Barry Cup now at Waikohu

STOPPED IN HIS TRACKS: Uawa centre Te Peehi Fairlie is enveloped by giant Waikohu tighthead prop Jarryd Broughton, while loosehead prop Mike Tane tackles around the ankles. Picture by Tania Hunter

It is momentous.

The tide of sub-union rugby history came in at Tolaga Bay on Sunday as Waikohu ended the three-year reign of Uawa 33-15 to claim the Barry Cup — and the Jim Ruru Memorial Cup, in Uawa hands since 1997 — in front of a crowd of 600 at the Domain.

Uawa, under co-captains Wyntah Riki and Jordan Birch, took the Barry Cup 22-20 on August 30, 2015, at Te Araroa, beating champions of the previous five years, Matakaoa.

The new holders must defend the 95-year-old trophy only once — against Matakaoa at Te Karaka this Sunday — for the coveted trophy to be theirs for the summer.

“That was a good game — awesome to win it, bring it home,” said victorious captain and hooker Geoff Pari, who was in Year 13 at Waikohu College when he first played Senior 1 rugby for the club in 2003.

“It was a big ask and their combinations were sharp. We were a bit scrappy at times but this is a huge thing for us and our supporters. We’ll need to get back up on Sunday.”

Uawa skipper lock Scott Lasenby was proud of his team’s 19-game tenure — the sub-union’s first Barry Cup run in 20 years.

“When you look at how many people are here, who came to support us, you know how much the Barry Cup means to the whole community,” he said.

“They were behind us for three straight years — and the players would like them all to know that we aim to get it back next season.”

In reference to the game, the Uawa captain said: “That was the fastest this season. Waikohu were awesome, especially at set piece, with one big scrum-effort at the end.”

Waikohu tighthead prop Jarryd Broughton — 6ft 5in (1.95m) and 24st 5lb (155 kilograms) — had a huge impact on the game. In the tight, with the ball in hand, in the tackle, he had total involvement. Uawa kicked off, he caught the ball and Uawa defenders hit him in a wave. In the ninth minute, from a Waikohu ruck at the other end of the ground, he drove five metres to score the game’s first try five metres to the left of the posts. Reeves converted for 7-0.

Uawa left wing Jacob Leaf tightroped the clubroom sideline to score in the left corner at the 14-minute mark; the conversion attempt was unsuccessful.

Uawa lock Reg Namana set the tone for the matchUawa lock Reg Namana — who set the tone for the match with his hit on Broughton at the kick-off, was valuable in defence, a cover tackle on Waikohu centre Larry Fleming being a case in point. Still the visitors continued to come hard and fast.

Nineteen minutes into the game, Mario Counsell’s quickness paid dividends. The Waikohu halfback scored after running an excellent angle from left to right of a ruck centrefield, just outside the 22. Uawa fullback Vern Parkes made great ground to reach him but the try was a well-deserved reward for Counsell’s probing of the home team’s walls close to the breakdown. With the conversion by Reeves, the visitors led 14-5.

Throughout the game, ferocious physicality was the order of things. Uawa Domain has seen hundreds of hard men carry the ball but it is hard to imagine too many more devastating runners than Waikohu’s human cannonball Tapu Dixon. The No.8 has a low centre of gravity and he generates terrifying momentum off a standing start. His teammate, loosehead prop Toru Noanoa went to the blood-bin three minutes into the game and returned to the fray soon after. Though taller than Dixon, he is as hard to stop.

Both sets of backs put the man with the ball down hard. Uawa second five-eighth Tawhao Stewart snuffed out a dangerous snipe by Reeves in the attacking half and, in the 23rd minute, Waikohu openside flanker Tonga Stevens made the biggest hit of the Barry Cup season — a perfectly timed and legitimate tackle to drive Leaf over the sideline.

At the 30-minute mark, left wing Matatua Ruru was on hand to score in the right corner even as Parkes got to Reeves. The assist from Reeves to Ruru was a perfect pass. Reeves converted from the 22m line, a metre in from the right touch, to make the score 21-5 to the challengers.

Waikohu blindside flanker-cum-lock Richard Green, Uawa No.8 Billy Priestley and Uawa blindside flanker Rikki Kernohan all won lineout ball in the first half, while Uawa openside flanker Chase Sheridan made a fantastic tackle on powerful Waikohu second-five Jesse Fleming at halfway in the 37th minute. Even 50m from either goal-line, quite possibly it saved a try.

Leaf scored his second try wide outTwo minutes later, Leaf scored his second try wide out, courtesy of skilful passing from Stewart and centre Te Peehi Fairlie. The visitors held on to their 21-10 lead despite Uawa — under advantage — tap-kicking and running twice, for no reward, to end the half.

Both Reeves and Uawa halfback Sam Parkes found superb touch as required. A feature of Barry Cup rugby is that the ball is kept in hand and the team in possession forces the pace constantly. That is a big part of what made Uawa’s golden run exciting to watch — and their first-five Chris Richardson deserves raps for his courage, vision, willingness to release the backs and astute kicking in general play.

Laman Davies propped on both sides of the Uawa scrum, controlled the restarts and in Wyntah Riki’s absence, threw the ball at lineouts. Right wing George Halley ran the ball at Waikohu reserve Bradlyn Haimona after the break; Haimona made a strong tackle. In response, Uawa lock Hayden Pardoe put paid to Noanoa with a big hit as the Barry Cup holders raised their defensive game.

At the 44th minute, from a lineout on the left touch 25m from Uawa’s goal-line, Waikohu won the ball, which then went through the hands for reserve right wing Antonio Barbarich — who had replaced KC Wilson — to score in the right corner. The score was 26-10 to Waikohu, the try was unconverted.

Kernohan cut Dixon down in Waikohu’s half and Uawa won turnover ball. Vern Parkes made a weaving run of 15m. The home team were playing with urgency and in the 54th minute, in the attacking half, Stewart — under pressure — freed the ball up in midfield and Fairlie then beat lock TK Tane to the right corner: Uawa had their third try. There was no conversion. Waikohu led 26-15.

In the 64th minute, Waikohu openside flanker Lynden Manuel was shown a yellow card at the same time that Poverty Bay skipper Tamanui Hill and his Heartland teammate, Andrew Tauatevalu, had come off the bench for Waikohu — Hill on the blindside flank, Tauatevalu at fullback.

Thorn Parkes made his Barry Cup debutIn the 72nd minute, 17-year-old Thorn Parkes made his Barry Cup debut, substituting for Richardson. Sam Parkes went out one spot to first-five, Thorn to halfback. The cousins combined immediately to deal with Tauatevalu. In the 75th minute, Sheridan — also 17 — who had been taken in a ball-and-all tackle by Fleming six minutes into the game, carried the ball hard at Green. The point of his left shoulder levelled the tough, hard-working No.6.

The defining moment of the game came in the 77th minute: a scrum was ordered and set centrefield, 15m into Uawa’s half. The home team had the put-in. But it was then that Waikohu surged, made a crucial metre’s headway and so drew the penalty from Poverty Bay’s newest first-class referee, Damien Macpherson. Reeves took and missed the shot at goal, but having replaced his elder brother Terry at first-five, at the 82nd minute he was ideally placed — after nine phases in Uawa’s half — to turn them around with a chip-kick. Fleming chased the ball, gathered and scored under the bar. With Broughton’s conversion, Waikohu led 33-15.

This win meant plenty to a lot of people . . . like Pari, who has 15 years of playing experience for Waikohu under his belt, and player of the day Ethine Reeves, who had played in five unsuccessful Barry Cup challenges before Sunday’s unforgettable game.

Waikohu head coach Jason Tuapawa has every reason to be delighted for his sub-union, club and community.

“We came up here with a strong forward pack because we needed momentum,” said the first-year premier and Barry Cup-winning coach.

“We gave the boys two weeks off after the Poverty Bay club grand final but we’ve trained well — if only once a week, with numbers varying — since today’s date was confirmed. We came to do a job we believed we could do.”

The energy, effort, pride, passion were thereUawa head coach Tip Nukunuku said: “It was neat to have two more Parkes boys (Vern and Thorn) out there and it’s been a massive three and a half years. The energy, effort, pride, passion were there: what I’m most proud of is that many of our boys were connected from their JAB days, and they all came back to play for Uawa.”

Macpherson and his assistant referees Royce Maynard and Nigel McGrannachan struck the ideal balance with players and spectators alike. They were approachable yet firm and managed the “rolling” substitutions of Barry Cup rugby while keeping a sense of humour. Crowd behaviour was excellent last Sunday, as it has been in Tolaga Bay during Uawa’s entire run. In addition, they have hosted the visiting teams, officials, supporters and press superbly.

The Barry Cup rules stipulate that the trophy be defended five times. On consecutive weekends from August 12, Uawa beat Ruatoria 31-17, Wairoa 30-22 and finally Tihirau Victory Club 73-22 before the 18-point loss to Waikohu. Waikohu will host the might of Matakaoa (whom Uawa beat 26-19 on September 17, 2017).

Ngati Porou East Coast legend Morgan Waitoa coached Matakaoa last year, Frank Taiapa led the side from No.8 but from kick-off, it was lock Rikki Waitoa whose power, passion and aggression took the last challenge of 2017 to another level. He is truly fearsome. Matakaoa held the Barry Cup for five years before losing it to Uawa and they will not want to see it long off the Coast.