SEEKING A GAP: Waikohu player-coach Ra Broughton takes on the High School Old Boys defence in premier-gade club rugby at the Oval on Saturday. Waikohu won the match 48-3. Picture by Paul Rickard
Waikohu showed why they are on top of the table with a thunderous win over HSOB on Saturday.
The Civil Project Solutions premier-grade club rugby game saw GT Shearing Waikohu put up 48 points against a Contract Consultants HSOB side that couldn't cross the line and scored one penalty.
The game was more like trench warfare than rugby. Every inch, every blade of grass was fought over diligently by both teams who never gave a backfoot.
The 48-3 scoreline doesn't come close to accurately reflecting the effort that the HSOB side put into the game, continuously having their spirited offence halted by the Waikohu defence who showed true heart.
For extended periods of the second half Waikohu tackled their guts out; every time HSOB had a breath of hope, a sliver of opportunity, it was snuffed out by the last line of Waikohu's defence.
The HSOB side continued to throw everything they had at the defence but Waikohu were playing like they had something to prove, repelling the continuous waves of attack.
Waikohu opened the scoring with the try of the game off an HSOB clearance that didn't go out.
The ball was swung from one side of the field to the other by the Waikohu back three before winger KC Wilson spotted his opportunity and showed his pace.
There was a mismatch that gave Wilson the gap and space to put his foot down, breaking through HSOB's line and muscling his way past five defenders' attempts to bring him down in his 70m run for a try.
Wilson was in for his second only a short while later.
The Waikohu team were pushing up the field keeping the ball in close, drawing in the defenders before they finally swung it wide, to an unmarked Wilson.
He still had work to do but made it look easy, steamrolling the final line of cover defence in a Jonah Lomu-esque try.
The try was converted with a great kick from the corner by the Poverty Bay union's player of the match, first-five-eighth Kelvin Smith.
HSOB's only points of the game were scored in the 28th minute, from a penalty for a high tackle right in front of the posts in what was an easy kick for Cory Reihana.
The Waikohu team were operating as a military platoon, moving like a well-oiled machine around the pitch while their player-coach, Ra Broughton, marshalled them.
Broughton, who has a military background, had drilled the Waikohu team well as they showed true grit in both attack and defence.
Waikohu scored two more tries to finish the half up 26-3.
The first was a result of a build-up of pressure and running a good line that cut against the grain of play by Jesse Fleming, who went through the defensive line like a knife through butter to score.
The second featured an excellent effort by fullback Ethine Reeves. He caught a chip over the line from HSOB on the half-volley and at pace, turning the defence around on their heels and offloading in contact to his supporting runners who, with a simple draw and pass, scored a try right on half time, awarded to centre Tione Hubbard.
The start to the second half saw Waikohu continue their chokehold on the game, scoring less than five minutes after the restart.
An attacking lineout from a penalty saw the strong Waikohu pack maul the ball forward.
Broughton in at halfback then took the ball off the back, ran blindside and with a simple draw and pass of the only defender he put winger Leroy Taiapa in for an easy try in the corner.
The Waikohu side scored again with a quick try to Ethine Reeves. The reserve front-rower Tapu Dixon threw an excellent dummy that gave him the space to run in open field.
He was chased down by the cover defence, but not before offloading to Reeves, who still had work to do to beat his defender one-on-one before tiptoeing down the sideline for an excellent try.
The game looked like it was about to open up; the second phase after the restart for Reeves' try saw Waikohu in again for their penultimate try.
First-five Kelvin Smith changed his line, sidestepping inside and making a strong break to the 22 before he was eventually pulled down.
As he fell, he offloaded to an inside runner who advanced the ball within five metres of the HSOB line. As the defence tried to make it back onside the Waikohu team was already lined up in wait; a draw and pass through the hands saw winger KC Wilson score his hat-trick.
Waikohu scored one final try to fullback Ethine Reeves, but their day was not over.
A spirited HSOB kept their attack up for long periods of the second half.
They camped in the Waikohu 22 for extended stretches of play but were never able to capitalise on their offence. A late Waikohu yellow card to reserve Sandy Campbell did not deter the now 14-man team who defended until to the final whistle.
It was a testament to the Waikohu defence, who at times looked like they were going to let their opponents slip in for a try, but always managed to wrangle them down to the ground just short of the line.
HSOB never gave an inch. They continued to push forward until the final whistle but weren't rewarded for their hard work.
HSOB coach Danny Boyle said that Waikohu punished them when they made mistakes and capitalised on every opportunity.
“It's back to the drawing board for us a little bit.
“We had plenty of ball but we couldn't cross the line, their defence was great.”
Waikohu player-coach Ra Broughton said his team wanted to start well, and did.
“We wanted to come out of the gate quite hot . . . and we maintained the pace of the game.”
He said he was proud of his team's effort, particularly in defence.
“To keep them tryless was a big effort from the boys. We played well.”