Mistake ridden Eels handed rare defeat

It was set up as Otumoetai Eels happy homecoming - except Turangawaewae gatecrashed the party to hand the high-flying Tauranga side a rare defeat at Mitchell Park.
Unbeaten heading into the weekend in the Waikato-Bay of Plenty-Coastline club premiership, Otumoetai finally regained use of their Mitchell Park home ground after the cricketers cleared out.
But the tricky clash with Turangawaewae became just that, with Brookfield New World Otumoetai over-run 22-6, with the visiting side profiting from a clever kicking game and extreme pace out wide.
Missing skipper Mikaere October, the Eels' timing was all wrong and they lacked penetration - and more worryingly invention - in their rare forays into the attacking red zone.
Turangawaewae played a no-frills, low errors game and were first to score through wing Nopera McDonald after the Eels coughed up the ball near their own goal-line. Tukua Matthews added a booming 50m kick from a penalty to give them a 6-0 lead at the break.
Although Eels centre Josh Moore levelled from a pinpoint crossfield bomb from standoff Josh Weedon 15 minutes into the second half, it was all Turangawaewae from there, as the home side dropped enough possession to make any coach froth.
Fullback Shannon Rapupere had a field-day, scoring a classy hat-trick in the final 15 minutes, the first from a clever kick-and-regather after a mix-up between Owen Rhind and Mike Johnston at the back, the second on the back of a 60m run, and the killer blow from another kick that the Eels failed to snuff out.
Loose forward Mattty Mason, one of the few to prosper in the losing effort with defence belying his stunted stature, didn't think the loss would diminish the target on the Eels' backs much.
"That target's still there," the 24 year-old baker said. "We're winners from over this side last year and have already beaten (Waikato winners) Hamilton Tigers, so teams will still be looking out for us. What today showed was that we've got a few areas to address and tidy up, one of which is to adapt to the (drizzly) conditions and hold on to the pill better."
Mason said the side's close-in defence stood solid, while often there was no way to defend against the wildly-bouncing ball.
"There might have been a bit of mis-communication at the back, that's league, but they got a few lucky bounces so good on them. They couldn't break our line apart from those kicks."
It was also an unhappy weekend for the Tauranga Whalers, who play the Eels this Saturday in a mouth-watering local derby, when they were thrashed 40-18 by Rotorua side Pikiao.
Pikiao out-hustled and out-muscled the Whalers, with both teams struggling to complete sets of six, and gain continuity, although Pikiao never looked like losing the game.
Tauranga looked reluctant to meet Pikiao at the advantage line which was the key ingredient to the six tries to one put on by the Rotorua side in the first half, who led 30-4.
Scorers:
Turangaweawae 22 (Shannon Rapupere 3, Nopera McDonald tries;Tukua Matthews 3 goals) Brookfield New World Otumoetai Eels 6 (Josh Moore try; Josh Weedon goal). Ht: Turangawaewae 6-0.
Pikiao 40 (Pirikawana Taiatini 2, Jeremy Gardiner, Te Mahitahi Parata, Glen Martin, Ivor Thomas, Karona Curtis, Senio Paulino tries; Senio Paulino 3, Glen Martin goals) Tauranga 18 (Charles Nepia, Rick Colley, Danny Tonaa 2 tries, Ansley Skudder goal) Halftime: 30-4.
Hamilton City Tigers 72 Central 4, Hukanui 40 College Old Boys 16, Ngongotaha 18 Ngaruawahia 38, Taniwharau 44 Taupo 24.