Kaupoi captain and halfback Sam Parkes could not have been happier with the mental strength his entire team showed to get the win.
Old Golds skipper lock Rory Bartle was disappointed with the result but happy with the visitors’efforts.
He felt the Coast capitalised on North Otago’s errors, their support play was brilliant and also commented on their ability to disrupt at set-piece and breakdown. It made for a tough day at the office as the Old Golds were never allowed to build momentum or find a rhythm.
Tamatea’s opposite, Jason Forrest, said his men didn’t do the small things well enough and didn’t take opportunities presented; that they lost to a good side playing good rugby and playing with confidence.
“I was pleased with the way our boys played as we had work-ons from the two previous games, and we’ve begun to turn those into positives,” Tamatea said.
“Our defence was the key — from everyone who took the field.”
Sky Blues cult figure and hooker Joe Royal has scored in every competition match this season, but he (53rd minute), second-five Tavita Nabura (51st) and Parkes (79th) all received yellow cards, and from the 53rd to the 61st minutes the Coast soldiered on with 13 men.
Despite that, they dug deep for their ninth win in 33 matches against North Otago since 1986.
No.8 Mitchell Crosswell was the Kaupoi Most Valuable Player while for the Old Golds, barnstorming No.8 Junior Fakatoufifita was their player of the day.
Parkes won the toss and chose to play with the merest zephyr from the south-west. North Otago skipper lock Rory Bartle opting to receive the kick-off from NPEC first-five Terangi Fraser.
The Coast made an explosive start in the ninth minute of play.
At a lineout on the left touch just outside the Old Gold’s 22, Royal found Crosswell at No.3. Parkes sent a clearing pass to Fraser, whose grubber-kick was pursued in earnest by second-five Tavita Nabura.
Bay of Plenty referee Andy Morton was in perfect position to see through the scramble of gold and maroon as winger Kris Palmer won the race to the ball. Fraser converted for 7-0.
The Old Golds muscled up in the 11th minute when the immensely powerful Fakatoufifita came off the back of a 5m scrum, put a fend on NPEC blindside flanker Hone Te Moana and scored 10m in from the corner.
Fullback Lucas Ollion’s conversion levelled it 7-all.
Parkes scored the third try of the match in the 16th minute. From 18m into the visitors’ territory, Parkes twice cleared rucks to Te Moana and scrum-anchor Perrin Manuel on his right before Fraser broke the tackle of second-five Aleki Morris-Lome, got to the 22 and hooked a pass infield to centre Apirana Pewhairangi, who unselfishly passed to Parkes and he cut back to score behind the posts.
With Fraser’s conversion successful, the Coast led 14-7.
At the 22nd minute, Fraser scored after the Coast had withstood significant pressure. From a lineout 15m short of halfway, North Otago hooker Jake Greenslade found ace jumper Josh Clark at No.2.
Five phases of play later, the hosts were under the cosh. Needing to act fast, 20m out from their goal-line, Crosswell intercepted and sent the ball to right-wing BJ Sidney on the fly. Sidney flew to halfway, passed to Fraser on his outside and he centred play with a grubber kick. Ollion slid towards his own goal-line but Fraser won the race to the ball to score the Coast’s third try.
Fraser popped over the conversion for 21-7.
The southerners struck back in the 38th minute. Greenslade found Dale at No.2, 10m out from the right corner. Dale got the ball back to halfback Vilimoni Koroi who unleashed Morris-Lome and his determination and capacity to barge and drag unwilling Kaupoi saw him rewarded with a try under the crossbar.
Ollion converted to put North Otago within striking distance — 14-21 down — at the break.
The first half featured strong individual performances from backs Fraser and Palmer for the Coast; and forwards Clark and Fakatoufifita for the Old Golds.
Lion-hearted Coast fullback Josh Dearden, the lightest player on Whakarua Park, scored the first try after 44 minutes. Crosswell won a lineout at No.4, 19m from the right corner, and the Coast went into drive mode.
With Parkes’s direction, they went to the right and then openside, before playing hot potato in front of the posts. Captain Parkes found Fraser, he went to Nabura, and Nabura held the ball up for Dearden to latch on to it and score 12m to the right of the posts.
Fraser converted for 28-14.
Yellow cards for Nabura and Royal followed and in the 58th minute, North Otago wing Mone Samate scored a try of character.
The Old Golds won a scrum set 7m from the Kaupoi goal line. Fakatoufifita went down the blindside for Bowring, who was steamrolled by Sidney, but not before he got a great last pass away to Samate, who flip-dived to score in the corner.
Ollion’s conversion attempt missed and the visitors trailed 19-28.
Enter Qsea Qamasea. Samate’s wing partner scored a tremendous try in the 62nd minute. Dale won the ball at a lineout 15m into Coast territory. No.3, Feki and Koroi facilitated play right-side. One blitz ruck and two more passes heading right and Qamasea scored in the corner.
Ollion’s conversion closed the deficit to 26-28.
Royal scored his third try in as many weeks 72 minutes in. Crosswell won a lineout at 5m from the right corner and the Coast hauled inexorably closer to the posts over six phases of play for rake Royal to down under the bar.
Fraser’s conversion made it 35-26 to the home side and the Osborne Taonga was starting to look safe for at least another two weeks.
Ollion landed a 37m penalty from in front of the posts for 29-35 in the 75th minute. Fraser answered in kind from 29m out at the 78th.
Parkes was yellow-carded on the cusp of fulltime.
In the curtain-raiser to the Heartland match, Ngāti Porou Hamoterangi lost 20-25 to Thames Valley Vixes in Week 2 of the North Island Heartland Women’s Competition.
