Week 8 at the Oval opened with the teams on both grounds observing a moment of silence: on Oval 1, this was done for Robyn Banks, mother of OBM legend Warren Banks.
On Oval 2, a moment was observed for Gabrielle (Gabe) Hume, a valued member of the Ngatapa Sports and Rugby Club's De Costa netball team.
The appropriate respect was shown by the public in each instance.
For the top-of-the-table clash on Oval 1, Waikohu captain and halfback Mario Counsell won the toss on a cool, overcast day with a nor'westerly breeze prevailing. He chose an end for the visitors, who received the ball from the kick-off.
That came from Braedyn Grant, who has made the fullback berth his own for OBM since the return of club centurion Scott McKinley to Nelson, but who on Saturday played first five-eighth. Like regular No.10 Austin Brown, Grant is a left-footer, both prepared to and capable of playing wherever in the backs his team need him.
From referee Mark Greene's first whistle-blast, whether it was No.8 Tristan Morten or tighthead prop Jarryd Broughton who caught the ball, Waikohu were well organised.
They opened the scoring with a try to scrum-anchor Broughton after seven minutes. Green awarded Waikohu a penalty five metres from OBM's goal-line, six metres off the right touch, and Counsell went for the tap-kick, heading left for Broughton. The big man broke two tackles to score 10m to the right of the posts. It was a try owing much to nimbleness.
Waikohu led 5-0 until the 13th minute. It was then that, from a five-metre scrum set 12m off the left touch, OBM set five men to run openside. The hosts won their own ball. Two rucks and two quality passes later, right wing Rangi Hinaki scored six metres in from the corner for OBM. The score was 5-5.
In the 29th minute, Waikohu set a scrum 16m off the left touch, 17m out. Counsell went wide to second-five Tane McGuire, who slipped another pass right to tall first-five Ruan du Plooy. Du Plooy, on debut, scored the first try of what would be a hat-trick next to the posts for 10-5, 12-5 on fullback Moses Christie's conversion.
Du Plooy scored again eight minutes later. From a five-metre scrum set seven metres off the left touch, Counsell popped a pass up, and Du Plooy stepped back strongly off his right foot to score eight metres in from the corner. Christie converted for 19-5.
In the 41st minute, Waikohu scored their fourth try in classic fashion. They set and won a scrum 11m off the left sideline, eight metres into OBM territory. They shifted the ball right through three sets of hands before Christie hit the ball like a hammer for right wing KC Wilson. Wilson's thrilling 25m dash to score out wide saw the visitors take a 24-5 lead to the break.
OBM got back to the task at hand with good play, the likes of fetcher Keanu Taumata and lock Jordan Kingi winning good lineout ball while their captain, Rikki Terekia and his fellow 50 club-game man, centre Jale Tiko, both made good metres on each carry.
It was Terekia, a former Poverty Bay skipper versatile enough to play hooker at Heartland level and second five-eighth on Saturday, who scored the first try after the resumption, in the 45th minute.
Green gave OBM a penalty 15m off the left touch, 20m from Waikohu's line. Terekia tap-kicked the ball, to go full-steam ahead, low, hard, and straight for OBM 10, Waikohu 24.
Soon thereafter, Taumata won a lineout against the throw on the right touch, eight metres into OBM territory.
Over five phases, OBM made their way to the far sideline and came back right. Reserve wing Evan Bryant grubber-kicked down his corridor and gave chase.
Terekia beat all others in pursuit to score in the corner after 52 minutes. There was no conversion.
Waikohu's last try had its origins in an OBM lineout on the left touch, 24m from their opponents' goal-line.
OBM held the ball for three phases, Waikohu took five turns and finally sent it through three sets of hands before an angled kick gave Du Plooy the space to chase the ball, gather it and score behind the posts.
His hat-trick try was converted by Christie for 31-15.
The last try — OBM's fourth — came in the 83rd minute, from an attacking lineout on the right touch, 13m from the Waikohu goal-line. Taumata won the ball at No.4, with excellent core-work by hooker Ngahiwi Manuel with the throw, and then the pack put the drive on.
Reserve blindside flanker Nicolas Carrizo scored the try 12m infield.
The final score was 31-20 to Waikohu, whose skipper Counsell said: “Our boys were disciplined in the first half. In the second half, OBM fought back hard.”
Terekia shared similar sentiments: “It was a game of two distinct halves.”
