All but over for premier champs

DOUBLE TROUBLE: HSOB’s Andrew Tauatevalu (left) and Siosiua Moala can’t stop OBM centre John Jones from completing a try double in their Poverty Bay premier club rugby game at the Oval on Saturday. OBM won 22-17 — an almost deadly blow to reigning champions HSOB’s hopes of making the top four playoffs. They remain fifth, 12 points adrift of OBM. Picture by Paul Rickard

RUGBY

OBM skipper and second five-eighth Jake Holmes led from the front as his side all but ended High School Old Boys’ hopes of a fourth successive Lee Bros Shield title.

A 22-17 win at the Oval on Saturday put Enterprise Cars OBM 12 points clear of fifth-placed Earthwork Solutions HSOB with three games to go to the top-four playoffs.

To have any chance of retaining the Lee Bros Shield, HSOB would have to take maximum points from their matches against second-placed YMP, who are already assured of a place in the playoffs, competition leaders Waikohu and bottom-of-the-table Tapuae.

OBM would need only three points from their matches against third-placed Ngatapa, who have also confirmed a place in the playoffs, YMP and Waikohu.

Holmes ran and tackled himself to a standstill and capped a superb game with a try-saving tackle on Poverty Bay teammate Andrew Tauatevalu as HSOB launched attack after attack in the last 10 minutes.

In the 70th, HSOB midfield back Tauatevalu carved through the defence and was at full speed with last man Holmes to beat a metre from the tryline.

The HSOB supporters and players were already celebrating a try in the left-wing corner only for Holmes to stop Tauatevalu in his tracks before getting support from fullback Scott McKinley.

McKinley was also involved in a game-changing moment in the 50th minute when Tauatevalu was charging towards a try in the right-wing corner with only the fullback to beat and a man inside. Tauatevalu tried to beat McKinley on the outside but was pushed into touch.

With one minute to play, the long-striding back came close to levelling the scores after first-five Baxter Mackay made a break and drew the last man. Tauatevalu, though, was unable to hold on to Mackay’s pass and the ball spilled forward.

“In any other game, Jake would have been my man of the match but I’m giving it to the team,” OBM player-coach Tom Solomon said.

“The tight five, plus the loosies who started, laid the platform. We knew HSOB would come at us and they did, but Jake set the tone for the day with some great tackles, and in the end they all did the jobs we wanted them to do. Then when we brought on the reserves, they carried on the intensity.”

Solomon’s second-half reserves included his latest signings — former Hawke’s Bay and North Harbour prop Jody Allen, back from playing in Spain, and Callum McDonald, a fiercely competitive openside flanker, who also played in Spain.

Allen and twin brother Juston (lock) were magnificent as OBM were forced into a rearguard action as the minutes ticked away. Juston ruled the lineouts while Jody, playing at No.8, controlled proceedings from the back of the scrum.

HSOB posted the first points through a try to hooker and captain Jody Tuhaka, converted by back Corey Reihana.

OBM hit back with tries to Ethine Brett and centre John Jones, along with a Holmes conversion and penalty.

Tauatevalu also kicked a penalty as OBM went to the break 15-10 in front.

After bombing a try in the 60th minute, OBM stretched their lead four minutes later though Jones, thanks to the forwards who demolished their counterparts at a defensive scrum 10 metres from the tryline.

OBM marched over the top of their opposites and Jody Allen charged at the line, where it took three defenders to stop him. Another charge sucked in more tacklers, the ball was cleared to Jones and he scored under the bar.

Holmes converted and OBM led 22-10 on the way to what could be a season-defining victory, as they bid to make the their first final since 2004.

HSOB refused to admit defeat and, led by Siosiua Moala in his first match since returning from Spain, set up a nail-biting last six minutes.

Moala crashed over after a quick tap from openside flanker Stefan Destounis. Tauatevalu’s conversion meant HSOB were were within a converted try of winning. But it was not to be.

An exhausted Holmes struggled for words at the end of a pulsating game.

“We’ve got a couple of big-name players but I thought all the boys stood up today, especially in that last 40,” he said,

HSOB coach Jamie Hutana said OBM deserved to win.

“They smashed us up front at setpieces.”

OBM 22 (J Jones 2, E Brett tries; J Holmes 2 con, pen).

HSOB 17 (J Tuhaka, S Moala tries; C Reihana con, A Tauatevalu con, pen).

HT: 15-10 (OBM).