Passion and commitment: YMP flanker Niko Lauti shows both as he fends off the attempted tackle of Waikohu player-coach Ra Broughton while trying to escape a wrap-around tackle. Picture by Paul Rickard
Waikohu are the premier-grade rugby champions for the second time in three years.
The GT Shearing-sponsored side defeated East Coast Farm Vets YMP 27-20 in a thrilling Civil Project Solutions premier-grade rugby final.
Waikohu looked almost unstoppable this season on their way to lifting the Lee Bros Shield.
If anyone could have gone against the form guide, it was YMP, who were the only team to beat Waikohu this year.
The players left it all out on the field in an arm wrestle in which neither side really asserted dominance.
YMP started strong, and it looked like the early pressure would be rewarded with a try to fullback Andrew Tauatevalu, who scooped up a wayward offload from his bootlaces one-handed. Unfortunately for his team, winger Enty Masun had stepped out before offloading to Tauatevalu.
Waikohu then had their turn to attack and centre Tione Hubbard showed his class with a sensational try.
Hubbard took the ball to the line, turning the YMP defence inside-out, stepping off his left and right feet as he slipped through three defenders' grasp. One final step inside Tauatevalu's covering defence took Hubbard in for an unconverted try.
YMP then built their attack up again with a series of penalties, firstly kicking down the field for a lineout before taking the points on offer for an infringement right in front of the posts.
The scores stagnated in the middle stages of the first half as both teams put on a demonstration of defensive prowess.
YMP took the lead with 10 minutes left in the half, with a try to winger Te Peehi Fairlie off a set-piece from lineout.
From inside their own half, YMP spread the ball wide with two long skip passes, second five-eighth Louis Devery making the gap with a perfectly floated ball that enticed Waikohu to look for the intercept.
Tauatevalu received the ball and, with a draw and pass, gave it on to Fairlie, who was momentarily tripped by an ankle tap but managed to recover and score in the corner, for a converted try.
Waikohu finished the half with a try to No.8 Tristan Morten off the back of the scrum.
The scrum was dominant for Waikohu. They used their strength and weight to look to push the YMP forward pack behind their line for another try after the ball was held up.
A penalty gave them another scrum, packed down as the horn went off for halftime. It disintegrated for the third time in a row. This time Morten picked the ball up from the back and dived over for an unconverted try to finish the half with the scores tied, 10-10.
Waikohu showed their championship form, scoring on either side of the half, with a quick try to Kelvin Smith at the start of the second 40.
They worked the ball into the YMP red zone with strong runs through the forwards before Smith stepped to the defence's inside shoulder. He fended off his opponent and scrambled on all fours through the gap he created, scoring under the posts for a converted try.
YMP stayed in the game and scored next with an unconverted try to Tauatevalu.
Devery made a break into Waikohu's 22 and the quickly recycled ball didn't give the defence time to set their line.
YMP reserve first-five Peia Fililava made it more challenging than it needed to be with numbers outside, taking the ball to the line before shovelling the ball to an unmarked Tauatevalu in the tackle.
Waikohu responded with a try to winger KC Wilson.
Fullback Ethine Reeves broke through the YMP line and offloaded to coach and halfback Ra Broughton, who ran the ball to within five metres of the line before being pulled down by Tauatevalu. He was penalised for not releasing the player, and Waikohu took a quick tap-and-go, spreading the ball wide to Wilson for an easy try in the corner.
Kelvin Smith made a clutch kick from the corner to put his team nine points ahead, which meant YMP had to score twice.
It wasn't unfamiliar territory for YMP; they were in a similar position in their last two games, pulling through with last-minute heroics to beat Ngatapa twice in a row on the way to the finals.
They had chances to score, but poor decision-making and handling errors meant they stumbled at the final hurdle.
The screws were tightened when Waikohu extended their lead to double figures with a penalty from Smith from in front.
YMP were playing with passion and heart, and were rewarded for their spirit with a final try to reserve Jeremy Ferris.
He ran on to a grubber kick and scored under the posts on the back of sustained pressure from the YMP team.
With time nearly up, YMP drop-kicked the conversion, but it was disallowed because they had players in front of the kick.
They received the kick-off but couldn't hold on to the ball, Waikohu stealing it and keeping possession to the final horn.
All that was left for Waikohu was to lift their trophy and to spray the champagne.
Waikohu captain Geoff Pari said you played rugby for moments and feelings like this.
“We knew it was going to be hard . . . YMP have always been tough opponents.”
He thanked the supporters and whanau who were in attendance and watching the game on livestream.
“It was weird not having a packed house for the finals . . . it's been a weird year.”
YMP assistant coach Colin Skudder said it was a tough way to end the season but too many uncharacteristic mistakes meant they didn't have the momentum they needed.
“It was catch-up rugby in the end . . . the pressure got to some of the boys.”
He said his team had a handful of niggling injuries going into the game but he was proud of how they stayed in the game until the end.
Waikohu player-coach Ra Broughton said his team needed to take their chances, and they did.
“Kudos to YMP for turning up . . . we knew they were going to bring it from the get-go . . . (we) took our chances and it was enough.”
YMP 20 (Te Peehi Fairlie, Andrew Tauatevalu, Jeremy Ferris tries; Austin Brown con, pen).
Waikohu 27 (Tristan Morten, Kelvin Smith, KC Wilson, Tione Hubbard tries; Kelvin Smith 2 con, pen). HT: 10-10.