in 1958. He also played matches for the Centurions club between 1953-57. He played 65 first-class games.

Makeham also played for the Upper Hutt club between 1960-62.

He worked as a wheel moulder at the old Dunlop tyre factory in Upper Hutt.

Following his playing career, Makeham helped coach young Poneke halfbacks, including future All Black, Ofisa Tonu’u. His mother “Ma” Makeham was a passionate Poneke follower, who was a life member 1975-96.

The Makeham Shield between Poneke and Upper Hutt, now the Upper Hutt Rams, has been contested annually in the first round at Premier level since 1989, following his death at aged just 59 on 10 December 1988.

REFERENCES

• Akers, Clive. New Zealand Rugby Register 1870-2015. New Zealand Rugby Museum, 2016.
• Alby Makeham Shield Poneke v Upper Hutt Rams background information file.
• Dominion Newspaper – various publications throughout the 1950s.
• Knight. Lindsay. Shield Fever. The Complete Ranfurly Shield Story. Rugby Press Ltd, Auckland 1986.
• Poneke Football Club. A Willing Band of Youths. The History of the Poneke Football Club. PFC, Wellington, 1984.
• Wellington’s Rugby History 1951-79. By Bob Fox, with assistance by Paul Elenio and Joseph Romanos (Evening Post) and Alex Veysey and Ian Gault (Dominion), with statistics compiled by Gordon Jackson (1951-68) and Alby Butterworth (1969-78). Tolan Printing Company, Wellington, 1979.