Coast play high-risk game

HALFBACK ON HALFBACK: Ngati Porou East Coast halfback Sam Parkes breaks away from his opposite, Cody Whittaker, in the Heartland Championship rugby game against Wairarapa Bush at Whakarua Park, Ruatoria, on Saturday. Wairarapa Bush won 45-5. Picture by Paul Rickard

NGATI Porou East Coast coach Willie Waitoa got the dry track he wanted for Saturday’s Heartland Championship rugby clash against Wairarapa Bush at Whakarua Park . . . but not the result.

The Coast lost 45-5 — their seventh straight loss this season — and cannot avoid the wooden spoon, no matter what the outcome of their last game, away to King Country on Saturday.

Waitoa, as has been the case all season, pulled no punches in his after-match interview.

“Nothing much to talk about; Wairarapa are a good side but we made them look better than they are,” said Waitoa, who was without star first five-eighth Richard Apanui.

“Richard got some stitches in his head after last week’s match and had to pull out late on Thursday.

“But we’re not making excuses. You play the cards you’re dealt. Despite the results, I’m still enjoying coaching this group of players. They’ve never dropped their heads.”

And in true Coast fashion, the Sky Blues continued to throw the ball around at every opportunity.

Unfortunately for the home side, that meant they turned the ball over in crucial areas, which resulted in three of Wairarapa Bush’s six tries.

“That’s been our Achilles heel all season: coughing the ball up and finding ourselves under the sticks at our end of the ground,” Waitoa said.

Wairarapa got off to a good start when they kicked off and won possesssion, and after four minutes first-five Tim Priest kicked a penalty.

The Bush claimed the restart and camped inside the Coast half for the next 10 minutes, adding a try to prop Matt Kawana, converted by Priest.

The visitors, with their forwards dominating possession, continued to keep the pressure on and 10-0 became 17-0 after centre Viliami Hale scored a magnificent try. Hale received the ball 40 metres from the tryline, stepped on the gas and beat three defenders to score between the posts.

The Coast were now pushing 50-50 passes in their attempts to get into the game and that led to former Poverty Bay winger Paul Tikomainaivalu scoring his side’s third try in the 31st minute.

The Coast hit back through halfback Sam Parkes. Openside flanker Donny Mill turned the ball over and centre TK Moeke burst through three tackles before passing to Parkes.

Coast assistant coach Tojo Maaka, who replaced Apanui and played well, missed from in front of the posts.

Trailing 22-5, but with the wind at their backs, the Coast needed to score first in the second half but a Priest penalty in the 49th minute stretched the Bush’s lead.

And with the Coast playing catch-up rugby, Wairarapa added three more tries, to move into fourth place on the championship with one game remaining.

Although on the losing side, TK Moeke, skipper and No.8 Lennon Carrington, openside flanker Donny Mill and halfback Sam Parkes were outstanding.

Moeke, the Coast’s man of the match by a country mile, started at centre then moved to first-five before finishing the game at No.8.

NGATI POROU EAST COAST 5 (Sam Parkes try).

Wairarapa Bush 45 (Matt Kawana, Viliami Hale, Paul Tikomainaivalu, So’otaia Fa’aso’o, Andrew Makailo, Tipene Haira tries; Tim Priest 3 con, 3 pen).

HT: 22-5.