Hello again: Ngatapa flanker Dan Law (left) and Waikohu winger KC Wilson will renew their acquaintance in the semifinals at Rugby Park tomorrow. Picture by Paul Rickard
Stout hearts and broad backs must generate a wave at every breakdown for Ngatapa to beat Waikohu in tomorrow's premier club rugby semifinals.
Defending champions GT Shearing Waikohu under player-coach Kelvin Smith have dominated Civil Project Solutions Premier Rugby this season, from Tiny White Opening Day, April 23, when they beat club powerhouse High School Old Boys 43-0 on Gisborne Oval 2, through to July 2 and the Premier Cup-deciding 62-17 blitz against Larsawn Ngatapa at Te Karaka Domain on that memorable occasion.
Waikohu play hard, fast rugby. As the Wild West (1865-1890) was a time of free-spirited, rugged individuals, so have the last 20-odd years seen Waikohu produce some sensational rugby — and talent to be mentioned in the same breath as the iconic Rutene brothers. Coaches such as Tahi Hiroki and Jason Tuapawa, and player-coaches of quality in Ra Broughton and Kelvin Smith have all worked extremely hard on Waikohu's behalf.
And their labours of love have paid off. The club is in great health and heart, and under Smith this season they have won nine of 10 games. They've beaten every team in Premier Rugby and only a Herculean effort from East Coast Farm Vets YMP, 38-19 victors at Te Karaka Domain on July 2, has seen them bettered on the day.
Smith is totally unconcerned with that, doubt or negativity of any kind. In reference to the first semifinal, against Ngatapa at 1pm at Rugby Park tomorrow, the general of the backs with the twinkling feet spoke evenly.
“It's just another game to us. We just want to play well and have fun. I've told our boys — don't change anything.”
Ngatapa under Heith Hawea and Matt Evans have brought their green-and-whites a long way since they were held scoreless by OBM, 16-0 to the hosts at Gisborne Oval 1 on Tiny White Opening Day. They beat both Kevin Hollis Glass Pirates and High School Old Boys twice but perhaps more importantly — although they lost 15-6 to Waikohu last Saturday at Paddy's Park 1, they showed tremendous guts. First five-eighth Ricardo Patricio landed two penalty goals for the hosts in Week 10, and while it seems unlikely that semi No.1 will be won or lost on a kick at goal, it is very likely that field position, possession and opportunities taken will be of great import.
Patricio needs to land what he can for them, especially the difficult ones. These lift the spirits of the underdogs, and reinvest them with purpose and energy. Ngatapa captain and blindside flanker, Civil Project Solutions Poverty Bay Weka co-captain Dan Law, has both the old heads (loosehead prop Campbell Chrisp) and dashers (fullback Matt Raleigh) in tow to really give Waikohu a run for their money.
But it will take a supreme effort and the ball to bounce their way on occasion also. Ngatapa scrummage well but in tighthead prop Jarryd Broughton, Waikohu have the biggest man in New Zealand rugby. He is almost unstoppable close to the tryline.
They also have, in the midfield pairing of Jacob Leaf and Tane McGuire, the ability to create or shift the ball quickly.
Heith Hawea said: “We want to have discipline at the breakdown, to connect defensively, and to be patient and smart with the ball in hand. We need to trust ourselves, and our systems.”
Law is of similar mind: “We played quite a forward-oriented game last weekend, and we'll look to do that again tomorrow. Good forward play has always been a huge part of Ngatapa rugby.”
Josh Billings said that the usefulness of a postage stamp rests in its ability to stick to one thing until it gets there.
So resilience and tenacity may serve Enterprise Cars OBM best against an East Coast Farm Vets YMP team rightly riding high, from 3pm tomorrow at Rugby Park.
YMP have won eight out of 10 games, to OBM's six of nine. Waikohu beat them 21-17 on May 21 at Barry Park 1 and a week later OBM at home beat them 27-19 on May 28. But the Shayde Skudder-led YMP have avenged both of those losses since, toppling Waikohu 38-19 at Te Karaka three weeks ago and OBM 36-17 at Barry Park last Saturday.
YMP fullback Andrew Tauatevalu played a magic hand in his double in Week 10. His two first-half tries were proof of genius at work
Yet OBM would not go away, although they trailed by 12 points at the break. Like the postage stamp, they stuck to it, conceding just 10 points in the second half after YMP had put up 19 unanswered points in the first 22 minutes.
The damage had been done. And OBM skipper No.8 Rikki Terekia is as direct off the field of play as on it: “It's a big game this weekend. We need the basics — passing, catching, tackling — and our defence has to stand up.
“We've got to have those things.”
Skudder is purposeful — a man on a mission: “We just want to play our game as we go up a level, with passion as a team. We have a job to do.”
Last Saturday, the straight hard running of YMP's forwards and backs was the outstanding feature of their play. They applied pressure, they chased kicks. Their lineout worked a treat.
For OBM, lock Harawira Kahukura was excellent in that facet of play. Both he and YMP's Willis Tamatea are crucial to their teams' capacity to attack, as suppliers of good ball. YMP scrummaged powerfully last Saturday, but Jayme Barnett, Ngahiwi Manuel and Lance Dickson of OBM front-row fame and reserve Juston Allen, who can cover spots 1 to 5, will up the ante from round-robin play.
They know that they will need to double, if not triple, their all-round effort and involvement. Tauatevalu — through his speed and sidestep — confused would-be tacklers at Barry Park 1. Rugby Park these days drains well, groundsman David Mcdonald does a great job with it, and the 3pm showdown in 2 v 3 should play out on a well-grassed, firm surface.