THE CLINCHER: TVC right wing Taleq Simeon scores the last points of the semifinal against Ruatoria City for 22-14 in the 76th minute. Picture by Zac Lake Photography
RUGBY
THE semifinals were the hardest, fastest games played so far this year.
TVC, the best-performed of the seven teams in Enterprise Cars Ngati Porou East Coast club rugby this season with 11 wins from 12 games, beat Ruatoria City 22-14 in the 1 v 4 semifinal at Te Kura Mana Maori o Whangaparaoa.
Uawa upset their hosts — defending champions Tokararangi — 29-17 in the 2 v 3 clash at Te Araroa Domain. Tokararangi had previously beaten Uawa 28-10 at the Domain on May 8 and took their show on the road a week ago, beating Uawa 26-21 to end Round 2.
In the wake of his big blue crew’s 12-point win in the Lion’s Den, Uawa player-coach Chris Richardson said: “We played well and I was happy with that match-effort against a good team. The intensity our boys brought was massive, and they took their opportunities.”
Tokararangi captain and NPEC skipper and No.8 Hone Haerewa, who led his close-knit unit through a Covid-19-shortened season unbeaten in 2020, said: “It was a great game of rugby — tough to play in, because it was pretty fast — but we loved every minute of it.”
Uawa game-day captain and halfback Sam Parkes won the toss and chose to play from the eastern end of the Domain, into a fair westerly breeze. Tokararangi hooker Jody Tuhaka (deputising for Hone Haerewa) opted to kick off.
On a hot day, Uawa opened the scoring in the first half, with a penalty goal to first five-eighth Josh Dearden for 3-0, from 19 metres out centrefield, in the sixth minute of play. At the 10-minute mark, his opposite, Rapata Haerewa, answered in kind for Tokararangi from a similar distance and point for 3-3.
The willingness to run shown by both teams drew roars and exhortations from the crowd of 400-plus.
In the 13th minute, from an attacking lineout 12m from the left corner, Uawa lock Rikki Kernohan won the ball at No.3. The visitors drove on Kernohan, towards the posts, did parry and thrust, with short carries, over five phases before fetcher Tanira Nepia — from a goal-line ruck — dived openside to score the first try of the match, eight metres in from the corner. There was no conversion, and Uawa led 8-3.
Dearden kicked his second penalty goal at the 18th minute, another head-on shot, this time from 19m out for 11-3.
Uawa left wing Tipene Meihana scored a sensational try in the 24th minute, Kernohan winning a lineout on the left touch 23m out. The blue team ran right while stringing four passes together until veteran loosehead prop John Mathias rampaged into the 22. Parkes cleared the ruck blindside to Nepia, who then slipped a magic assist to Meihana to score in the corner for 16-3.
Tokararangi had then to strike back or waver; coach Israel Brown’s men never wavered. In the 27th minute, lock Kyah Hollis won an attacking lineout 12m from the left corner, went right side, and five phases later blindside flanker Richie Green picked the ball up and dived over to score from a ruck 16m off the right touch.
Rapata Haerewa converted Green’s try and the home team were back in the game, trailing 16-10.
At the half-hour mark, Tokararangi fullback Te Rangi Fraser seized the day. Having taken the restart cleanly, over four phases the hosts worked their way up the Domain, to within 13m of halfway.
Fraser, in the pocket, received a clearing pass and put up a midfield bomb. Meihana knocked the ball back into the 22, gathered it up again, and sent a pass infield to Fraser’s opposite, BJ Sidney. Uawa mainstay Sidney’s return pass to Meihana was taken by Fraser, whose excellent chase and anticipation were rewarded with an intercept try. He scored beneath the crossbar.
Rapata Haerewa converted Fraser’s try to give Tokararangi their first lead — 17-16 — of the 2 v 3
semifinal. Dearden kicked his third penalty on halftime to put The Awa (River) 19-17 ahead. Tokararangi had led Uawa 14-10 at the break in the teams’ first meeting; the half-time score at Uawa Domain a week before had been 7-7. The margin between teams 2 and 3 decreased from 18, to nought, and finally two points during the course of the season. Uawa have improved greatly in the past month, their loss a week ago notwithstanding.
From the first lineout of the second half came Uawa’s third try — Nepia’s second of the day — from a remarkable passage of play. Uawa won a lineout set nine metres into their own territory on the left touch against the throw, with Parkes, Fraser and Dearden all kicking for space.
Over four phases, the home team came from the left sideline to the right, then back to the left, their hard-running centre Teina Potae surging over halfway. It was then that Green was hit as he received the ball, Parkes snatched the pill up and three quick passes later, Nepia took the last pass — a gem from second-five Te Ahimanawa Westrupp — on the inside to score between the posts.
It is hard to imagine a slicker or more speedy counter-attack to score than that which saw Nepia complete his double. It was expertly done. Dearden converted the try for 26-17 to Uawa.
In the 51st minute, promising ball-winner Hollis was replaced by titan Riki Waitoa, a powerhouse capped 34 times in NPEC representative sky blue. Both forward packs played strongly; both sets of backs were equally willing.
No one played badly, yet while referee Troy Para gave out no cards, Uawa enjoyed good field position throughout. Dearden landed four penalty goals. He kicked the fourth of those for 29-17 from centreground, 41m back, in the 57th minute. The first-five’s 14-point haul was a major factor in the result of a great contest.
The defending champions, well-led by the indomitable Hone Haerewa, gave this endeavour their all. In winning the semifinal at Te Araroa Domain, Uawa also took back the Api Crawford Memorial Shield that Tokararangi had won 21-20 at Tolaga Bay on July 11, 2020.
Api Crawford was a goal-kicking forward for Country, the Tolaga Bay sub-union, NPEC, Tai Rawhiti, Poverty Bay-East Coast-Bay of Plenty and New Zealand Maori.
Tokararangi’s MVP (most valuable player) award for this latest game was shared by Richie Green and Rapata Haerewa, with Josh Dearden the recipient for Uawa.
Hone Haerewa complimented Troy Para on his control and consistency with the whistle, and his assistant referees David Newton and Melvin Ashford for their contribution.