Hard yards needed as Waima eye Ūawa challenge in Ngāti Porou East Coast club rugby

Josh Dearden, pictured scoring a try for Ngāti Porou East Coast against Poverty Bay, has a vital role to play at first five for Ūawa in their club rugby game against Waima in Tolaga Bay. Photo / Paul Rickard

First-year coach Quinn Whakataka knows what he wants.

And what he’ll be asking of his Waima crew is more about grit and grind than glamour ahead of their road trip to Tolaga Bay on Saturday, where they will play Ūawa in week 5 of the H Blackbee Contractors Ngāti Porou East Coast men’s club rugby competition.

“We want to improve on our last match effort,” said Whakataka in reference to his side’s 64-5 win over Tokomaru Bay United in a derby a fortnight ago.

“We need to strengthen our defensive line, to trust ourselves, each other and the process. We’re looking forward to the challenge this weekend.”

That challenge is “the Big Blue Crew” of Ūawa at Ūawa Domain, who, with week 4 games cancelled and Waiapu defaulting to them two weeks ago, have not had a run since March 21.

Uawa player-coach Adaam Ross’s unit are always formidable and in first five Josh Dearden, they have not only an astute leader but also an excellent goal-kicker.

They beat Ruatōria City 41-15 at Enterprise Cars Whakarua Park on opening day, their powerful No 8 Jesse Rye scoring a hat-trick of tries.

Waima kicked their season off with a brilliant 43-33 win over Hikurangi.

They will be led on Saturday by No 8 Te Peehi Fairlie, who has been magnificent since his return from Poverty Bay Premier champions YMP. Fairlie and first five Slade Tiopira will need to play mighty games for the visitors.

Ruatōria City captain Jack Richardson’s outfit produced a big win in week 2 in beating Hikurangi 19-17 in their derby at Kahuitara.

And like that game, much will rest on the performance of their forward pack at scrum and lineout when they take on United at Whakarua Park.

Their pack – Jody Tuhaka, Cody Ellis, Maui Baker, Nathaniel Fox, Karauria Vaeafisi, Tuterangi Ngarimu and Isiah Rickard, with Richardson at openside flanker - is a feisty one and ready to do battle at home.

Equally keen to play at their best are Waiapu, on their home turf of George Nepia Memorial Park in Rangitukia, where they face Tokararangi. Rikki Terekia, formerly of Poverty Bay club OBM, went in for a great try at blindside flanker in Waiapu’s last outing.

Terekia, at No 8, and first five Leethan Tipene-Rawiri scored hat-tricks against United on opening day.

Tokararangi under the charge of No 8 Hone Haerewa, have the right stuff to make tomorrow afternoon’s encounter one to remember. In the loose and out wide, both teams have players who can turn a game on its head.

All three games kick off at 2pm.