East Coast big guns run hot

RUGBY

All the big guns fired on Saturday.

Week 6 action in the Enterprise Cars Ngati Porou East Coast club rugby championship featured big wins to league leaders Tokararangi (28 competition points) of Te Araroa, Uawa (21pts) of Tolaga Bay and Tihirau Victory Club (20pts) of Cape Runaway.

Tokararangi beat United 49-20 at Hatea-a-Rangi, TVC beat Hicks Bay 32-7 at Te Kura Mana Maori o Whangaparaoa, and Uawa beat Hikurangi 31-0 at Kahuitara.

Kuru Gray/Lisa Muller-coached Tokomaru Bay United (10pts) earned a bonus point at home for scoring four tries against Tokararangi.

Tokararangi first five-eighth Rapata Haerewa opened the scoring with a penalty goal for 3-0 seven minutes into the game.

United captain and tighthead prop Mike Chambers-Raroa got the first try of the match in the 13th minute to make it 5-3.

Tokararangi lock Kyah Hollis — a light but gutsy player of real promise — scored five minutes later. It was the 6ft 6in 18-year-old’s first try in senior rugby.

United reserve loosehead prop Race Williams scored next for 10-8 in the 31st minute, then Tokararangi blindside flanker and player of the day Alec Poi cut the line for 13-10 in the 36th. Tokararangi No.7 Te Whetu Waitoa was the first player in the match to have a try converted — by Haerewa — for 20-10 one minute before the break.

Five minutes into the second half, United right wing Shane Roberts became the first — Haerewa was the second — to be shown the yellow card. Both were for tackle infringements.

In the 49th minute, Hollis made it a double which, with Haerewa’s conversion, made the score 27-10.

Hooker Portrait Watene, in the 55th, made it three five-pointers for the home team’s front-row union. Haerewa tried to stop Watene scoring but got his card from referee Matt Richards.

The last man to score for Tokomaru Bay United — their player of the day, reserve lock Adam Williams, in the 70th minute — made it four tries to the side’s tight forwards.

Tokararangi led 27-15 until their second-five Te Kooti Kingi, in the 59th minute, had his try converted by Haerewa for 34-15.

Right wing Kereama Leach, in the 63rd, was next up for Tokararangi with their sixth try . . . 39-15. Tokararangi centre Teina Potae scored in the 66th minute for 44-15.

Williams’s try for United closed it to 44-20.

Centre-cum-first-five Pamona Samupo was Tokararangi’s last try-scorer, for 49-20.

Of United’s match-effort, Tokararangi captain Hone Haerewa said: “They came at us hard: to pull four tries out of us was well-played on their behalf. They had a big pack and once they started picking-and-going, it was hard to stop.

“We’ve come a long way since the start of the year; everyone’s giving it their best shot and we’ve set a good platform within our club. One week at a time, we’ll sort any injuries out and be as ready as we can for the semis.”

United head coach Kuru Gray said: “Kyah (Hollis) was awesome in the lineout — he poached a lot of ball off us in the first half — and when the wind stopped and the rain stopped in the second half, Tokararangi got us out wide.”

Hard times have stiffened Hikurangi’s resolve. The Maunga (mountain) had the bye on July 4, were beaten in their first outing 15-5 by TVC, and club rugby was cancelled in Week 3. Competition leaders Tokararangi were 40-10 victors at Kahuitara in Game 4 and Hicks Bay then produced their match-effort of the season to date — a 21-19 win against Hikurangi.

These events have served to draw Hikurangi closer together. Their first-year captain, openside flanker Tanetoa Parata, was unavailable for last weekend’s 31-0 loss to Uawa, but coach George Reedy saw his young charges tackle hard and show fighting spirit.

“They put a lot of heart into that and they’re pleased with their performance, too,” he said.

“We scrummaged well but Tanetoa’s excellent at the lineout; any side would miss him, as we did.”

Reedy related that his player of the day, tighthead prop Drum Morice, the veteran scrum-anchor deputising for Parata, said he’d never seen a team show as much heart.

Uawa were led by lock Adaam Ross, and the visitors worked hard for their win.

In the 18th minute, from an attacking lineout on the 22, left touch, No.8 Raniera Whakataka found openside flanker Te Atapo Kirikiri at three. Halfback Sam Parkes sent reserve lock-cum-tighthead prop Daniel Knubley and player-coach, loosehead prop Laman Davies, to the right, the ball then going through second-five George Shields, with fullback BJ Sidney giving right wing Riki Tau a short pass to score in the corner; first-five Josh Dearden converted for 7-0.

Dearden kicked a 25-metre penalty goal from directly in front for 10-0 in the 32nd minute.

The visitors struck again three minutes later, fielding a chip-kick from Hikurangi second-five Te Aho Morice 15m into their own territory mid-pitch and pushing left, Sidney taking them over halfway before left wing Tee Paenga got the last pass infield to Parkes. Dearden converted for 17-0.

The last try of the first half was born of great basic rugby.

From a lineout on the right touch on the attacking 22, Uawa’s Kirikiri took the ball down at three. A hearty charge by blindside flanker Jordan Birch, then five pick-and-goes later, Parkes released the backs. Sidney’s footwork and timing into the backline enabled Paenga to score in the left corner. Dearden converted for 24-0 on halftime.

Hikurangi lifted their effort in the second half, conceding only one more try, in the 50th minute.

Uawa’s scrum was set five metres to the left of the posts, 15m from The Maunga’s goal-line. Parkes cleared left to Paenga, who cut back at reserve right wing Zyon Collins. The 19-year-old Collins, on for Jodi Walker, made a try-saving tackle but the visitors could not be stopped from there. Whakataka, Uawa’s player of the day, scored nine metres to the left of the posts.

Dearden converted for 31-0.

Drummond Morice gave a masterclass in close-quarters defence, while Davies and Knubley, quality tight forwards, made good metres, ball in hand. Knubley and Collins both have niggly injuries but played well for their clubs in a lively encounter while Hikurangi halfback Daniel Low was also gutsy.

In the 72nd minute, Kawhia showed the yellow card to Uawa reserve lock Scott Lasenby, who been on since the 38th minute.

Davies, speaking for Uawa, said: “We trusted our systems, followed through on what we’d trained all week to do and it paid off; definitely a morale-booster leading into our home game against TVC.

He gave “full credit” to referee Kawhia on his handling of the game.

“Uawa v Hikurangi can be a test.”