In the 25th minute, Uawa scored from a lineout 6m short of the left corner: Riki hit openside flanker Te Atapo Kirikiri at No.6, he slipped the ball to Blackman who went through the middle of the line for 12-0: the conversion attempt was unsuccessful.
Uawa led 12-0 at the break, although was one man down after Toleafoa was yellow carded for an infringement at the ruck in the 37th minute.
Hicks Bay continued to scrap doggedly upon the resumption, tackling hard. They fought to prevent Uawa from gathering momentum and that unwillingness to retreat lay at the heart of openside flanker Brady Heu’s yellow card in the 58th minute.
Uawa centre Jordan Birch scored the first try of the second half in the 62nd minute, under the crossbar. From an attacking scrum just outside the Hicks Bay 22, the ball went from Richardson through first-five Jordan Patrick to Birch on the run. Richardson converted for 19-0.
Two minutes later Uawa fullback BJ Sidney took a tap-kick penalty, beat two defenders and combined with Richardson on his right to put second-five Jesse Rye clear down the touchline to score for 24-0.
The hard-working, big-hearted Hicks Bay forwards finally claimed their reward in the 76th minute. Their halfback Keith Henderson took a tap-kick off a penalty awarded to them 5m out from the Uawa goal-line, 15m off the left touch. Henderson found No.8 Anton King down the blindside, who was brought down half a metre short. Giant tighthead prop Josh King picked the ball up at the back of the ensuing ruck and scored the visitors’ try.
King was Hicks Bay’s Most Valuable Player, after a mighty effort at set-piece and in general play. He made three more charges before being ruled to be held up in-goal on full-time.
Uawa MVP Meihana looked dangerous every time he got the ball and covered well on defence.
Uawa coach Tip Nukunuku said: “We were rapt with the way we played . . . we were patient and ground them down. We scored some good tries and were happy with the outcome.”
Hicks Bay manager Graeme Summersby said: “We had a great first round and now the intensity from all of the clubs has — as it was always going to — picked up.
“That’s good for us and great for rugby on the Coast. Our goal remains to make the semi-finals.”
That loss to Tihirau Victory Club wasn’t such a bad thing.
At the time — in the 78th minute — TVC fullback Peti Delamere kicked the match-winning penalty goal for 17-15 at Te Araroa Domain in Week 8, doubtless hosts Tokararangi would have been flat. But they bounced back to win an epic v Hicks Bay 54-36, retain the Harold Puha and Jum Reedy Memorial Trophies and came off a bye in Week 10 to beat Tokomaru Bay United 59-29.
“We had a good front-row — Harawira Matahiki, Mitchell Kahaki and Panapa Papuni — and that helped us not just win our own ball at set-piece, but pressure them on theirs,” said United co-coach Daryl Goldsmith.
“Tokararangi are always dangerous because they keep the ball alive and they always support the ball-carrier.”
Tokararangi coach Morgan Wirepa jnr is not a man to blow his club’s trumpet: “For us, it’s about having the right attitude, and our boys did the basics well. Credit to Toko, they’ve built and improved from the first round, and it was a good game to watch.”
Supporters of East Coast club rugby should be delighted with the strong showing by Tokomaru Bay United in Week 11. Goldsmith and Kuru Gray are hard-working coaches; Gray made special mention of the efforts on Saturday of their captain first-five Matt Marino.
The visitors’ fullback Kahu Kahaki opened the scoring with a penalty goal in front of the posts for 3-0 five minutes in. Tokararangi lock Frank Henderson grabbed the first try five minutes later, followed by his teammate centre Israel Brown 15 minutes in: Henderson’s try was converted by Tokararangi MVP first-five Slade Tiopira.
Lock Wiremu Raihania then scored an unconverted try for Tokomaru Bay after 20 minutes: Tokararangi led 12-8.
The hosts’ fullback William Martin then scored for 17-8 25 minutes in; his try, that of hooker Erutini Paringatai (30th minute) and openside flanker Dylyn Evans (34th minute) were converted by Tiopira, to give the home team a 33-8 lead at the break.
Tokararangi captain No.8 Hone Haerewa scored the first try of the second half (50th minute): with Tiopira’s conversion the score was 40-8. In the 55th minute, blindside flanker Alec Poi scored the first try in his double — converted, for 47-8 — before Tokomaru Bay halfback Petera Smith scored (61st minute) and converted his own try, for United 15, Tokararangi 47. In the 63rd minute, Poi completed his double. Tiopira converted Tokararangi’s eighth try for 54-15; right-wing Te Aho Haenga scored the hosts’ last try, unconverted for 59-15, in the 67th minute.
United openside flanker Paula Tatafu then came to the fore, scoring twice (75th and 80th minutes). Both of Tatafu’s tries (the second of which was a 60m effort) were converted by second-five Kahu Kahaki, for a final score of United 29, Tokararangi 59.
Tihirau Victory Club beat a depleted Ruatoria City team 52-0 on Saturday. Openside flanker William Ford scored twice, with a try apiece to lock Hirini Delamere, blindside flanker Kuhu Haweti, No.8 Solomon Vaka, second-five Jackson Rueben, reserve openside flanker Te Whetumarama Teddy and reserve fullback Dion Koopu: Koopu converted his own try, and centre Peti Delamere kicked five conversions.
