Stunning mental images from the Hot Spring Spas T20 Black Clash match at the Bay Oval International Cricket Ground in Mount Maunganui on Saturday will stay in spectator's minds for a long time for two reasons, the first being the incredible display by the RNZAF Black Falcons.

Visiting Tauranga for the day as part of the Classic Flyers Aero Open Day, the five Black Falcons flew overhead opening the Black Clash game on Saturday evening. They also did a flypast over Mount Maunganui Main Beach.

The other image was what Stuff sports writers say "was the most sensational catch that wasn’t".

Hurricanes star Ruben Love pulled off an absolute grab for the ages in Saturday night’s Black Clash T20 match in Tauranga, only for his athletic heroics to count for zero thanks to them coming on the wrong side of the boundary rope.

The 22-year-old first-five/fullback would no doubt have had designs on impressing new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson in 2024, but quite like this?

As Team Rugby manager Robertson watched on from across the boundary, he, and the rest of a sold-out crowd at Bay Oval, were left wowed by Ruben’s soaring one-handed stunner in the last over of Team Cricket’s innings.

The RNZAF Black Falcons opening the Hot Spring Spas T20 Black Clash match on Saturday at the Bay Oval International Cricket Ground at Mount Maunganui. Photo: CPL R Pugh.

With Gareth Hopkins sending Kaylum Boshier down the ground for what eventually went down in the book as a six over the well-pulled-in ropes, Ruben leapt up and pulled off an incredible one-handed diving take over his head, tumbling over the boundary, which he had also put a foot across prior.

For all its brilliance, Ruben was keen on playing down his feat.

“Nah, it didn’t count, so there’s no point talking about it,” he said to TVNZ at the innings break... “if the boundaries were a little bit bigger for the cricket boys then it might have been a bit more even.”

Ruben, a former New Zealand Under-19 wicketkeeper/batter, also rolled the arm over in the first innings, and while his one over of medium pace went for 18, he did claim Team Rugby’s first wicket when he had Hamish Marshall caught and bowled, amidst an enjoyable festival atmosphere, five weeks out from the Super Rugby Pacific season.

“It’s cool, man. Packed out, everyone’s on the bank having a good time, and some of the crowd aren’t Hurricanes supporters, so they rip into you and say, ‘Come to the Chiefs, come to the Blues’. So apart from the abuse, it’s good.”

Ruben wasn’t done there. With Team Cricket posting an imposing 221-7, thanks chiefly to Anton Devcich (53 off 30), Marshall (39 off 21), Grant Elliott (45 off 24) and Jacob Oram (35no off 16), he then topscored at No 7 with 47 from 17 balls to give Team Rugby’s chase some respectability.

Captain Kieran Read (42 off 25) was a lone hand for a while as Will Jordan fell for a duck and star import Brian Lara (9 off 19) couldn’t make the most of a dubious no-ball reprieve, with Riley McCullum starring with the ball (3-21 off 3) and league great Johnathan Thurston (2-51 off 4) even snaring a couple of wickets.

Team Cricket triumphed by six runs to take a 4-2 lead in the annual festive match.

Stuff

The RNZAF Black Falcons also did a fly past over Mount Maunganui Main Beach on Saturday evening.