Basics Vital: TVC captain and second five-eighth Moana Mato (right) and Hikurangi's Te Kaiwi Parata tussle for possession in last year's East Coast club rugby final. They meet again on Saturday. Mato says the basics will be vital. Picture by Paul Rickard
The thought of it makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.
Week 12 looms as the biggest of the season so far: 2017 finalists Tihirau Victory Club (42 competition points) and Hikurangi cross swords at Whangaparaoa, Uawa host hard-as-nails Tokararangi and Hicks Bay will receive Waiapu at Wharekahika. Ruatoria City — who shook East Coast club rugby to its core with their 38-20 victory at Whakarua Park last Saturday — take five points for a win by default against Tokomaru Bay United, who have withdrawn from the competition because of player numbers and availability.
Both United player-coach Mike Tiopira and captain Adam Williams have made every effort to field a team. The side played spirited rugby, began the season with a 25-12 win away against Hicks Bay, were within a point of Hikurangi at half-time in Week 2, fired their fair share of shots against City and Waiapu, and beat Hicks Bay 29-22 in the return match at Hatea-a-Rangi.
United have a proud history. They were champions in 2003 under the late Jimmy Aupouri and last made the final in 2009. They will no doubt return to the fray.
Tiopira said: “To all those who were involved with Toko this year — players, cooks, ballboys, sponsors and supporters — a big thank-you to everybody.”
Hikurangi (49 points) can make it 2-2 in round-robin play if they back up their 32-18 win in Week 5.
First five-eighth Te Kaiwi Parata scored two tries and was player of the day for “The Maunga” in the first meeting on May 5 and his captain, hooker Ngarimu Parata, expects TVC to be fired up after their 38-20 loss to Ruatoria City last time out.
“The team we play this weekend will be different to the one that played City,” said Ngarimu Parata.
“They’ll turn up, they’ll be strong — we’re looking forward to it.”
Hikurangi scored 14 tries in their 88-13 Week 11 win against Waiapu at Rangitukia. Maunga halfback Neihana Ratahi-Brown crossed twice that day; Waiapu coach Kahu Waitoa said later that Hikurangi played the game at pace.
They have the personnel to make an aggressive approach possible — flankers Tanetoa Parata and Trent Proffit are fit, skilful and have 13 tries between them. Both Ngarimu’s side and defending champions TVC play well to conditions, are steered by players who can “read” the game and make tactical adjustments.
TVC have a quality pack — loosehead prop Rika Mato and lock Hirini Delamere are solid performers and under experienced captain and second-five Moana Mato, TVC are a purposeful unit.
“Hikurangi are always a strong team and they’re hard to beat,” Mato said.
“For us, it’s about doing the basics — and doing them well.”
A lack of fitness and sharpness — “legs” — cost TVC last Saturday. Hikurangi won the last game at Te Kura Mana Maori o Whangaparaoa on April 22 last year 22-10, the first of their two victories in round-robin play.
TVC hosting Hikurangi is 4 v 1 and there is irony in the fact that since their 17-15 loss at home to Uawa in Week 3, the Maunga have been ruthless, while it was the 27-all draw against seventh-placed City at Cape Runaway that cost TVC first place — Uawa being the beneficiaries — in Week 4.
Good judges are more concerned with on-field performance than history, however recent.
“TVC are strong at set-piece — both lineout and scrum — and are a strong counter-attacking team,” Hikurangi coach Doone Harrison said.
“They’ll still be hurting from last week and will be strong at home.”
Hikurangi beat Hicks Bay 36-0 in Week 6 for the Pirika Huriwai-Jones Memorial Trophy, took the lead from Uawa on that bonus-point result and have not lost a game since. They have won 10 from 11; TVC have won eight of 11.
TVC spent the first two weeks of the competition on the road. They need to make home advantage count now, because Hikurangi look ominous.
Two trains can’t share the same track.
Uawa have won nine of 11, are team No.2 in East Coast club rugby; Tokararangi have third spot, with a seven from 11 record.
Tokararangi haven’t played for three weeks, United and Waiapu defaulted to them in the fortnight following their 47-10 win against Hicks Bay. Tokararangi haven’t taken the field since June 9.
“We need to win the forward battle and shut down their backs quickly,” said Uawa captain Scott Lasenby, whose men withstood a heart-pounding rally from Hicks Bay at Wharekahika last Saturday to win 35-33.
The home team came from 21-0 behind, their captain and No.8 Frank Taiapa’s try at the 20th minute — the first in their fightback — being the only one of 10 tries in the match not to be converted.
That said, Tokararangi — who trailed TVC 19-0 at halftime in Week 9 and were 29-0 down before reducing the deficit to 29-15 at fulltime — cannot afford to start slowly.
Although East Coast rugby, even at representative level, is studded with tales of the underdog defying great odds, Uawa got a wake-up call from Hicks Bay. They know better than to ease off against Tokararangi, whom Lasenby knows to be a dangerous commodity at the breakdown and from broken play.
Tokararangi right wing Aho Haenga is the competition’s leading tryscorer, with 10 tries, having scored a total of 60 points.
Uawa halfback Sam Parkes scored his team’s first try against Hicks Bay and his right boot was the difference between victory and a draw; the Tolaga Bay-based team will play their last round-robin game — another Top 4 clash — against TVC at Cape Runaway next Saturday. They were to have hosted United on July 14.
The difference between having nothing to lose and having everything to lose can be small.
Hicks Bay were two points away from a draw against club rugby leviathan Uawa . . . three points away from arguably the upset of the year. And this Saturday they will meet another team who have fought tooth and nail to compete in 2018: Waiapu.
Within five minutes of their Week 5 clash on May 5, Hicks Bay player-coach and second-five Warren Henderson had scored a try under the bar in his team’s 31-7 win against Waiapu. The scene was set for an inspired performance by Hicks Bay at Rangitukia — Henderson’s men outscored the home team by five tries to one.
Waiapu have two games left to play in the season (next weekend they will have a bye for the withdrawal by United) — against Hicks Bay at Wharekahika this Saturday and Ruatoria City at Whakarua Park on July 14. Hicks Bay have drawn teams 1 and 4 — Hikurangi and TVC — and will bow out at home.
“Like us, Waiapu will be playing for pride,” Henderson said.
“I’m looking forward to a hit-out with the boys.”
Ngati Porou East Coast club rugby draw for Saturday (all games kick off at 2.30pm):
Tihirau Victory Club v Hikurangi, at Whangaparaoa; referee Ian Crowe (Bay of Plenty).
Uawa v Tokararangi, in Tolaga Bay; referee Whiti Timutimu (East Coast).
Hicks Bay v Waiapu, at Wharekahika; referee Matt Richards (East Coast).
Bye: Ruatoria City.