While taking nothing away from Ruatoria City’s match-effort, Uawa captain lock Scott Lasenby felt that his team made hard work of the match.
“Discipline let us down at times,” Lasenby said.
Uawa conceded 12 penalties to City’s three in the first half, and 13 to City’s five in the second.
“At one stage in the second half, we had only 13 men on the field,” Lasenby said.
“When that happens, you have to dig deep.”
Lasenby’s opposite, City skipper and No.8 Tim Barbarich, knew his men had gone down fighting.
“We scrummaged well and our backs scored some good tries,” he said.
“We had more than enough chances to win but just didn’t finish them.”
City had a major headache in the form of Uawa blindside flanker Rikki Kernohan. He is strong in the air and snaffled a lot of City lineout ball; the home team’s only respite in that phase came when he became the third Uawa man to be shown a yellow card by referee Matt Richards.
City first five-eighth Nathaniel Fox missed his first shot at goal — a penalty — four minutes into the game but came good for 3-0 three minutes later.
Uawa left wing Oscar Canseca Munoz scored the opening try in the 25th minute, which first-five Sam Parkes converted to give the visitors a 7-3 lead at the break.
Canseca Munoz scored his second try in the 50th minute. Parkes was the next man to cross, in the 55th minute, and converted his own try for 19-3.
In the 57th minute, centre Jesse Rye scored for Uawa for 24-3.
In the 63rd minute, City tighthead prop Pera Bishop scored a metre to the left of the posts. Reserve blindside flanker-cum-No.8 Jack Richardson scored the visitors’ second try — the last of the game — in the 70th minute. Fox converted both City tries.
The second half had everything: strong forward play, quality back play . . . and slapstick. Uawa hooker Mark James received a yellow card, Bishop scored, then two minutes after James had returned, loosehead prop Wyntah Riki took his turn in the sin-bin. Two minutes after that, Kernohan joined Riki on the sideline — leaving the blue team with only 13 players on the field until the 74th minute.
City coach Lisa Muller knows that her players have made significant progress since Uawa’s 46-6 win at Tolaga Bay in Week 2.
“It was our game to lose today and Uawa just held us out,” she said.
“We had our moments.”
It’s tough to get a win.
Competition points are hard-earned in East Coast club rugby and Tokararangi did something very important on Saturday: they won at home.
Their 47-17 victory over Hicks Bay was a strong performance. They outscored the visitors seven tries to two, having led 28-10 at halftime.
Tokararangi first-five Pamona Samupo and reserve right wing Te Aho Haenga scored two tries each, with openside flanker Taylor Hovell, No.8 Hone Haerewa and captain and halfback Israel Brown scoring one each. Brown and Haenga kicked one conversion each. Samupo kicked four conversions.
Hicks Bay’s tryscorers were loosehead prop Aaron King and reserve No.8 Frank Taiapa, with right wing Leyth Delamere kicking a penalty and converting Aaron King’s first-half try. Lock Richard King converted Taiapa’s second-half try. Tighthead prop Dylan Biddle was Hicks Bay’s player of the day.
“Our forwards went well in phases — the game flowed, in phases,” Hicks Bay player-coach and second-five Warren Henderson said.
“The referee, Harawira Matahiki, had an excellent game. There was clear communication right the way through.”
Brown was delighted with Tokararangi’s powerful match-effort, making special mention of hooker Tina Waitoa and second-five Te Kooti Kingi.
“We wanted to win — everyone was hungry for the win,” he said.
“We played well today.”
